Home with a View of the Monster

I'm watching what is listed as horror movie. The owners are staying outside in a car while they rented out their house. She can't even afford shoes not full of holes that she has to tape together. First scene kids appearing in different places, oh wait, there is simple reason. They decide to go back to what I think is a run down shack (note shoes). She finds weapon "what's this?" shock! What, she missed where they were staying? Turns house is nothing less than a mansion. HOW?? By then I'm wondering who made this mess and I'm only in the first 11 minutes. Did the obvious - came here to see what that was. Find 10 stars reviews. That is my clue, the thing is going to be so bad, that who ever made it had to have his pals give it great reviews. Decided not to waste my time. Get real, I will watch movies with seven and even three but TEN??? Hate people trying to fool me into watching something they know stinks.

7/10 🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠 Here's the thing, When indie films are released there isn't usually a lot of fanfare and the promotion is at a minimum. So taking the leap of faith and watching the whole film is an ongoing process as you know but "A Home With A View Of The Monster" has a few key things that gives you comfort your not wasting your time. 1).Let's begin with the description on a If you read what a film is about and it's more than 15-30 words it's usually a clear giveaway the movie is bad. Indie films usually make this mistake great films never take more then 3-4 lines to peak your interest. The description of this film was superb. Short & Sweet 2). The introduction, Grading the camera and audio quality for indie films can literally mean everything. Because if the first 2 mins. Look shabby or sound horrible I'm cutting it off instantly which is why I'm a little peeved at the audio here because the camera and angles were great from start to finish even the effects were up to par considering the budget, Although the twins in the forest scene could've flowed smoother but that's not an issue. My problem was sound and 90% of it was fine but early on there are some audio mixing issues and the background sound effects are way too loud and the voices have segments that drop down to a whisper and if you turn it up to hear it more clear the background becomes unbearable, you see where I'm going with this it happens enough to make it a nuisance but not enough to totally ruin the film so for that fact I give a pass but it's worth mentioning. And lastly 3). Storyline and Acting Written and Directed by Alex & Todd Greenlee, The Greenlee Brothers whose youtube page states "even with a low budget we strive to make great flicks" Are undoubtedly living up to their reputation. The story was original, intriguing and relatatable. The dialogue was on point so I assume the screenplay was well crafted. I think it could of picked up the pace early on but it wasn't a super slow burn. It had some predictable moments but they were revealed at odd sequences so they caught me off guard a bit which was a good thing. The acting was good all around. Early on when first meeting the male antagonist was a little shaky and not just the camera but once the story started unraveling his role provided an opportunity to show the most range and he delivered. Would I recommend this flick yes especially for indie lovers who enjoy very mild horror but with substance. There's too many movies not worth watching but this film isn't one of them.

With reviews literally spanning the range from 1 to 10 I'm here to tell you the truth.

It isn't terrible. The music definitely is but the movie is engaging and well acted.

We do have the now mandatory interracial couple to keep the snowflakes and liberal trend enforcers happy but we also have a pretty interesting story. It's not a simple story but one with some well plotted twists and turns. There's depth to the writing and the direction and acting was able to pull it off. I really feel it was mostly let down by some poor musical choices. A little more backstory as to the genesis of the haunting would've also been nice.

All in all it wasn't a bad way to spend 90 minutes. Don't believe the haters...nor the ballyhoo.

As is frequently the case with indie films seen by about a dozen people, the glowing reviews on here are from people tied to the production.

The reality, unfortunately, isn't so glowing. It's OK in parts, downright bad in others. Here's some advice for their next effort:

Tip #1 When assigning a visitor from another planet to write your script, choose one who is familiar with human behavior. Humans who are outside their rental home do not go inside to confront an axe wielding intruder. Humans who purchase a haunted house don't rent it out to tenants. Humans who have phone conversations where they are charged by a stranger to destroy someone else's luggage don't hang up the phone and immediately open a bottle of wine.

Tip #2 The soundtrack should bear some passing relationship to the onscreen activity. Ominous music playing when people enter a home where the biggest threat are flies on unwashed dishes doesn't make those flies more threatening.

Tip #3 If you decide to put actors in your film, and I highly recommend you do, include more that four. There are more than four members of this cast, but they are basically extras. The lead pair, though they are acting their hearts out, are not interesting or likable enough to carry a film.

Tip #4 Have a reason for making a film beyond spending your backers money. The movie ends with none of the characters having learned anything despite the ordeal they've been through. If they survive the film (no spoilers here) you could imagine the two leads buying another haunted house to rent out.

Five stars for the actors giving it their all and generally good film making basics. Minus one star for whoever didn't give the space alien who wrote the script enough time to observe real human behavior. Four stars.

I write many reviews but this movie has something special although it's a low budget movie. It's creepy story with unexpected ending