When I first watched director Anthony Spadaccini's creepy little serial killer picture "Head Case" a few years ago, it freaked me out.  This surprised me.  Movies don't usually get under my skin anymore (I've seen too many) and this movie was one of those "found footage" deals where the opening credits report that the movie is actual home video footage of actual events.  You know the story.  There have been several of these movies released since "The Blair Witch Project" burst onto the screen and made a bunch of money, but that movie didn't impress me.  All I could think the entire time was, "wow, the production assistants are scratching at the outside of the tent.  I'm shaking in my boots."  I soon developed an intense dislike for any movie that tried to use this "we're totally made from real footage and stuff" gimmick in order to sell a film.  It's lazy.  If I could shoot the movie in my backyard, it isn't likely to impress me (though I hope I'd come up with a scarier gimmick than production assistants scratching at the outside of a tent). In recent years, however, I've seen a few of these "found footage" type movies that I actually enjoyed, and I've discovered that when they get it right, they really get it right, and they scare me in a way that other movies can't, because the footage looks real.  It looks like something my neighbors shot in their houses, and that makes whatever events transpire seem more believable to me.  Which is scary when the movie in question is about normal people who could BE your neighbors who happen to enjoy killing people and capturing it on film.  "Head Case" was the first movie in the trilogy, and it told the story of Wayne and Andrea, two normal looking people who like to lure people to their house, drug them, and torture and kill them in the basement.

"The Ritual" was the second movie in the trilogy, and it followed the continuing adventures of Wayne after he went on the run from the police and decided to train a protege to continue his killing legacy.  "Post-Mortem" continues the story, this time focusing on John, Wayne's stepson, who is also a serial killer looking for an apprentice; someone to carry on his work. John eventually latches onto a teenager named Seth.  Seth comes from a horribly dysfunctional family.  His parents use drugs and they are high most of the time, so they ignore their kids.  They also don't pay the bills, apparently, so they get kicked out of their house and move in with their drug dealer (great environment for the whole family).  Seth is angry, depressed, and suicidal, and to be honest, this is one of the reasons I was hesitant to watch this movie at first.  I've known a lot of people like Seth.  When I finally got to see the movie, it didn't disappoint me.  Seth was a little too familiar to me, which made everything happening onscreen hit me that much harder. 

It's even freakier because he speaks in this calm, nonchalant voice, like everything he's saying is common sense.  He explains how killing people is like fishing, you bait the hook, reel in the victim, the victim tries to get free but can't, then the victim dies...I want my mommy. These movies got kind of complicated as the story grew throughout the course of the three films.  I was reminded of the Saw movies (I mean that as a compliment because I'm one of the people who loves those movies) as I tried to keep the story straight between the three movies and remember who everyone was and what they were doing.  I like how this movie gives some more insights into the events of those movies, and we get to see the lovely Brinke Stevens again in her role as Wayne's mother, which is an added bonus.  I've loved her since I saw "Slumber Party Massacre" in the 80s, so it's always a treat to see her onscreen.

This movie is disturbing in a way the other movies in the trilogy weren't for me.  This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy those movies, it's just that the character of Seth really got to me, so I felt more involved with this movie than I had with the other two.  When John promises to set Seth free from his horrible family life, I feel for Seth, because he's just happy that someone finally took an interest in him for once in his life, and the more he falls for John's lies and rationalizations, the more I wanted to jump through the screen and drag him away from the hell for which he was headed (except that I don't want to jump into a world where John actually exists, thank you very much).  Even if you don't usually like "found footage" type movies, I suggest that you give these movies a chance.  They're disturbing in a way that many mainstream movies can't even touch because these movies go places those movies won't.

While I was watching the movie, I heard something scratching outside my apartment door.  I opened it to see a man standing in the outside hallway, smiling at me.  He then began to walk backward down the apartment stairs.  I watched him until he disappeared into the darkness.  Needles to say, this gave me an extra little heart attack to go along with the one I was already having because of this movie.  I locked my doors and still couldn't sleep for the rest of the night after the movie ended.  If you, too, think sleep is for the weak, you might enjoy watching this movie.  In fact, watch the whole trilogy, and when "S.K.I.N.S." comes out (the companion DVD to the trilogy which gives a closer look at the serial killers featured in these movies) watch that, too.  Then see how much sleep you'll get.  I'll be there to make scratching noises outside your door every time you even THINK about going to sleep.  Sweet dreams!