GhostWatcher

While this movie boasts quite a string of genuinely scary moments, it is essentially a collage of already successfully tested horror plots. Agoraphobic heroine, Serial killer, Ghost of serial killer, etc. It even has the obligatory paranormal investigator. Nothing stands out as truly original. Honestly, I've seen worse acting in supporting roles but not very often. The lead role was executed quite well. In fact, I would not be surprised to see this young lady do well in future movies. Again, it is quite scary at times and I suppose that's the point, eh? Also, the music was pretty good. Anyway, if you are a horror movie buff, then watch it just because.

Why is that even the most ambitious shot-on-video-we-had-no-money thriller gets some things right, but always manages to get something else horribly wrong? One film will have great visuals and a dynamic soundtrack...but the story makes no sense and nobody can act. Another film will have a fantastic story, but the film looks like it was shot with a camcorder strapped to a hyperactive puppy.

Such is the case here - good story (for the first half), surprisingly decent acting, character development (Shocking in a shot on video feature like this) and even a few creepy scenes. BUT - the story falls apart very quickly and the plot holes begin to get bigger and bigger...

THE GOOD: The leads. Really - I must tip my hat to them. All three were quite good. Most films like this cast either one of two types of actors: either they OVERACT and chew scenery in the worst way, or they mumble their lines and go for most of the running time of the film doing their impression of cardboard. Here, I actually found myself getting a bit into the story because I started to grow fond of the leads. That is also why I really got ticked off when the film falls apart.

The scares. One genuine moment of creepiness - I won't spoil it, but it happens during a very unconvincing fake offscreen storm complete with indoor lightning (someone flicking the light switch on and off real fast). The subtle GOTCHA moment is pretty good - smart, low key and effective. Also, a visit to a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere is handled quite well. Bravo to the filmmakers for really getting the most out a location.

The story. Again, tip-toeing lightly here to avoid spoilage...the reason for why the ghost was haunting her? Good idea. Very effective.

THE BAD: Without giving away the ending...C'MON GUYS! Why? Why after setting up a truly interesting idea and concept do you throw it all away on a ridiculous Hollywood cat-and-mouse sequence with special effects you know you didn't have the money to pull off? It's silly and does not work.

THE WTF??: When our hero starts looking into the world of ghost hunters...she runs across a website run by our other "hero" which is half ghost hunting, half peep show "voyeur dorm" type website. Our hero rolls her eyes at the idea...BUT THEN EMAILS HER WITH A DESPERATE PLEA FOR HELP! There are hundreds of ghost hunting websites out there...why only this one, which is obviously a farce? When her and her friend later berate the website owner for being a fraud and only concerned with money - I kept waiting for the web girl to spit back "Well what did you expect?!?" They knew she was running a peep show - so why do they pin all their hopes on her? Perhaps a simple scene showing our hero auditioning various ghost hunters in the area would have made the scenario work more, make the peep show girl the last resort...but as it stands - you just want to smack her upside the head and tell her that when your life and sanity are on the line, it's a good idea to shop around before choosing a ghost hunter.

I gave this a three out of ten. The three is only posted due to the fact that I now have an unflagging faith that myself and four of my stupid half-wit drunk friends can make a movie and release it directly to video. And then follow up with a sequel. There is apparently no prerequisite exam to becoming a director. Okay, enough ripping. Down to business. First and foremost, the damn thing was filmed in Grainavision or something. It looked like they sanded the lens before they shot. In addition, it didn't appear that the production crew cared to waste any money on Steady-Cam. Also, periodic wacky camera angles, reminiscent of the old Batman series litter this cinematic train wreck. As to whether they are intentional or not is a point of conjecture. But wait....it DOES get worse. I can live with two dimensional characters. Good actors are expensive. I'm down with the sound. But they could have at least had the common decency to memorize their lines and not spit them at the camera. I've heard better deliveries from the recorded 411 information. Will I watch the sequel? Oh yea, I will. I carry the Ever Burning Torch of the Satellite of Love. There is of course some redeeming qualities. First of, the story line could have gone somewhere. It really could have. If it had been polished a bit, it could have carried the movie. I like the premise very much. Also, even if they ARE amateur actors, eye candy abounds.

I always enjoy a break from the Holloywood style of movie making. Okay, so at times the dialog was painful, the acting was wooden, and I could visualize the stage directions in front of me. I enjoyed watching this movie and I thought the three lead actresses were endearing. It was so cool to see a movie where all of the leads were women who were brave and took action, and not just there to serve as love interests.

I want to give special recognition to the film makers for casting normal women in this film. All three of them were very attractive, but in their own unique ways, not the Hollywood cookie-cutter painfully-thin way. It was a lot of fun to watch them. They looked like me and my friends, and were easy to relate to and invest in.

Great little flick! Thanks for the entertainment.

Crummy music,horrible acting and bad directing align themselves in a way that I could never have imagined to be possible. Scenes where a simple shot of two persons speaking to each other were clumsily "over- directed" by quick cutting back and forth between the two to the point where I was getting dizzy. What's even more pathetic is that even the makeup sucked in this movie. The ghost makeup made the actor appear as a demented version of a dude from Blue Man Group. The Elizabeth Dean character had so much blush applied in some scenes that you could swear the she had just been involved in a bitch- slapping session.Anyone who thinks this is even SOMEWHAT remotely watchable needs their head examined. This effort is so lame and unprofessional I was actually chuckling from the very beginning. I enjoy low budget pics but this stoops to an all-time low in cinema. Pure excrement. Only to be viewed with a trusty can of Lysol, yes, it stinks that bad.