Episode 254: New Year’s Evil: ’Angel Baby’ (2023)/’Blackwood Evil’ (2000)

It has been a tumultuous few weeks for Scream VII. After losing its two leads, the movie was rocked with the news that its director had quit. There will still be a future for the popular franchise, but should there be? American television is a strange thing. Shows either go on for too long or are canceled before their time. It is rare to see a series come to a satisfactory end. But it looks like that is exactly what is going to happen with What We Do In the Shadows.

When we spoke about the trailer for Angel Baby a few weeks ago, we both agreed it looked like generic fun. Well, we were half right. Filled with familiar tropes, the film is perfect for Escape to the Woods subgenre. It is its attempt to do something different where things fall apart. Filled with interesting ideas but little else, it ends up being a huge disappointment.

We love found footage movies. Even the flaws that come with them are easy to look over - even if they can be annoying. The origins of the genre are murky. While there is no doubting The Blair Witch Project brought it to the mainstream, it certainly was not the first. What people choose to count as found footage is where the confusion comes in.

One thing there is no debating is that Blackwood Evil is the first found footage movie to attempt to capitalize on the success of Blair Witch. (Well, if nothing else, it is one of the first.) There is a reason most people have not heard of it. The production is awful; some scenes cannot be seen, while others are impossible to hear. The acting is atrocious and there is not a hint of anything scary until over an hour has passed.

So, why did we like it so much? This is definitely a movie you have to grade on a curve. It was released over two decades ago when there was not much of a template to follow. The characters may be the most realistic ever seen in found footage and the lack of polish actually works to its benefit. It would not be accurate to say that Blackwood Evil is a good movie, but it is one that should be seen.

Adventures in Movies! is a part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcast Network. Morbidly Beautiful is your one stop shop for all your horror needs. From the latest news and reviews to interviews and old favorites, it can be found at Morbidly Beautiful.

Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror. You can reach us personally or on Twitter @AdventuresinMo1.

Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com