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Mr. Jones
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray A - America - Anchor Bay Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Anthony Arrigo (6th June 2014). |
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The Film
 Not to beat a dead horse beyond recognition, but it’s safe to say we’re all pretty much done with found footage films, right? This isn’t to say there can’t be the occasional winner amongst a sea of time-wasting losers. The majority of films employing this conceit, however, are typically produced because they can be done cheaply and quickly, with little concern for whether or not the use of a found footage angle feels organic to the picture. Just who is editing all this footage together, anyway? That’s the one question everyone should ask and, yet, very few filmmakers have ever tackled it. The only thing more frustrating than being subjected to another found footage film is when you watch one that – gasp – turns out to be halfway good… only to squander any goodwill it had built up by devolving into an unwatchable mess. “Mr. Jones” (2013) is such a film. In this case, the found footage angle makes sense, the story begins building appreciable tension by crafting a mythos around the eponymous character, and our characters (mostly) behave in ways that won’t have you banging your head against a wall. Just as the tension reaches a fever pitch, it dissipates almost immediately by turning into a frenetic editor’s nightmare, bombarding viewers with flashing strobes and quick cuts and, really, just an overload of style lacking substance before lurching to a finish. Pity. Scott (Jon Foster) and his girlfriend, Penny (Sarah Jones), have left the daily grind behind and moved to a remote cabin in the wilderness, where Scott plans to finish his nature documentary. He’s devised a camera setup that allows for filming of both the subject in front of the camera, as well as the camera operator, something that would be impractical in real life… but then this is a found footage movie. Who edited this again? I digress. While out on a stroll one day, they come across a run-down home that appears deserted. Naturally, they explore inside and come across a basement filled with creepy scarecrow sculptures. Penny recognizes the work as that of the elusive artist Mr. Jones (Mark Steger), a recluse who sends out his scarecrows to seemingly random people across the country. Scott decides to dig deeper, so he leaves Penny – alone, in the wilderness, by herself – and heads back to the city, where he interviews a number of art critic notables and gets some of the inside dirt on this enigmatic Jones character. Turns out nobody really knows much about him at all. Scott returns and decides he wants to further explore Jones’ cabin. They wait until Jones leaves, off to place one of his works in a random location, and then Scott enters the home while Penny keeps watch outside. Deep in the basement, beneath yet another cellar door leading further down, Scott finds a makeshift altar. There, on the ground, is the effigy of a child with candles for eyes. Scott takes the idol with him and attempts to leave the caverns. After getting lost for some time, he finally emerges and runs to the cabin, where Penny is waiting. Lights flicker, the cabin shakes, and Mr. Jones appears, apparently intent on doling out some wrath for disturbing his art. And this is precisely the moment where the film falls apart. Up until now, writer/director Karl Mueller had been building an appreciable level of tension. Jones appears early on as a cloaked, clandestine figure that moves slowly but stealthily, avoiding contact with others and dragging these absurdly large sculptures to sit idly by in the surrounding vegetation. The mystery only increases when Scott returns back to the city, where a roster of critics and experts weigh in on Jones’ legend. Now the big moment – Scott returns, we reenter the cabin, and by going deeper into the depths Scott becomes further entangled in this web of covert artistry. Found footage movies are garbage 90% of the time – and that may be a generous percentage – so to have one actually succeed in reeling a viewer in, only to spurn them, is hugely disappointing. Once Scott has absconded with the baby idol, the film becomes a strobe-heavy nightmare full of quick edits and a plot that completely unravels. The terrors become more psychological, or, at least, they intend to be such. The truth is most viewers will be hard-pressed to figure out just what the hell Mueller is trying to say/do with his film in the third act. Scott and Penny become trapped in a hallucinatory world of doppelgängers, eerie sounds, visions… things that feel totally incongruous to the story told so far. Mueller was said to have been inspired by David Lynch’s “Lost Highway” (1997) when it came to the film’s soundtrack and sound design, but it also seems clear he took heavy inspiration from that particular film’s own chaotic climax, which can be difficult for even seasoned cinephiles to comprehend. “Mr. Jones” may be operating with more layers of depth than it seems to be presenting, but it’s certainly no abstract masterpiece that begs for repeat viewings. It has also got the Counting Crows’ song of the same name stuck in my head for a couple days, which is just reprehensible.
Video
Anchor Bay’s Blu-ray of “Mr. Jones” comes home with a 1.78:1 1080p 24/fps AVC MPEG-4 encoded picture. Despite the documentarian nature of the film, the footage looks surprisingly strong. Scott is, after all, out there in the wilderness to shoot a nature documentary, so the visuals should have some polish to them. The digital image is clear and pristine, exhibiting some nice details in close-up shots. All of the daylight scenes, in fact, look exceptionally sharp and robust, with a natural color palette. Contrast gets a bit spotty at night, with black levels leaning toward haze in some instances. The picture is flat, offering little in the way of dimension. Considering how most found footage films are made to look less vivid than a proper film, this would fall somewhere in between.
Audio
An English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound track provides the audible experience here. As this is a film which relies heavily upon the use of silence and the scary noises that break it up, there are some instances when the rear speakers do well to immerse viewers in Mr. Jones’ wilderness setting. The hum of nature is all around as our lead characters slowly traipse through the brush before sneaking into Jones’ creaky old house. Dialogue is centered and presented clearly. Subtitles are included in English for the hearing impaired and Spanish.
Extras
Nothing is included, not even trailers.
Packaging
The single disc comes housed in a Blu-ray eco case. A slip-cover is included for initial pressings.
Overall
“Mr. Jones” almost bucks the trend of found footage movies being a waste of time by presenting the story in an organic manner, making the eponymous character intriguing, and putting our leads right in the heart of danger. Unfortunately, just when things look like they’re about to get good the film does a 180 and becomes a bit of a mess before lurching to the finish. Still, horror fans looking for something different might find it worth their time.
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