The Ghouls is a shot on video horror film about a man who freelances for local news stations. He drives around at night and films whatever terrible things he can find, then sells the footage. We see that this life is taking its toll on him, but we don't learn until later just how far he has gone.
I was lucky to discover this movie without knowing much about it. I can understand how some of the reviewers who saw the DVD box at the store would feel misled. This movie was done on a very small budget, and the horror element (in this case, zombie-like creatures) does not play as big a role as some may have hoped. It is more about this man's torment. He is barely making a living, he witnesses the worst things that go on, he can't keep a relationship, and he has zero respect from his peers or employers. Even the paparazzi don't have this bad an image.
When the cameraman happens to stumble on a woman being attacked by the sewer dwelling creatures, he sees it as his big chance to capture an exclusive. Supposedly, footage of one of the attacks will lead to a big payday and a better life. He tries to get his ex-girlfriend involved, but we find out she wants nothing to do with him: she discovered a tape he made of two children trapped in a fire. He continued filming but did nothing to help them.
Eventually, while trying to find the creature again, his camera is stolen by a mentally challenged man who uses it to record a murder. The man gets his camera back and the footage left by the special needs killer makes him a success.
For me, the movie was successful at creating an atmosphere. The scenes of L.A. at night felt more realistic to me because it was shot digitally. The soundtrack, which was full of ambient noise and some sort of freaked-out jazz, helped the mood along. There isn't much gore because that isn't the point. It's more about what a bottom-dweller this guy has become. I would compare it to the Tony Curtis movie The Sweet Smell of Success. It might not be as well made, but for me, it was just as effective at transporting me into the life of a man who makes his living off of other people's misery.
I was lucky to discover this movie without knowing much about it. I can understand how some of the reviewers who saw the DVD box at the store would feel misled. This movie was done on a very small budget, and the horror element (in this case, zombie-like creatures) does not play as big a role as some may have hoped. It is more about this man's torment. He is barely making a living, he witnesses the worst things that go on, he can't keep a relationship, and he has zero respect from his peers or employers. Even the paparazzi don't have this bad an image.
When the cameraman happens to stumble on a woman being attacked by the sewer dwelling creatures, he sees it as his big chance to capture an exclusive. Supposedly, footage of one of the attacks will lead to a big payday and a better life. He tries to get his ex-girlfriend involved, but we find out she wants nothing to do with him: she discovered a tape he made of two children trapped in a fire. He continued filming but did nothing to help them.
Eventually, while trying to find the creature again, his camera is stolen by a mentally challenged man who uses it to record a murder. The man gets his camera back and the footage left by the special needs killer makes him a success.
For me, the movie was successful at creating an atmosphere. The scenes of L.A. at night felt more realistic to me because it was shot digitally. The soundtrack, which was full of ambient noise and some sort of freaked-out jazz, helped the mood along. There isn't much gore because that isn't the point. It's more about what a bottom-dweller this guy has become. I would compare it to the Tony Curtis movie The Sweet Smell of Success. It might not be as well made, but for me, it was just as effective at transporting me into the life of a man who makes his living off of other people's misery.