Ghost House

Meh another possession "hand me down" type of movie, or sacrifice to get rid of it. 1 or so parts were predictable, but honestly its just a movie to watch nothing really unexpected. This could have been a lot better, but it is what it is cause movie makers now a days that make "scary" movies SUCK AT IT!

Not sure why there are so many negative responses published here to this absolutely competent nod to the Asian "ghost" genre.

Yes, the story is cliched: An American disturbs some kind of relic and as a result is haunted by a vengeful spirit.

What raises "Ghost House" up, however, are some beautiful locations, some obvious guerrilla-style filmmaking, interesting and creative direction and a funky visual style.

Also, while the lead actors are often charmless and whiny, the supporting cast is a hoot, from an old hippie shaman to a Thai witch doctor whose facial expressions are extraordinary. It's obvious they hired a number of Thai locals in these supporting parts, and that lends needed authenticity to the film.

Most of the scares are "jumps," but effective, and there are a couple of real harrowing and haunting scenes.

At the end of the day, "Ghost House" transcends it's weaknesses to become, as a whole, a decent, interesting effort that's worth your time.

The film starts off moderately ok with a couple vacationing in Thailand who visit an ancient burial site where they are attacked by an evil spirit that follows them throughout the vacation. The film then spirals into a mess of cliches, bad acting, predictable jump scares, and a story that does not hold your attention. The story becomes dull and uninteresting within 15 minutes of the opening, an opening that crams too much information into it, making questions one would have about the story answered already, leaving the story nearly non-existent.

The jump scares are almost all the same. Girl is alone, ghost suddenly appears, girl freaks out. It may work the first few times, but you end up knowing what the scare is going to be before it happens. While the ghost from a distance could be considered by some as scary, up close it is not. The make-up job on the ghost is so poorly done, it renders the tensions useless and takes you out of the moment. The writing is also painfully dull, including characters with barely one dimension as well as conversations that leave you waiting for it to be over so the next scare will come.

In short, if you are a horror veteran, skip it. If not and you want some cheap scares, go for it.

On the arrival in Thailand, the Americans Jim (James Landry Hébert) and his girlfriend Julie (Scout Taylor-Compton) hire the polite chauffeur Gogo (Michael S. New) and his van at the airport. They sightsee Bangkok and learn the legend of the ghost houses, miniature houses where spirits peacefully live and do not haunt the living. Then Jim proposes Julie to marry him with an engagement ring. They meet the British Robert (Russell Geoffrey Banks) and Billy (Rich Lee Gray) in the hotel lobby and are invited to celebrate their engagement with them. Robert summons Jim to visit a fleshpots and Billy stays outside with Julie. When they leave the spot, Julie has an argument with Jim that is drunken and accepts Robert's invitation to visit ghost houses at the outskirts. Robert wears Julie's scarf about a doll's neck and then he flees with Billy leaving the American couple in the middle of nowhere. Julie does not feel well and Jim calls Gogo to find them and take Julie to a hospital. However, when Gogo sees Julie, he takes her to a nearby village where his aunts live. Then they take Julie to a monk that wears amulets about her wrist and Julie recovers. They return to the hotel and when Julie removes her amulets, she has dreadful visions. What has Robert done with Julie?

"Ghost Story" is a totally underrated horror film with a genuine ghost story. The creepy and spooky screenplay does not have flaws and explores the beauties and beliefs of the exotic Thailand with magnificent locations. The few special effects are excellent. The cast is great and the unknown Scout Taylor-Compton is a beautiful woman and has top-notch performance. In the en, "Ghost Story" is one of the best recently released horror film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

We have seen the typical horror movie from Hollywood. Jump scares haunted mansion and the usual dark scene in the basement. First of all, this is not the standard template Hollywood horror we are used to. Contrary to the title, nothing happens in a haunted house but everything is a wild goose chase to get rid of a curse.

Th movie is not a poorly made remake of any Asian stuff either. It's a Hollywood movie which happens in Asia, follows the Asian horror template closely and mixes a pseudo type adventure film with "National Geographic's Banged up Abroad" cum Indian Jones metaphor, with reference to a couple trapped in a foreign country having a problem with something they unknowingly messed with. The movie combines the usual jump scares of Hollywood, an ugly old ghost and ritual ceremonies, commonly seen in Asian horror. The acting performances are decent for the most parts. The plot flows smoothly for a good execution. However, the film works better in an adventure "Indiana Jones" type of film than horror.

One of my main gripes about the movie is that the jump scares could have been better presented in a more scarier way, which of course is my own subjective opinion.Instead, it follows a generic method that has been used umpteen times in movies in the genre.However, there is enough suspense to keep u at the edge of your seat with the usual "what will happen next?" question. Watchable if u can overlook the horror elements and treat it as and adventure film