COOP COOPER is an independently syndicated film critic with a split personality. His “Southern Side” prints mainstream reviews that appear in various print publications across the mid-south. His “Dark Side” from Los Angeles befouls the site with reviews of horror and grindhouse flicks. Welcome to the site where COOP’s two halves (and his contributors) review and debate the latest film/DVD releases…

by Coop Cooper

While watching “Gypsy Heart” one might wonder where the story is going, until the payoff when they realize the story is oddly familiar to those who appreciate a good legend. A good samaritan (Glenn Payne) picks up an alluring hitchhiker (Courtney Cheek) on a rural Mississippi road. The more questions the guy asks, the more uncomfortable the girl becomes. Soon it becomes apparent that the girl is hiding something. As they approach their destination, both parties soon discover the reason for their chance meeting…

“Terra Nova” (Monday 7pm on FOX) – In the future where Earth has become ravaged and polluted, adventurous citizens get the chance to go back in time to the dinosaur age (85 million B.C.) to begin a new civilization. Ex-cop Jim Shannon (Jason O’Mara) breaks out of prison to join his family on a one-way trip to the past. On the other side they encounter two warring factions of humans fighting over a well-protected secret while trying to survive amongst predatory monsters. Plagued by clichés, the first episode rose above the poor writing with big-budgeted special effects and an intriguing mystery reminiscent of “Lost.” Trying to duplicate some of the qualities of “Avatar,” the show employs “Avatar” veteran Stephen Lang to play the gruff militaristic leader of the main colony. The pilot showed a lot of promise. Hopefully it becomes more like “Lost” and less like “Land of the Lost.”(…)

In 1999, the world became fascinated by a little independent film called “The Blair Witch Project”. Word spread about this “real-life” found footage of college kids being stalked and ultimately murdered by a spectral being which sparked a wildfire of interest and prompted many people to discuss and investigate this story. Of course we all know now it was phony and even the smallest amount of research revealed the truth, but at the time it was quite the sensation. If you’re like me and keep up with current film industry rumors and news, you were clued-in far ahead of the rest of the general public. Besides, the movie never technically claimed to be real (even the “based on true events” tag no longer holds validity since then), merely the clever marketing suggested it could be.

Now in more jaded times, audiences are harder to fool. We think we’ve seen it all and most of us can’t fathom being duped like that again. This has prompted many filmmakers to resort to gimmicks or ambitious campaigns, sometimes involving some type of a hoax, in an attempt to get their project noticed. Three films releasing this year are trying to accomplish just that and so far, it looks like at least two are succeeding. They herald the return of the genre known as the “Hoaxumentary” which takes the “Mockumentary” one step further by officially claiming to be 100% real. These films are: “I’m Still Here”, “The Virginity Hit” and “Catfish”…

I love the “paranormal”. Hell, I AM the paranormal and I don’t wait around for Halloween just to get excited about the subject. So when Coop inherited a box of crazy from an amateur paranormal researcher, I was giddy. GIDDY, I say. Now Coop ain’t tellin’ me much about what’s in The Box [cue organ music and mad scientist laughter], but he’s already found some groovy stuff from this rogue investigator named Wes Cotten. Formerly based out of Memphis, TN, Wes has gone AWOL and left a bunch of his research for his old friend Coop to wade through and do what he wants to with it, including Wes’s creepy website THE MAN BEHIND THE DOOR…