Dead Souls

There were two reasons for why I sat down to watch "Dead Souls", the first and most obvious one was the fact that it is a horror movie, given my life-long romance with the horror genre. But the most important reason was because Bill Moseley was on the cast list.

Let's get on with it then, shall we?

While the storyline had potential, I was sitting with an overwhelming sense of 'was that really it?' once the movie ended. It felt like director Colin Theys hardly utilized all the potential that the storyline had. And that was a shame because it crippled the overall viewing experience of the movie.

There wasn't much of any noteworthy or worthwhile horror elements in "Dead Souls" that haven't already been seen countless times in other movies. So for a seasoned horror veteran as myself, this was hardly an illuminating horror experience.

The acting in the movie was adequate, just keep in mind that the cast ensemble is rather small and limited, so there is a lot riding on the shoulders of the performers. They fared adequately, I would say. Nothing memorable though. And Bill Moseley, while he was in the movie, he was a mere support cast in the movie. So they made the most famous person and a horror icon nonetheless into a mere support character in the movie. No, just no. That was a blow to the movie that dragged down the enjoyment, especially since he only had a limited screen time as well.

I managed to sit through the entire movie, waiting for something extraordinary to happen or for the movie to pick up its pacing and throw something unexpected my way... It just never happened, and as such then my rating of "Dead Souls" is a less than mediocre one; four out of ten stars.

This is hardly a movie that made an impression in the horror genre. I am sure come next week, then I will already have forgotten about it. Nor is it a movie that you will watch more than once.

I can't blame this movie for much. It is a typical horror movie for this age, where the script is a random mix of other films of the genre, the horror is done via camera angle tricks, the bloody scenes or the nudity are removed and most of the movie is people not understanding what is going on or running around like headless chickens when they do. But I've seen so many films like this that it doesn't bother me anymore. It's not scary either, though.

I loved the Osiris and Jesus angle and, while the rest of the story made no sense, the idea that modern gods are just knockoffs of the old ones seemed really funny. They could have done something with this other than a bunch of homicidal hillbillies looking for eternal life. I am sure they didn't intend it to be funny, but it was for me.

Bottom line: This film is so incredibly average that it becomes mere background noise. There were a few ideas in it that could have made an impact, but I am sure none of the creators of the film actually cared. The highlight of the movie has to be Magda Apanowicz, who is cute as hell, even if her character is a complete mess.

Beginning tepidly, and concluding with just about the most confusing, ridiculous climax I've seen like EVER, Dead Souls is another big FAIL of a horror film to add to my ever-growing list. It's also loaded with the cheapest scare tactics around, you know... the mysterious shadow in the corner, the girl on the swing... but when you turn round, nothing's there. Once or twice, this might be effective... but this constitutes 90% of the action, and quickly becomes an exercise in tedium.

I don't want to get into the dopey story, but I do want to highlight the last 15 minutes or so. Until then, I was ready to label it as a not very good, but relatively harmless piece. But then, the dead started coming back to life, with all other kinds of cockamamie going on... it wasn't big, it wasn't clever and didn't make one lick of sense. It could have worked I suppose if it had been well done, but this segment had more ham than a butchers. Yeesh.

Final Note: One thing I've noticed of late: The better illustrated the DVD box of a scary movie, the more rubbish it is. It's like they're saying: "Who cares if it's any good? All that matters is it looks nice on your shelf!!" 2/10

So winters heading our way and what better way to spend those cold dark nights? How about wrapped up with your beloved with a nice drink by your side and a spooky film on the picture box?

Dead Souls is one of those types of films.

From the outset, the screenwriter, John Doolan, does a good job of creating mystery while giving you tension. Everything appears fine in the Conroy family. Fathers hard at work in the barn. Mother is singing to her newborn. The teen daughter is in her bedroom listening to music. The younger brother is to-and-froing on the swing in the garden. Life seems blissful if a little impoverished. But as the minutes' tick by you notice mother is sick and father's work is darker than you expected... something isn't right in this Conroy household.

But in this little opening section, you can see where the deteriorations in the strength of the movie will come. The Direction.

Colin Theys is good at the action sequences but the building of atmosphere is not one of his strong points. The tension comes from the story and the strange happenings rather than camera and audio techniques. Though the ritual towards the end of the story is effective. Theys utilises his action style to help ramp up the tension and create a sense of urgency as the stereo chimes out the clock gongs.

The principal aspect that strengthens this film the most is the story. Which I have to say, is based on a novel by Michael Laimo. A novel that's now on my wishlist. I find screenplays from novels tend to have more power and strength, especially in horror now it's become overfilled with, "Hey! I've had a good idea for a film," writers and directors. The trouble with writer-director's is they are usually good at only one of those jobs; very seldom are they good at both. I don't know how closely the film follows the book so I'll give credit to both Laimo and Doolan for the build-up to the film's crescendo ending. I loved the ending, though I did guess the outcome, it's still expertly handled by all.

Lastly to the acting. Mostly it's above average. However, there is one person who lets the team down a little. Noah Fleiss as Mack is about as wooden as an actor can get. I get the feeling, at times, that he'd rather not be there. It's when the possessions begin that he could have come into his own by taking the mannerisms of the person possessing him. However, he just comes across as awkward.

On the whole, this is an average little ghost story nicely told. There's nothing new or exciting about the film but it is enjoyable and a nice flick to cuddle up with. Worth one watch at least - If you've already watched it then check out my lists for new ideas for your viewing pleasure...

This movie would've been much better if the plot was more cohesive. Towards the end, I was really feeling like they lost it and was just hastily wrapping things up. The production quality was promising, so it was a bummer that it failed to keep the story tight.