Hollow DVD Review

Director: Michael Axelgaard

Starring: Emily Plumtree, Sam Stockman, Matt Stokoe, Jessica Ellerby, Simon Roberts

Running Time: 91 Minutes

Certificate: 18

Synopsis: On holiday in the English countryside, two young couples uncover an ancient evil.

I’m beginning to think I’m not liked amongst the towers of THN. What could I have done to upset someone? Did I hurt one of our talented team members in a previous life? Do I smell funny? Whatever the answer, I seem to be lumbered with some atrocious home entertainment efforts after stating at one of our magnificent ‘do’s, ‘Oh, I do love a good horror‘. Notice there I say ‘good’? Obviously no one was listening to that crucial point, as I’ve since been stuck with nothing but this horror…and I don’t mean that in a good way. So here I am, saddled with another abysmal entry in the long and tired line of ‘found-footage’, with HOLLOW.

Opening with an ‘East Anglian Police Evidence’ title card and I assume one of their officers guiding us through the scene of the crime, where apparently four people hung themselves from a foreboding-looking tree and the location of the all-important video evidence. We’re then introduced to the four, flawed and stereotypical individuals as they cheerily drive to one of their recently deceased relatives homes. Emma (the meek, clever, pretty girl); Scott (her boisterous new fiancé); James (Emma’s brooding childhood friend, still holding a torch for her) and Lynne (the blonde single mother bimbo brought along as jealous bait), who are tasked with showing us how all this doomed premise plays out, while supposedly celebrating Emma and Scott’s recent engagement.

We descend into mysterious mythology territory and an ancient evil lurking near the tree and ruins outside Emma’s former-reverend-now-dead Grandfather’s home. As soon as we pull up – and running into some roadkill – Emma proclaims “Oh, that tree always used to creep me out as a kid”. This almost immediately sets the scene for the obvious finale, as they come discover this tree is linked to hundreds of suicides over the years via dreary details supplied by the casual village vicar and the glaringly obvious positioned books and news clippings.

HOLLOW lives up to its title and is pretty much a vain attempt at a Brit BLAIR WITCH PROJECT as the shaky camerawork disguises what could be lurking in the darkness come the conclusion, of which we know after the first bloody minute. The film lacks any genuine scares as the eye-rolling camera positioning will have you screaming “Oh, just turn the fucker off”, as it captures what little story there is together with cringe-worthy dialogue and performances. Not forgetting a scene (of which can only explain the 18 certificate) where Scott pulls out some ‘charlie’ and the unintentionally funny consequences. The queen of the Prawn Ring, Kerry Katona would be proud.

The star of the show is the coincidental handheld device that left me mesmerised, but this is mainly because it captured the whole weekend without a charge and must have a cracking battery life. Tough and durable too. In fact, I’d have preferred to see it left behind, facing the wall, while on charge. What credit the film does deserve is the creepy poster design and cover artwork (see above and below) which warrant a special mention, as does the effective selling quotes from reputable publications which I suspect must have been dabbling with a bit of ‘charlie’ themselves, when giving out such glowing references. F**king liars!

HOLLOW is released on DVD on the 28th January