La mansión del pánico

Usually these TV movies are pretty lame. I was surprised to find myself thoroughly interested in this one from the first scene. The first hour is quite good, filled with spooky innuendo and little clues as to what these kindly old folks are really up to. You know there's something not quite right about them, but what is it?

After the first hour, the story drags a little bit because they just keep heaping more and more of the same clues on the watcher, but it never gets bad enough to ruin the movie. The final twenty minutes or so has one or two cliched camera tricks and plot devices but that can be excused in a made-for-TV movie.

There are no really big surprises in this movie. The viewer has a fair idea of what's really going down pretty early in the movie, but it's fun to watch it all unfold. The cast (especially the old folks) do a great job with their roles and it's interesting to see Hal Linden playing such a two-faced shady character.

All in all, I give this movie a 7/10. The first hour is the best part because of the creepy atmosphere but it's worth watching to the end if you don't want to watch another lame game show or Friends re-run.

The Glow is quite an interesting made for TV movie. It stars Dean Cain and Portia DeRossi as Matt & Jackie, a young working couple who by chance find the perfect apartment in New York City. By the time it is revealed that chance has little to do with it, they are in way over the heads.

The kindly older couples who run the building just aren't what they seem...and the last tenants who had leased Matt & Jackie's apartment have disappeared without a trace. And when the young couple upstairs also disappear...well, Jackie suspects the worse. She digs deeper..only to discover the impossible.

The movie is well thought out, well paced, very suspenseful. However, there are a couple of problems with it. For instance, after being abducted, how does Jackie set off the fire alarm with the cigarettes she uses (if you see it, you'll ask yourself where they came from - considering she's hardly wearing anything). Or...what is the Glow? It's never really explained. I would have rather have seen more of an explanation at the end, then the ending we did get (although it was fine).

The casting of the older couples in the building was really top rate. Hal Linden is stellar as the kindly 'fatherly' type who takes Matt in as "the son I never had". It would have been great to see his motivation and character further developed. But, hey, as a made for TV movie, it's much better than a lot of the movies we pay $13.50 to go see.

Shot in Toronto, by the way. If you look closely you'll see Union Station, the Royal York Hotel & other sights.

I saw this TV movie on Lifetime the other day and was hooked from the beginning. Great casting, well acted, nicely paced, interesting characters, and very suspenseful. It kind of reminded me of 'Rosemary's Baby' meets 'The Firm'.....better watch out for the elders hooked on brightly colored health drinks....they can really pack a punch!! Above average TV Flick ***.

I didn't catch the beginning, but seeing the hot Dean Cain sucked me into it. Kinda creapy, very suspenseful, and an all around good tv movie as far as those go. The old people got on my nerves and I would have hurt them, if you see the moive you would understand.

I was pretty excited about watching this movie and I wasn't disappointed from it. Sometimes the movie lacked plot explanation, but you can understand everything easily. Another thing that I didn't like was the plot being predictable but it was a nice plot. This movie is for those who like a thriller type of horror movie. Sorry gorefest fans! The cast was decent with good actors, they all contributed positively to the movie and nothing was really cringeworthy, like many movies of this type tend to be.

My synopsis: This movie tells the story of a man who got robbed in a park and saved by fit and good looking old people that were jogging around the park. The man then becomes friends with the elders he just met and soon they give him a generous deal and sell him and his wife a gorgeous apartment for a really low price. Soon, all this generousity becomes unsettling and soon the couple realises that they are prisoners in their new home.

Final Rating: 6.5/10. If you can overlook the predictability of this movie, you may actually have a good time. Overall, the movie was OK compared to others in the genre, but you really shouldn't expect anything great or mindblowing from this movie. You really should only watch this, if you like this type of movie, otherwise I recommend you to go look for another movie. However, if you like indie horror and B- Movies, this might just be an enjoyable movie for you. I personally enjoyed this movie and I found it above average compared to other TV Movies and B-Movies.