Film Review: SPOOKERS (2017)

There is a lot to be said for the people that run haunted houses and those that subject themselves to the terror every year.  That is at the heart of the documentary film Spookers (2017) which takes a personal look at the people that work at the New Zealand based haunt house Spookers.  Spookers now resides in a former mental hospital which adds to the spook factor of the facility but it is the haunters in which the heart of the place resides.

 

Through behind the scenes footage and interviews audiences get a candid look into the people who operate the facility and the haunters who have become a family of diverse people from all types of backgrounds.  You get the sense that everyone and anyone is welcomed into the Spookers family as they do more than just reside at the spook house but they interact with the community.

 

The film contains many personal stories of people finding a place where they aren’t judged and that they can be themselves or virtually anyone they want to be in a place that is completely accepting of everyone.

 

The film doesn’t really reveal much that hasn’t been showcased before in other similarly themed films about the people that run spook houses but this one presents some unique and personal stories as well as is one of the few that is located in a formed mental hospital.  This is a candid look at the world of spook house that does an amazing job presenting a complex and accepting community of diverse people.

TEMPLE (2017)

Three American tourists venture to Japan for vacation when they come across a map and diary to a secret temple in the film TEMPLE (2017).  The set up is pretty basic with Kate (Natalia Warner) taking her boyfriend James and best friend Christopher (Brandon Sklenar and Logan Huffman, respectfully) on a trip to hopefully get Christopher to reconnect with the world.  Since Christopher speaks Japanese, he’s the best person to help them all navigate through an unfamiliar country.

When they come across an ancient diary detailing an exotic temple the three decide to go on an adventure.  It’s a short trip away but it is far from civilization and anything they’re ever known.  When they get to the temple, they realize that they are not alone and that spirits of the dead prevent them from leaving the temple twisting their minds and what they believe to be real.  Their hope to survive the night continues to fade as one by one they become consumed by that which inhabits the temple.

Although the story is pretty derivative, the actors do a really good job of bringing life to their characters and to the film itself.  You’ll get more nuance to the characters than is typical of these types of films.  The script is written by Michael Barrentt (who also directs) and the story is by Neal Edelstein, Shinya Egawa, and Mike Macari.  If you enjoy the slow burn then you might enjoy this film but if you’ve already had your fare share of ghost stories (with haunted locations) then you can skip this film as even though it is well made it doesn’t really offer anything that you haven’t seen before.

Film Review: AMITYVILLE: THE AWAKENING (2017)

Writer/director Franck Khalfoun is the latest to tackle the undying Amityville franchise with AMITYVILLE: THE AWAKENING (2017).  The style and suspense from Khalfoun’s previous films P2 (2007) and MANIAC (2012) are lost in this remake/reboot of the Amityville story that at times acknowledges the existence of the original two films as a means to keep the story fresh in an age where every possible franchise is being rebooted.

Joan (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is desperate to move her invalid and comatose son James (Cameron Monaghan) to the hospitals and doctor that can best be able to help him recover.  This is contrary to her daughter Belle (Bella Thorne), James’ twin who believes that her brother is too far gone and they should just let him die in peace.  Moving into the infamous Amityville house is supposed to help the family financially but it doesn’t take long before Belle realizes that something in the house has nefarious plans for her and the rest of her family.  When James starts to magically recover from his condition, Belle seeks out answers to prove whether or not the house is to blame but it leads her down to some deep family secrets and trauma.

This all seems like an interesting plot to delve into but most everything on display has been down in previous films in the franchise including The Haunting in Connecticut (2009), another “based on true events” ghost story.  No gore is on display and for the most part the film plays it completely safe.  Rumors say that Khalfoun originally made a Rated-R film that was then trimmed down to a PG-13 but regardless, without more original ideas the end result probably would have been the same.  This is a sleek and great looking production with a very good cast that just cast elevate this mediocre material.

Film Review: WE ARE STILL HERE (2015)

There are no such things as evil houses, just evil people, which is what we are always told but that is not the case in We Are Still Here (2015) which follows Anne and Paul Sacchetti (Barbara Crampton and Andrew Sensening, respectfully) who rent a New England home to get over the death of their child.  They’re not long in the house before they start experiencing strange things leaving them to believe that maybe their child has returned to them somehow. 

