The Innkeepers

If you consider this a Ti West film starring Sara Paxton, then it is merely a clinic on how to get the most (as a Director) from the least (minimal cast, set, SFX). And West does an impressive job of setting a mood and maintaining production quality. But It is still a so-so result. If however you consider this a Sara Paxton film directed by West, it will have a special appeal for her fans. Playing younger than her actual age at the time, with no makeup, she holds the attention. In many ways, one of her best roles.

The former fancy and elegant Yankee Pedlar Inn will be closed in a couple of days to become a parking area and the employees Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) are taking care of the hotel while the owner is traveling on vacation in Barbados. They are bored and the hotel has only four guests: an unpleasant and angry mother with her young son; the TV actress Leanne "Lee" Rease-Jones (Kelly McGillis) that claims to be psychic; and an old man that spent his honeymoon in the hotel and wants to say good-bye the room where his wife and him had spent their wedding night.

The amateur ghost-hunters Claire and Luke decide to find evidences that the ghost of Madeline O'Malley, a bride that committed suicide when her fiancé left her in their wedding day, haunts the hotel and they summon her spirit. However, they are not prepared for what comes next....

"The Innkeepers" is a slow-paced horror movie with a promising story; unfortunately something is missing to be a good film. The characters development is long and poor, and the first two-thirds of the plot goes nowhere. Further, there is no clear explanation why Claire is threatened by the ghost of Madeline O'Malley. One good point is to see again fifty- five year-old Kelly McGillis, who has aged with dignity without trying to be forever young. I still recall her in "Witness" and "Top Gun" and it was a great surprise to see that gray-haired lady that she has become. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Hotel da Morte" ("Hotel of the Death")

I began watching this with a a sense of hesitation due to a couple of reviews which were very negative. In a way I can understand why some people might not like this. There are no great action scenes for starters, blood and gore is kept to the bare minimum and a lot of time is spent on building on the characters. If you are going to watch this, you really are just best watching it knowing the bare minimum of the film's storyline... i.e set in a hotel. I would go as far as to say the storyline is obscure and really does not impact on the film at all. For me, the acting was great. After the first half an hour of getting comfortable with the two main characters I found myself getting nervous for them until by the end of the film my heart was beating ten to the dozen, which is the aim of a good horror I feel. I waited for my wife to go to bed before putting this on. I watched it by myself around about midnight with the lighting on low and I have to say that had I got a pillow to hand, I would have been sitting behind it.

After seeing brilliant "House of Devil" I decided to check out other movies of Ti West, who seems to be a very talented and promising film director. Even lots of negative reviews on IMDb did not dissuade me to watch this film. "Innkeeprers" turned out to be a very well made horror film which will be truly appreciated by more mature horror movie fans looking forward for suspense rather than lots of gore and high bodycount. Tension builds up slowly, gradually reaching the climax. Actors are doing a great job and director is a true master of the genre attempting to produce a small masterpiece in a minimalistic premise, only a few actors and almost no special effects. Watch this movie at night, alone, with lights off and I promise you that you are going to be scared.

Y'all's 5.5 review is out of line. If you have a short attention span and/or don't understand the disturbing subtlety of a perfect ghost story, you won't like this movie. Those of us that could listen "true" ghost stories all day will be completely spooked. This puts you right in the middle of one.

I actually really loved that we got to know the characters a bit more than a typical scary movie. I thought Paxton was charming.

Not a masterpiece or a perfect movie, but definitely one that will stick with me. I feel like it's a true testament to the subtle power of a ghost story. Watch it in October.