The Lift: A Found-Footage Film That Blurred the Lines Between Reality and Fiction

In 2017, I embarked on a unique filmmaking journey with my brother and a group of friends and family. Our project, titled The Lift, was a found-footage vampire film that we believed had the potential to be something truly special. Over two years, we filmed in Baltimore, capturing a blend of horror and surrealism that would challenge our audience’s perception of reality.

In 2017, my brother and I (pictured) began the unique filmmaking project The Lift in Baltimore, aiming to create a found-footage vampire film that challenged perceptions of reality. The film poster (right) captures the eerie and suspenseful essence of our story.

The Plot Unfolds

The Lift follows two main characters, Michael (played by Dylan) and Paul (played by me), as they attempt to document the mysterious happenings in a Baltimore building known as The Copycat. Initially, their goal is straightforward: interview residents and uncover the secrets of the building. However, they soon find themselves entangled in a series of bizarre and escalating events.

The turning point occurs when Michael and Paul are attacked at a party, leading them to be absorbed by a cult-like community led by a figure named Mason. Mason, a charismatic leader, is obsessed with the concept of “The Lift” — a mysterious phenomenon he fervently believes in and aims to prove through Michael and Paul’s documentary. The phrase “The Lift is Real” becomes a recurring motif throughout the film, as the protagonists interview residents and capture increasingly unsettling scenes.

Scenes from The Lift — Left: A chilling moment where a character is seen with blood smeared on their face, highlighting the film’s grotesque and unsettling elements. Center: Mason, the enigmatic leader obsessed with “The Lift,” whose belief in the phenomenon drives the plot forward. Right: A resident of The Copycat building wearing a shirt with the recurring motif “The Lift is Real,” symbolizing the film’s eerie blend of fiction and reality.

These scenes include a concert where the audience, influenced by the headliner’s chant, descends into chaos, and a grotesque ritual involving the drinking of blood in a bathroom. Paul remains behind the camera for most of the film, his face never shown, contributing to the eerie, voyeuristic feel of the documentary. The camera changes hands multiple times, culminating in a disturbing scene where a resident films himself with a nude, lifeless body.

As the narrative progresses, it shifts focus to the conflict between the Copycat residents and “The Banks” — an ominous entity described as having control over the community. The tension culminates in the assassination of Mason, an event that triggers violent protests against The Banks. The film concludes with a chaotic scene of protestors turning on an innocent bystander, captured in the final, chilling moments on camera.

This image outlines the multifaceted concept of “The Lift,” as portrayed in the film. It covers its cultural phenomenon roots, social construct within vampire subculture, media reference through the movie, local significance in cities like Baltimore, and its role as an internet meme.

The Lift in the Spotlight — Left: An article titled “Our Bloody Underground” features The Lift, delving into its unique blend of horror and surrealism. Right: The marquee of The Senator Theatre proudly displays “Brady Starr’s The Lift,” marking a significant moment in the film’s journey from concept to public screening.

A Cult Classic in the Making?

After its release, The Lift was published online for a while. The internet, as expected, was brutal. Comments ranged from harsh criticisms to outright dismissal. I grew ashamed of the movie and felt that no one understood what we were trying to achieve. For almost 15 years, The Lift remained a forgotten project, collecting dust in the corners of my mind.

However, a recent exploration into AI tools reignited my curiosity. Using AI tools like God Mode and Whisper, I delved into the digital remnants of the film’s presence. To my surprise, I stumbled upon a 20-minute video where two individuals discussed the movie in detail. Despite the video being in Italian, AI transcription and translation tools helped me understand their review.

The Italian Review: A Revelation

Listening to the translated review was a revelation. Not only did these two individuals see, understand, and appreciate what we had created, but they also provided insights that I had never considered. Their comments highlighted the film’s unique qualities and its impact:

• Community Division: They compared the underground cinema community depicted in The Lift to the one in Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, noting the sense of an invisible yet cohesive group.
• Coherence and Aggressiveness: Despite the film’s rough and unpolished nature, they respected its coherence and the aggressive energy it maintained throughout.
• Disorientation and Scale: The disorienting setting of the Copycat building, with its sprawling corridors and multiple floors, was seen as a metaphor for the variety and chaos of the community within.
• Ritualistic Elements: The sudden concert scene and the final collective aggression reminded them of ritualistic elements, adding depth to the film’s narrative.

Their insights made me realize that the flaws we saw in the film were, in fact, abstract and conceptualized elements that added to its charm and intrigue.

Revisiting The Lift: From Film to Podcast

Two years ago, Dylan and I decided to revisit The Lift with a new perspective. We planned to transform it into a podcast series called The Grave Veil. The concept was to present it as a true crime podcast, where hosts would receive the original, burnt tapes of the movie and investigate the mysterious events surrounding it.

