Quarantine (2008)

   

Directed by: John Erick Dowdle

Written by:
John Erick Dowdle & Drew Dowdle

Starring:

Jennifer Carpenter .... Angela Vidal
Steve Harris .... Scott Percival
Jay Hernandez .... Jake
Johnathon Schaech .... George Fletcher
Columbus Short .... Danny Wilensky
Andrew Fiscella .... James McCreedy

Release Date: Theatrical: October 10, 2008

*Images courtesy at: www.outnow.ch

Rating:

 

A television reporter Angela Vidal (Jennifer Carpenter) decides to do a fun documentary project with her camera man and goes to a Los Angeles fire station lead by the marshall Scott Percival (Steve Harris) in which they travel to an apartment complex that was sealed off by the government and the residents were never seen again without any witnesses or evidence.
They think this might be a great opportunity to unravel this unsolved mystery as they are assigned to this nightshift after a 911 call and receive some blood curdling screams from one of the buildings by a resident Mrs. Espinoza (Jeannie Epper) who has been infected by some sort of an unknown disease that makes her attack and try to kill.
After a few of the residents are viciously attacked, they try to escape with the news crew in tow, only to find that the CDC has quarantined the building with their phones, internet, televisions and cell phones cut off and officials are not relaying information to those locked inside.
The quarantine gets lifted and Angela shows evidence on her camera when she tries to struggle from this madness as even the fire marshall's are getting this disease and killing one another.

 

The story tries to start the film off by making it funny with Angela Vidal as the host of her found footage flick trying to get it right without traffic sounds before entering a firestation but it looks very flat.
There was an interesting look at her going into a locker room at the work station with Scott Percival showing her around and the others goofing off.
There was a good impression at first with her and the others playing firemen going to a room in a building and trying to talk to someone along with a nice reaction on someone acting insane and losing it by having rabies but the shots on her attack scene's bit the big one as it's hard to know what's going on.
We have a fairly good conversation between Angela and a child being interviewed which looked more natural than the other scene's in this movie and probably the best moment of all.
A good shot on this child attacking reacting to her rabies with the camera slamming into her face to knock her out.
There's another good shot on her attacking but again afterwards the camera jiggles too much and the scene looks very dark afterwards.
We spot a good shot on someone injecting a needle in George Fletcher's head with a great disturbing reaction on Angela which leaves an impression.
Many shots on people running around in the building but the camera is not well focused and it looks dark as usual.
We have a last scene with Angela alone with a green light shining on her which is the worst moment of all cause you don't see what is going on or why this is happening but she does well acting hysterical.
Bottom line is that this is a rip off on all those found footage horrors like Blair Witch Project and Diary of the Dead trying to use the same chemistry but it looks very amateurish, difficult to watch with the camera always jiggling as well as filming in the dark and annoying helicopter sounds which often drowns out the dialogues.
It was widely advertised during it's theatrical run and had mixed reviews but once you watch this film it is easily forgettable.
It does start off as a bad comedy almost and when you expect for the best it almost starts off right but then turns into a total disaster.

The acting is in fair shape as Jennifer Carpenter (Angela Vidal) brings out as much as she can with her character trying to act witty at first but that looked a little phony. However, she does great on her intesnity and screaming with nice fearful expressions too.
Steve Harris
(Scott Percival) is not too bad as her sidekick fire marshall showing good aggressive attitude to his part when the terrors are about to happen.
Johnathon Schaech (George Fletcher) seems fairly impressive after getting the rabies looking like a dangerous looking zombie. There's a good reaction on him acting like this when he is diagnosed with it.
Child actress Joey King (Briana) has a small role in this film as a child with rabies but deserves to be mentioned in this turkey in which she reacts well behaving normal and then going into a terrifying rage.

A rat is stomped on
Some bitten legs and other parts on various people

No music folks just annoying helicopter sounds.