Their friends May and Jacob Lewis (Lisa Marie and Larry Fessenden, respectfully) show up and they all decide to have a night on the town not realizing the strange glares they get from the locals.  It seems that Anne and Paul’s appearance at the strange house has been orchestrated and that they are part of a nefarious ritual that occurs every thirty years when the spirits of the house need to feed.   Now Anne and Paul must decide whether or not it’s more important to find a way to be with their child or survive the fate that lies before them.

The film has a very interesting premise and a great cast but it’s a slow burn with lots of exposition.  Unfortunately, this is one of those films that you actually don’t want to be a slow burn as it spends too much time on characterizations.  This being said the film has a fine cast and it’s always great to see Fessenden chew on the scenes.  It’s also another welcomed appearance from Crampton as well as a distraught mother who embraces the paranormal.  She’s been gone from the horror scene for far too long and it’s good to know that she’s back.

There are some great moments to be had in the film but it just takes its time getting there.  If you’re willing to take your time with the film then it will be worth it as the climax is a bloody good mess.

Film Review: GHOST HOUSE (1988)

Umberto Lenzi (as Humphry Humbert) directs the haunted house thrilled Ghost House (1998) which for Italian audiences was known as La Casa 3 or an unofficial sequel to Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead films.  For those of you that didn’t know, The Evil Dead and Evil Dead 2 were re-titled La Casa and La Casa 2, respectfully, when released in Italy so many audiences know this film as a sequel to those films.  This film has nothing to do with those films and if you were expecting something in their style then you’ll be sadly remiss.

Instead, this film deals with a group of people drawn to a mysterious house because of a radio signal.  Once at the house the group begin to see and experience haunting imagery tied to a little girl and her evil doll.  AS each of them fined themselves alone in the house they meet a deadly demise and time is running out for them to discover the true history of the house and why each of them were drawn there.

Unless you’re a Lenzi fan then there is very little to recommend this film.  It’s very tame even for one of his films and unfortunately time has not been kind to it as it has dates pretty badly.  This being said, the film is typical Lenzi and there are some haunting images that Lenzi will immediately recognize.

Film Review: POLTERGEIST (2015)

It’s hard to look at a remake and not compare it to the original film.  For those of you who love the original it will be really hard to not compare the remake of Poltergeist (2015) with its predecessor.  The story is for the most part the same as the original.  Eric and Amy Bowen (Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt) move their three children into a new home after he is laid off from his job.  Before the first day is even done the youngest of the Bowen brood daughter Madison (Kennedi Clements) starts experiencing the haunting as a force in the house is immediately drawn to her innocence.  Her brother Griffin (Kyle Catlett) is scared of just about anything while the oldest daughter Kendra (Saxon Sharbino) is more concerned about the fact that she’s been uprooted and moved to the middle of nowhere. 

When little Madison is abducted by the spirits inhabiting the house the family realizes that they need help and turn to a trio of paranormal investigators lead by Dr. Brooke Powell (Jane Adams).  When she realizes that the situation is unlike anything she’s ever encountered she calls in special favor to Carrigan Burke (Jared Harris), a reality TV host known for being able to exorcise ghosts.

The film has no shortage of CGI manifestations as for the first time audiences get a look into the other side of which the spirits inhabit and little Madison finds herself trapped.  The ghosts are also more violent in this film but the reliance on CGI downplays the suspense for the most part.  There are several really effective scenes that happen early in the film especially Griffin’s encounter with the clown dolls (an homage to the original film) but the family dynamic which grounded the original film is lost in this film especially when it relies on Griffin to save Madison.  Rockwell as the patriarch of the family does a fine job as does DeWitt but it is Harris who steals the show (as Zelda Rubinstein did in the original).  Harris’ Burke is not nearly as interesting as Rubinstein as a character but Burke has his war stories to tell from his various ghostly encounters and he’s not afraid to tell the stories.  Anyone expecting Rockwell to be his usual scene stealing self (because he’s such an accomplished actor) will be sadly disappointed as he really does disappear into the father figure just trying to find a way to support his family.

For many audience members who have never seen the original film this film plays fast with the material and plays up the jump scares which most audiences expect but for those of you who know and love the original film this pales in comparison.  It’s a well-produced film for modern audiences that don’t have the history of the original film to fall back on.  The only problem is that there are hundreds of ghost and haunted house films being produced every day and it’s hard for this one to be distinguished from the rest.