The podcast was designed to be an immersive experience that blurred the lines between reality and fiction, much like the original film. The idea was to draw listeners into the mystery of “The Lift” and the enigmatic events surrounding it.

Recording The Grave Veil Podcast — Left: The podcast hosts prepare for an episode of The Grave Veil, a series designed to blur the lines between reality and fiction by exploring the mysterious events surrounding The Lift. Center: A social media post promoting the first episode of The Grave Veil podcast, which covers the true crime case of Elisa Lam, while subtly hinting at the film’s themes. Right: The hosts engage in a discussion during a recording session, aiming to create an immersive experience for listeners by investigating real-life and fictional mysteries.

The Grave Veil: A New Take on The Lift

The concept for The Grave Veil was simple yet compelling: the hosts of the podcast would receive the original, burnt tapes of The Lift, which had been destroyed in a real house fire that tragically killed my father. In the film, my father played himself, a character who was crucial to the story of “The Lift.” His real-life death added an eerie layer of authenticity to the podcast, blurring the lines between the film’s fiction and reality.

‎The Grave Veil: Ep 1 - Elisa Lam & The Cecil Hotel on Apple Podcasts

A collection of the original tapes from The Lift, showcasing the raw footage and behind-the-scenes moments that contributed to the film’s eerie and surreal narrative. The tapes are accompanied by a flyer for the film, highlighting its unique and unsettling themes.

In the film, my father was depicted as the source of “The Lift,” a mysterious phenomenon that the character Mason was obsessed with proving. Mason believed that my father had published cryptic information in the 80s hinting at the reality of “The Lift.” This backstory made the podcast’s premise even more intriguing, as it tied the film’s narrative to real-life events.

The Podcast Episodes

We recorded two episodes of The Grave Veil with the intention of eventually delving into the mystery of Mason, “The Lift,” and my father, Steve Starr, through a series of tapes.

In the first episode, we covered the true crime case of Elisa Lam. This episode was scripted to have no direct connection to “The Lift” or the tapes, although “The Lift” was mentioned several times throughout the episode to build intrigue. We also included fake advertisements for Liquid Death to add an element of realism.

In the second episode, we focused on another well-known true crime case, maintaining the same format of indirect references to “The Lift” and featuring more fake ads for Liquid Death. The hosts discussed and analyzed this case, continuing to build an atmosphere of suspense and curiosity.

The original plan was to have the hosts receive a box of tapes and begin unraveling the mystery in subsequent episodes, drawing listeners deeper into the story and blurring the lines between reality and fiction.

The Challenges and the Decision to Halt

Creating the podcast was a challenging endeavor. We wanted it to feel authentic, which meant maintaining a certain level of poor quality in the recordings, similar to the film. However, this approach made it difficult to produce content that was engaging enough for a wider audience. Despite the interesting premise and the real-life connections, the podcast struggled to gain traction.

In the end, we decided to halt the project. The combination of poor audio quality and the niche appeal of the story made it challenging to attract and retain listeners. Additionally, the emotional weight of revisiting the film and the events surrounding my father’s death added to the difficulty of continuing the project.

The Lift Today: A Reflection

Looking back, The Lift remains a unique and surreal chapter in my creative journey. The film, with its blend of horror, reality, and fiction, continues to intrigue and confuse those who come across it. While the podcast didn’t achieve the success we hoped for, the process of revisiting the film and exploring its themes was a valuable experience.

The cast and crew of The Lift gather to celebrate the film’s premiere. Their hard work and dedication brought this unique found-footage vampire film to life, blending horror, surrealism, and reality.

Today, I find a sense of closure in sharing the story of The Lift. It’s a testament to the power of storytelling and the blurred lines between reality and fiction. The film may have been intentionally bad, but it holds a special place in my heart as a project that dared to be different and challenge conventional narratives.

Conclusion

The Lift may never achieve mainstream popularity, but it has left an indelible mark on those who have experienced it. Whether it’s viewed as a cult classic or a failed experiment, it stands as a unique piece of art that defies easy categorization. By sharing its story, I hope to preserve its legacy and continue the conversation about the thin line between reality and fiction.

For those curious about The Lift and The Grave Veil, the journey is far from over. The film and the podcast may be out of the spotlight, but their stories live on in the memories of those who created and experienced them. And perhaps, in some small way, “The Lift” is indeed real.

A striking visual representation created using AI, capturing the eerie and haunting essence of The Lift. The image of a blood-stained camera with the phrase “The Lift is Real” graffitied in the background encapsulates the film’s blend of horror and surrealism.