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.

Every now and then a film comes along that makes you wonder why you purchase any DVD from the $1.99 bin. This is certainly one of those films. Director David A. Cross really needs to keep his day job, and stop insulting our intelligence. The film really has no plot outline at all, and the characters are about as believable as "Mickey Mouse" (sorry Mickey). Watching the film, the viewer starts to wonder if these "actors" have ever acted in anything before. My daughter's second grade class productions show more talent then this entire cast combined. The special makeup effects are the equivalent of what one might find at K-Mart during an after-Halloween sale. If I wasn't so embarrassed that I bought it in the first place, I'd return it in disguise... This film deserves NO rating.

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.

Ghostwatcher uses some of the most classic, horror techniques to weave an edge of your seat thriller that will scare the pants off of you, combined with an edgy and contemporary soundtrack that features great music. I got a chance to speak with Dave Cross(director) at one of the screenings and was very impressed with, not only his enthusiasm for his film, but for the genre of horror as a whole. The entire cast does an excellent job maintaining the suspense as the story unfolds. The movie has already picked up several film festival awards and Marrianne Hayden(Nikki Brandt) won Best Actress at the 2002 Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Los Angeles, CA. I just got word that the film is supposed to be released by Artisan Pictures on DVD October 1st. Do yourself a favor and buy this movie. It should be in every horror fan's collection!!