The Taking of Deborah Logan paired with The Sixth Glass

31 Days of Draughts and Darkness: Volume III

"The Taking of Deborah Logan" (2014)

Sure, I know what you're thinking: "Urg, yet another found footage movie about demonic possession. Been there, done that, saw the sequels."

I can't blame you. There've been plenty of recent films where camcorders and exorcisms were smashed together will little budget and uninspired script. It can be tough to find something new out of any found-footage horror project, much less a possession one.

I walked into "The Taking of Deborah Logan" with all these thoughts. I figured what'd follow would be a generic and forgettable series of cliches and jump scares.

I walked out smiling. There's some interesting things going on with this movie, and it frightened me far more than I thought it would. Perhaps there's some life left in the found-footage possession genre after all?

The Plot: 

PhD candidate Mia Medina is just about to put her final thesis into action. Her studies into Alzheimer's disease go beyond the strictly medical and into the psychological. She intends to make a documentary illustrating not only the effects of the disease, but also the toll it can take on family members as their loved one loses more and more of themselves over time.

The Logan family, consisting of only the elderly Deborah and her daughter Sarah, have agreed to have their lives documented. Times are hard on the Logans, and while they're uncomfortable with the idea of Mia filming Deborah's decline into Alzheimer's disease, they are in need of the money 

Mia's crew is offering for their participation.

As Mia and her crew begin filming Deborah over months, we see her condition progress from moments of mild forgetfulness to more serious neurological disability. Throughout the struggle, Sarah's attempts to maintain normality are documented in an almost intrusive way. The camera never shies away from tense or troubling moments, and we see the regret play out on Deborah and Sarah's faces when the more painful moments of their lives are captured.

As she films, Mia provides a medical background to Deborah's behaviors until they begin to elevate outside the realm of her medical knowledge. Over time, Deborah Logan's loss of memory and personality begin taking on disturbing trends. It's almost as if something else began to vacate her mind as she became more vulnerable. Mia, her crew, and the Logan family begin to uncover something sinister behind Deborah's worsening condition. Dark secrets from the past, supernatural elements, and a bizarre fixation on snakes begin to transform what started as a medical documentary into a horror show. 

The Flavor: 

The idea of basing found-footage horror on a documentary has been done before, most often to explain why the filmmakers didn't just get the hell out of town once weirdness began ensuing. "The Taking of Deborah Logan" smartly avoids this in a variety of ways. For one, Mia's determination to finish the film is one-part a last push towards her PhD., and on another level an attempt to contribute to the medical community. She wants to make the world a better place, although moments of greed do crawl through when the camera zooms in on private moments. Her endeavors to continue aren't simply glued to the camera for no reason. What we see is entirely meant to go into the documentary.

In addition, Deborah's disturbing behaviors are, at least at first, mistaken to be symptoms of her condition. What winds up becoming full-on possession begins as genuine sickness. We realize that Deborah's possession wasn't what caused all her erratic and (eventually) violent behavior, but rather that her actual Alzheimer's made her vulnerable to attack from a demonic entity. The gradual breakdown of her personality is multi-pronged, and thus the supernatural goes overlooked longer than it should.

Once the crew does realize that some hellish conditions are afoot, one of them actually does just say "screw-it" and leaves. Amazing, this is one of the first moments I can recall when a character in a found footage movie actually does what any normal person would do in this situation. Mia stays to continue the film only due to the reasons described above, but her crew-mate hightails it.

These are smart decisions, and make the "Taking of Deborah Logan" a great deal more believable, and thus, frightening than many other entries in the genre.  Apart from that, the film also has an intriguing mystery behind why Deborah is getting possessed and how to potentially stop it. As we uncover secrets, the expected jump do scares play out, but we also get some genuinely frightening atmosphere and tension, too.

One visual late into the film sent literal shivers up my spine. The first horror moment in a long time that I can remember doing that. It's not violent at all, nor is it a jump scare. It's just so surreal and twisted you can't help but be shocked.  Bravo.

Best Paired With:

Horror aficionados will have a surprisingly good time with "The Taking of Deborah Logan", as it has enough creative flourish to set it apart. There are interesting visuals, a gripping mystery, and the characters are actually some of the more likeable I've seen in a found footage movie. Special props to actress Anne Ramsay for imbuing Sarah Logan as both strong and sympathetic. This is a daughter who loves her mother, despite their past issues, and barrels past the fear no matter how crazy things get.  

There's very little blood and practically zero gore, so those who enjoy thrillers but loathe violence will have a good time, too.

Brew

Considering the demonic-possession nature of the film, coupled with it's surprising degree of depth, I've chosen...

Name: The Sixth Glass

Brewery: Boulevard Brewing Co.

Where Brewed: Kansas City, Missouri

ABV: 10.5%

Style: Quadrupel

Color:  The Sixth Glass pours rich and hazy. Amber edges flank the glass while the center of the brew is a deep copper. The head takes on a golden hue.

Aroma: The tangy sweetness of Belgian yeast combines with the generous malt quality, signaling you that the flavors ahead are sure to be decadent. A sharpness from the higher ABV, approaching boozy but not quite as intense, dances in the background. There's also a uniquely-toasted quality to the malt, like a caramel.

Taste: From the moment the brew begins to part your lips, you're hit with a wave of flavors. Bold, assertive malt explodes on a platform of tangy yeast, ever-so-slightly burnt caramel, and notes of dried fruits. Note that the Sixth Glass contains no fruit, itself. Rather, this stems from the combination of the Belgian yeast and caramel flavors. These flavors are far from subtle. They aggressively coat the inside of the mouth and firmly take root into the taste buds.

Compared to other Quads I've tried in the past, The Sixth Glass seems to emphasize stronger, less delicate flavors. The caramel-quality of the roasted malt makes the difference, as it takes the sweeter flavors and runs with them in a dessert-like direction. This not only gives the brew a distinct quality, but helps prevent the high degree of sweetness from getting too cloying.

My advice: take your time to sip and savor slowly. 

Aftertaste: Towards the very, very back of each sip, you'll pick up the slightest shimmer of hop. I appreciate the attempt, oh noble hop, but you're not getting through this wall of malt. Not entirely, at least. The malty and caramel flavors linger on the tongue long after each sip.

Body: Again, here the Sixth Glass differs from other Quads I've sampled. Typically, there's an effervescent quality to the carbonation, with bubbles that are very fine and produce a large head. This helps up the array of scents on the nose and makes the tasting experience feel lighter on the tongue, despite the large sugar content of the beer.

The Sixth Glass is having none of that. It's carbonation is just as fine and builds up quite the frothy head, but the overall body of the brew is thick and rich. Like a cream, it doesn't just coat the inside of your mouth, it downright clings to every little surface it can. With the intense selection of flavors on display, this heavy body serves to keep the flavor profile strong even after you've taken a sip.

Pair: My recommendation is to pair this brew with a fireplace and goblet-style glass that'll really accentuate the aroma. The Sixth Glass is a beer meant to be appreciated all by its lonesome, and like I mentioned earlier, at a slow pace. To down this beer quickly would be a waste, as your taste buds would essentially max-out moments in. Take your time to appreciate the flavors, even let the brew come up to room temperature to bring them out more, to ensure you'll get the full experience.