Director – Matt Jaissle (Revolution 666, The Necro Files)
Release Date – 2017
Rating – 3/5
I couldn’t imagine being an indie horror filmmaker in the 90s. Now people have the convenience of sharing their films in horror groups on social media and the dozens of horror dedicated sites but in the 90s all you had was yourself and anyone willing to buy it at cons, yard sales, and local video stores. Sure, there was horror forums but in the 90s they were very basic and mostly dedicated to pop horror or faux snuff flicks. Most of these no budget fright flicks have now fell into obscurity or found new releases with several indie distribution companies like Videonomicon.
Sometime ago I came across a post in a horror forum for the indie production company VidEvil Video. Owner and director Matt Jaissle was sharing awareness of his then new film Revolution 666. I spoke with him about the film and his label and he was kind enough to send a review copy my way along with a copy of his 1997 release The Necro Files. This was completely new to me which really excited me. I watched and really enjoyed it and soon Jaissle announced a sequel and was kind enough to send it my way as well. Thank you Matt.
**Spoiler Alert**The film picks up 20 years after the events in The Necro Files. We follow a reporter who suspects that the killer from the murders in 1997 has made his return. He tries to enlist a professor who studies the occult to help him but the professor refuses. It’s not until the journalist witnesses the murder of a cam model that he is able to convince the reluctant professor into helping him stop the killer before he takes over the world.**Spoiler alert**
I’m shocked by what Matt Jaissle and company did with Necro Files 3000. The first Necro Files film is a trashy fun no budget production that has plenty of gore and what the fuck moments. I love how ballsy the film is and how much it looks like a lost S.O.V. horror film from the late 80s and early 90s. The fact that he took such a different approach really shocks me and I commend him for thinking outside the box.
The voice acting in this one is not the best but for an indie production it is pretty damn good. I have seen some pretty entertaining indie animated/puppet films where the cast is speaking in monotone or didn’t match the speed of the film. This makes some important scenes lose impact when the viewer is trying to play catch up with the movement because the audio is out of sync by just a second. NF 3000 did not have that problem but they did have a difficult time bringing emotion to the characters through their dialogue. This doesn’t make the film difficult to watch but it does make some of the scenes dry.
The story for this one is an absurd follow up to a story that is textbook example of what it meant to be an S.O.V. horror flick in the 90s. The cult following the serial killer is almost clichéd in terms of S.O.V. horror but Jaissle completely flipped the script and tossed in many more horror elements along with modern trends. The story mixes up the occult, zombies, slashers, and jungle cannibal films while tossing in modern aspects such as cam girls and so on to make this film feel totally different. With all that being said, the film should be viewed as a comedy. The humor is mostly low brow and is overlooked by the dialogue delivery. The film was not meant to be taken seriously so the viewer should know this before hand.
Finally, the film has plenty of blood and gore. In fact, it has more than I was expecting considering the style of film. The effects are funny and cleverly done which added even more enjoyment to the overall film. Overall, Necro Files 3000 is a fun sequel that gives the viewer’s something they were not expecting. I thoroughly enjoy a film that catches the viewer off guard and NF 3000 did just that. Check it out. If you don’t laugh you may need to seek counseling.
