THE PARANORMAL DIARIES: Clophill

With Mark Andrews, Michael Bartlett, Criselda Cabitac 
Written & Directed by Michael Bartlett & Kevin Gates

British directors Gates and Bartlett seemed to have landed their niche with their found footage ‘Diaries’ movies.  Having done two in the zombie realm (of varied effectiveness), now they’ve branched out into the Paranormal, with the film-makers part of the narrative as a documentary crew investigating happenings at a church ruin in Bedfordshire.  In 1963 rumours of black magic and rituals at the location shrouded the place in mystery, fear and curiosity.

By now the audience has become well-versed in the found footage genre and know what to expect and also what to demand of it to be effective.

With interviews and footage from witnesses and people experiencing strange things at the church, the focus is on the crew and their encounters across several visit, odd and scary events seeming to be linked to a grave marked Sophia, but outside occult groups also have an attachment to this location.

What the Paranormal Diaries makers do is manipulate the audience expectation, building suspense and tension and not always giving a pay-off (something I really liked about it), but a viewer expecting nail biting scares may be disappointed.

Clophill is set to be followed by the next Paranormal Diaries' chapter focusing on the legendary Mothman.

4 / B
- Paul Blom

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- A - B - C

Click below for the the directros' 2nd Zombie Diaries

A: Multi-Viewing Potential

B: Could Enjoy A 2nd Look

C: Once Should Suffice