I don’t believe everything I read online, but I do enjoy reading conspiracy theories. Some of them are completely outlandish, while others seem rather plausible. One such CONFIRMED conspiracy, MKUltra, was an American based program which ran from 1953 to 1973 and was designed in an effort to discover a way to use mind control. Just Google it. I haven’t seen mind control discussed in a horror film in quite some time, and fans haven’t gotten a decent, scifi twinged addition to their catalogs in even longer. So, when I was asked to watch and review Tiger Eye Media and Erik A. Zimmerman’s Caller ID: Entity, my answer was a resounding Yes! Caller ID: Entity doesn’t explore the idea as it directly relates to MKUltra, but it uses mind control as its most unseen villain and, most creepily, it’s based on phone messages and testimonials from real life people claiming to be victims of the mentally blocking tests. In the movie, several young men are lured into the field of mind melding and it ends with disastrous consequences.
For me, the most unsettling aspect of Caller ID: Entity is that’s based in truth, and it opens up a wide window of doubt that’ll sit with the viewer for weeks to come. What if the guy looking for train directions wasn’t on drugs? What if that girl at the bar wasn’t drunk? What if the person shouting at you on the street wasn’t mentally ill? In your life, what if you were really coming across victims of mind control? It would explain a lot, and that’s scarier than I can put down in words. I’m happy that Caller ID: Entity was a marginally independent production because the it’ll allow the viewer to get involved with the story and its subtle suspense and slow-creeping hysteria instead of large, glitzy Hollywood elements. Its use of an entire city, a small town, a desert dwelling, and an abandoned factor added on layers of distance, culture, and wealth; resulting in the theme that anyone could become a victim at any time. No one is safe. You can hear that in a woman’s voice-over that loops ominously throughout the entire movie.
Caller ID: Entity is a sequel to the 2010 movie, and many cast and crew members returned for the endeavor. Caller ID: Entity was co-written, co-produced and co-edited by Erik A. Zimmerman and Nik Jamgocyan, with Erik A. Zimmerman serving also serving as the director. The film hosts a slue of cinematographers and camera assistants including Lance Mitchell, Raphael Smadja, Beau McGavin and Angela Izzo. Lead and supporting cast members include Triton B. King, Denny Kirkwood, Nathan Bexton (Psycho Beach Party, Children of the Corn 666), James Duval (Donnie Darko, Independence Day), Roxy Saint (Zombie Strippers), Peter Greene (Pulp Fiction, The Mask), Elissa Dowling (Dahmer vs. Gacy, Transmorphers), Douchan Gersi and Carrie Hayes. In a film that was bleaker than usual, my eyes were on Triton B. King, Denny Kirwood and Elissa Dowling the longest. Dowling is so underrated its almost criminal at this point. It was fun seeing all of these players acting in an environment that was thrilling, suspicious and hinged with 80’s themed musical scores. It was truly a unique, throwback film that I thoroughly enjoyed.
A thriller that could go hand in hand with Pulse, Caller ID: Entity is a new digital apocalypse of its very own. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, but it ended up hitting right where some of my interests sit and wait. I would highly recommend this to scifi fans and horror fans who are looking for something a little different. My only criticism is that the plot lost some of its steam midway through, which resulted in the mood and atmosphere dulling. Also, as an independent movie, there were some parts where I thought, “that could have been done a little better.” Other than that, Caller ID: Entity was pretty solid. It recently made its premiere at The Ahrya Fine Arts Theater by Laemmle on Wednesday, January 10th. With more screenings destined for the horizon, this is definitely a movie you should keep an eye on. What’s darker than the recesses of our on mind? Watch Caller ID: Entity to find out. Final Score: 7.5 out of 10.
