THE BOOK OF LORE with GRAVE MISTAKES (2010)

Directed by Jimmy George and Chris LaMartina

Shot-on-video (SOV) horror is a genre unto itself. Cluttering up shelves along with their shot-on-film, but still straight-to-video horror brethren -- in addition to shot-on-film, then went-to-cable horror movies, these aforementioned titles are essentially “fanzine” features. Usually made by fans for fans without money, these projects have a fresh eagerness to entertain game viewers. Simultaneously, one can’t totally discount these features, as they are tapped in to the deeply personal, no-frills frissons they’re capable of generating. Both The Blair Witch Project (1999) and Paranormal Activity (2007) were cut from the exact same cloth as these camcorder features, and both raked in millions of dollars with audiences eagerly waiting in long lines around theaters to see them.



The home-brewed horror feature The Book of Lore, along with its companion anthology feature Grave Mistakes is a shining example of all that is good and bad about SOV horror. Lore is heartfelt, ambitious and has an earnest story to tell – but its makers are far too young (in the DVD interview supplements, directors Jimmy George and Chris LaMartina don’t look a day older than 20) and inexperienced to mount a wholly successful feature film.



Lore focuses on community college student Rick. Things are not going that hot for him; he’s living with his loving but dotty aunt after both of his parents have been incarcerated for methamphetamine production. Even worse is that his girlfriend has turned up missing and the unshaven, doo-ragged sheriff is none too enthusiastic about finding her. His girlfriend is later found horribly mutilated, and a friend points him to the Book of Lore – a handmade composition book that foretells the town’s murders. Years earlier, a killer by the name of the Devil’s left hand (known as “DLH” to his friends) had blown through Rick’s one-horse town and abducted and killed eight newborn babies … is there a connection?



The Book of Lore is to be commended for corralling a fair amount of amateur actors and locations to tell its complex, twisting story, but it suffers the same fate as many other projects of its ilk. Namely, it doesn’t know when to quit. Working with largely unpaid talent, the directors left a lot of talky scenes of exposition that doesn’t further the story, making for a dull viewing experience. Having worked in semi-amateur film projects such as The Book of Lore, this writer suspects these scenes were left in because the producers didn’t want to hurt the actor’s feelings.

Grave Mistakes, the anthology second feature included in the DVD is more successful, largely due to the abbreviated nature of its stories. The four stories and wraparound tale that comprise Grave Mistakes ain’t no big thang, but they benefit from much better acting, including a part for perpetual indie horror ham George Stowver, Mr. Gravel in John Waters’ Desperate Living (1977) as well as countless Don Dohler features. There are plenty of non-actors in important roles, seriously hampering some sections, and the brevity of the stories don’t always work in the film’s favor. One segment, involving a vampire infestation at a hospital ends abruptly at the halfway point without explanation!

There are extras aplenty on the Camp Motion Pictures DVD. Both LaMartina and George contribute commentary tracks for both films. There is also a gallery of stills for The Book of Lore, a radio interview and a making of feature from a local cable TV station. There is even an Easter egg, a promotional video that the filmmakers made in order to entice local restaurants to provide catering services.



The best extra feature on the DVD are trailers for Camp Motion Pictures’ many other SOV horror films, the type found in Mom-and-Pop video stores in the Eighties. Time has been kind to such deteriorating magnetic tape features such as Video Violence, Video Violence 2: The Exploitation (both 1987), Woodchipper Massacre (1988) and Cannibal Campout(1988). These once woebegone semi-movies, usually found at the bottom of video store rental shelves are now questionably called “retro-chic” and even have the word “classic” applied to them in some circles. The Book of Lore and Grave Mistakes can be cautiously recommended to the die-hard horror fan that they’ve already seen much, much worse, pal!