THE INCIDENT AT DYATOV PASS

US/Russia, 2013, 100 minutes, Colour.
Holly Goss, Matt Stokoe, Luke Albright, Ryan Hawley, Gemma Atkinson.
Directed by Renny Harlin.

This film is based on an actual episode in the Ural Mountains in 1959, nine young people, trekking in the mountains, found dead in mysterious circumstances.

The filmmakers have invented back stories and explore theories about what might have happened.

However, this film shows a young American group 50 years later wanting to make a documentary film about what happened at the pass. The method they use is that of the The Blair Witch Project, hand-held cameras, recording all the incidents (however physically difficult), talking heads straight to camera. And, eventually, there are many horror episodes.

Holly Goss portrays the young woman leading the expedition. There is also Jensen, Matt Stokoe, who expounds all kinds of theories from alien interventions, the Yeti, Russian military experiments and cover-ups. A technician is hired, Denise, as well as two experts in mountain trekking, Andy and JP.

All seems very cheerful as the group arrive in Russia but the weather scene changes and they experience all kinds of difficulties. There is the Borealis, there are large footprints which they think might be the Yeti, there is an avalanche and destruction, and, eventually, finding a hidden laboratory with suggestions that there were experiments in tele-porting, remembering the Philadelphia Experiment. Ultimately, there are only two left, Holly and Jensen, still everything being photographed – and skeletons and spectres, attacks and pursuits. And the ending is not happy one.

The film was directed by Renny Harlin, the Finnish director who moved to Hollywood and made a number of action films including the 4th Nightmare on Elm Street, Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and, perhaps his best, The Long Kiss Goodnight.

1. The title, the story from 1959? The mystery? The Russian setting?

2. 2009, Holly and her decision to explore the site, make a film? Trying to unravel the mystery? Her plan?

3. The indebtedness of this film to hand-held camera films? The tradition of The Blair Witch Project?

4. Holly, as a person, the research, dreams of childhood, going to the psychologist? Identifying the locations of the incident? The speeches to camera and explanation of the situation, the various theories? The nine bodies in the snow? Hiring Denise for the sound and camera work? Jensen and his theories, explaining to camera the range of theories from aliens, to the Yeti, to Russian experiments and military? JP and Andy, their backgrounds? Interesting going on the trek, their mountain trekking experience?

5. The role of the camera, the use of found footage at the beginning, the flashbacks? The expedition, the five characters, the details of their preparation, the equipment, supplies, going to Russia, trekking, the changes of weather? Personalities, collaboration, clashes?

6. The Borealis and the lights in the sky? Suggestions of aliens? The mysterious large footprints in the snow? The Yeti?

7. The noises in the snow, fears? Holly and her companion discovering the door, not telling the others? Soldiers and guns pursuing?

8. The avalanche, the consequences? Destruction? Holly deciding to give the information about the door?

9. Relationships, Denise and Andy, sexual, the avalanche? Denise and death?

10. The arguments, the pursuers and the shooting? Opening the door, the vast laboratory?

11. The theories about the Philadelphia experiment, time travel and time warps? The album with the photos?

12. The corpses, experiments, or executions? The range of skeletons, spectres? Their being alive and attacking?

13. JP and his injuries, Andy? Jensen surviving, with Holly?

14. The memories of 1959? The interview with the old woman who said there were 11 bodies?

15. In the laboratory, the various rooms, the skeletons, the attacks from the roof, the telly porting theories, the attacks and the skeletons returning to the past before attacking
again?

16. The arrival of the officials, the taking of Jensen and Holly? Hanging them up?

17. The soldiers, the mystery? The cover-ups? Secrecy?

18. The irony of Holly and Jensen being the extra two bodies in 1959 because telly porting?

19. Being hung up, skeletal, the sinister smiles on their faces – and joining the spectres?

20. The imagination of this story, exploration of theories? Plausibility or not? Taking a true story and devising horror implications?