Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Black Mountain Side’

Written by Scott Edwards

​While it may be exciting to find something that will rewrite the history books, you need to ask yourself if it could really be that important. While it would be amazing to uncover a find that proves that we have been taught something wrong for our entire lives, it could become something that will also make us question everything we have learned. Let’s just throw out an idea, for instance, what if we found an actual alien UFO buried beneath the pyramids in Egypt, thus proving that aliens visited the planet in our past and built monuments not only as markers on our planet, but as a way to show their superiority over the puny humans. This would change the way we view so many of the great wonders of the world and while it would be exciting to find, it could also lead many to believe that the aliens are still here and controlling us in some sort of way. Just think about it.

Being called up to a dig site in the great north of Canada, Professor Olsen will be privy to a fantastic treat that will prove that man existed up north for much longer than previously thought. Being introduced to the group by Jensen, Olsen wants nothing more than to see the site, but is also taking note of the extreme cold in their dig area. With this being a warmer time of year, the archaeologists are making great strides in bringing forth a building that has been lost to time with help from their local workers. Heading out in the frozen north and seeing the top of a building being uncovered, Olsen sees some familiar glyphs, but they do not line up like anything he has ever seen before.

With shortened work days due to being so far north, Olsen and the group of archaeologists continue to try and find out what this structure really is. With some light-hearted banter during the time the sun goes down and morning, the group is shocked to get a call to go and check out the site. Finding their lodge’s cat cut up and lying dead outside of the ancient building, nobody knows what to make of it and they continue on with trying to put dates and people behind who would have been behind building this place. But there is something strange in the air up north, as McNaughton regurgitates a black fluid in the lodge. Not knowing what could be wrong with their co-worker, the doctor chalks it up to not getting enough rest, but there is something much more sinister behind the sickness.

Trying to call back into their base, Jensen is not able to get a hold of anyone one the other end, and that along with part of the digging crew fleeing during the night, there seems to be something fishy going on. Trying to locate the diggers and finding that they were heading north towards nothing and not south to their reservation, it is very intriguing to Jensen, and he tries to figure out what would have frightened them off in the middle of the night. After doing some more research into the pottery that they are pulling up, Olsen and crew come up with the conclusion that whatever race of people lived in this location made it through the ice age and have a great respect for what appears to be deer that show up on much of their work. But that is only the beginning of discoveries in the great north, as there is something strange happening with all of the men who have seemingly been left to fend for themselves in the unforgiving terrain. 

This movie not only covers the rigors of feeling abandoned, but what cabin fever really is all about and what it can do to your mind. While there seems to be a supernatural force trying to get them to bend to its will, the thought of dying is running strong within the group and forces them to take extreme measures. With each man battling his own demon, it is apparent that some are better equipped to deal with the situations that are being thrown at them. With an ancient temple, fleeing workers, a strange sickness, the need for money, a broken radio and a voice from the woods that can bend people’s minds, this is just a frightening look at what could happen if you find yourself locked away from humanity. Stay Scared.

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