1960s
institutional buildings are basically what they look like—projects designed and
constructed by the lowest bidders. They are pretty horrifying from an architectural
perspective, even without a portal to Hell. Rumor has it that is precisely what
has led to a series of mysterious disappearances tied to a shunned college
classroom. For the sake of journalism, an ambitious local reporter locks
herself in the creepy academic building, but all that remains of the ill-fated
crew is the surviving video that ostensibly makes up Jonas Odenheimer’s found
footage horror film Classroom 6 (trailer here), which is now
available on iTunes.
We
are watching the disturbing tape recorded before Annie Monroe’s disappearance,
because that is what she would have wanted. At least, that is what the station
manager claims and she isn’t around to contradict him. Like the missing student
and professor she came to investigate, Monroe and her team vanished without a
trace—as in no bodily remains. Prof. Harrold Thomas used to teach a class on
witchcraft in the notorious room six, which really seems like he was asking for
trouble. Since then, the administration decided to close off that room to any
further use, merely out of sensitivity mind you, but they do not seem to be
doing a very good job of securing it.
To
get to the bottom of things, Monroe and her skeptical crew will lock themselves
in the building overnight. For expert advice and commentary, she also brought
along the campus psychic Jack Doggett, who immediately starts getting bad
vibes. However, he cannot put his finger on what exactly he is sensing. Unfortunately
but predictably, the media morons disregard his warnings until it is profoundly
too late.
This
should go without saying, but if you plan to lock yourself into some spooky old
building as some kind of PR stunt, you really ought to have an escape route
scoped out, just in case. Seriously, haven’t they seen reality TV crews do the
same dumb thing in Hollows Grove and Grave Encounters, with the same grisly
results? At least the location scout found an impressively crummy, cut-rate International
style-looking building for everyone to die in. The creepy New Agey mural is also
a particularly nice touch.
You
know things are bad when the psychic is the voice of reason, but Monroe and her
colleagues are from the old media, so what can you expect? It is hard to really
develop character within the found footage conceit, but Mike McLaughlin’s
Doggett still comes across as a smart, intense cat. As Monroe, Valentina
Kolaric wrings a few laughs out of her shallowness, but the rest of her crew is
rather bland and featureless.
To
his credit, Odenheimer takes his time establishing the ominous atmosphere and physical layout
of the infernal building. He seems to understand simple things, like McLaughlin’s
business with a tennis ball, are often much creepier than big swirling special
effects. However, we have just seen this sort of thing too many times before.
Odenheimer does not add enough fresh wrinkles to withstand comparison to the
original Grave Encounters, in whose
conspicuous shadow C6 so obviously
stands. Still, if you cannot get enough found footage horror, Classroom 6 is arguably somewhat better
than average. For hardcore subgenre junkies, it is now available on VOD
platforms.
