‘Legend becomes reality’
The Before Time is a 2014 American found-footage horror film about two rival film crews who find more than they bargained for in the desert.
Directed by Miguel Müller (Yolanda) from a screenplay written by Scott Bunt and a story by Rodrigo Goulart and Müller.
The movie stars Danielle Baker, Jules Hartley, Phillip Andre Botello, Ted Jonas, Megan Hui, Sean Patrick McGowan.
Plot:
When two rival film crews head into the desert to shoot a reality show based on a buried Navajo treasure, they discover that truth is not only stranger than fiction, it’s more dangerous. Something wants them from digging deeper and from escaping the desert alive…
Reviews:
“It all feels familiar, like ground we’ve tread before. It’s predictable and despite being decently made and having an exciting scene or two, it’s not very interesting. The cast is decent but their writing is lazy. The movie leaves too much to the imagination and doesn’t give us the visual goods often enough.” Celluloid Terror
“Although found-footage films have been overdone in the last couple of years, this one stands out among the rest. It stands out because unlike some other films, this scenario seems realistic, something that people would do to gain popularity and ratings; meanwhile not thinking about the consequences of their actions.” Cryptic Rock
” …director Miguel Miller pumps a little fresh air into an otherwise stale format with The Before Time, a very good reason why the present shouldn’t screw with the past […] There’s also a reliance on more than a few instances where CGI was present, and the realism took a large punch to the gut in that aspect.” Dread Central
I feel as if there were a lot of throw away characters who only appeared to add to the modest body count here. The high body count, matched with the multiple locations used, made this more than the average found footage feature. The acting performances, though… I’ll just say… Some were better than others.” Dread Central
“I feel as if there were a lot of throwaway characters who only appeared to add to the modest body count here. The high body count, matched with the multiple locations used, made this more than the average found footage feature. The acting performances, though… I’ll just say… Some were better than others.” Horror Society
“The Before Time is one of the rare found footage films that actually gets it right, that does not think shakey cameras are enough to replace narrative structure, build up of tension and suspense, and interesting characters. And especially the first act is filled with lots of laughs and straight satire, too, often making one forget that this is supposed to be found footage even.” Search My Trash
“The film offers a multi-layered and faceted narrative that plays with the notion of verisimilitude and subtly offers intellectual ruminations on the media and entertainment within an entertaining and fun film. Despite its complexity, The Before Time never takes itself entirely too seriously and instead goes about with an infectious and charming sense of humor.” We Are Indie Horror
Cast and characters:
Ted Jonas … Daniel Casablanca
Jules Hartley … Kimberly Ruiz
Danielle Baker … Cate O’Rierdan (as Danielle Elyse Baker)
Sean Patrick McGowan … Peter Garcia
Aidan Marus … Bruno Gagliotti
Julianne Dowler … Angela Locke
Phillip Andre Botello … Jimmy Schmidt
Danny Arroyo … Miguel Sanchez
Don Ytzimleich … Mr Moreland
Shamil Erfanian … Board Member 1
Stefania Vasconcellos … Board Member 2
Luke Hong … Mr Moreland’s Assistant
Eva Kee … Inacia Garcia
Jason Woods … Law Enforcement Ranger
Circus-Szalewski … Station Owner (as Darren O’Lemmets)
Filming locations:
Agua Dulce, Burbank, Ridgecrest, Sunland, and Trona, California, USA
Technical details:
80 minutes
Trailer:
