GhostWatcher 2

I just don't get it, how do these people get work? The acting is deplorable. The storyline is boring and really doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Most of the characters say their lines as if just learned them and are doing a very poor cold reading. All the characters display poor facial affect in response to situations occurring around them. The movie is disjointed, with an evil ghost character popping up in odd places.

I just can't believe films like this find backers and are able to release them to the public. I find much better written/directed/acted pod casts on itunes.

How in the hell does a movie like this go straight to DVD and a piece of mummified crap like THE FOG gets delivered to theaters?! Talk about unfair. Hacks like Rupert Wainwright and Uwe Boll-the worst director ever in the history of the entire world-continue to be able to make big budget films and people who actually know how to make horror movies get pushed to the back of the shelf? At least the Ghostwatcher movies are original and actually care about scaring the audience. If the original Ghostwatcher was remade with a big budget and some stars it would be the biggest horror hit of the year and at least that would make sense. Why has no one thought of this? Well, at least someone is still making movies for the horror audience and not a bunch of teenyboppers. The makers of this movie really came through this time.

Laura takes over the Elizabeth role and tries to help a teenager who is hearing voices. What those voices are and where they're coming from was a total surprise to me and makes for the best scene in the whole movie. The ending is pretty downbeat but works because it is so well done.

The thing I liked best about this movie is that the director didn't feel the need to throw in an African-American caricature who runs around screaming like an idiot (again, see THE FOG). Is anyone besides me sick of seeing that? And he doesn't spell everything out for the audience but instead lets them figure some things out for themselves. He uses classic scare tactics to get the audience on the edge of their seat instead of jamming it full of crappy CGI (there is some of that too but it actually looks really good in this one). In short, this is the kind of horror film they used to make back in the 70's when horror films were actually good and were more about story and character than how much we can make the first weekend because the newest TV star is in it. If you're as sick of the new wave of horror as I am, check this one out. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

And a plea to the director-please continue to make horror films in the future. You're the only one who seems to know what we want.

Ah, yes, it's Halloween once again and time for the onslaught of "scary" movies to flood the multiplexes and video stores (or Netflix if you swing that way). We've already been subjected to THE FOG (garbage) and at the time of this writing SAW 2 is poised to hit theaters (this time the killer will lay on the floor for 22 hours just to prove how crazy he is, and was anyone really begging for a sequel to that movie anyway?). If you're like me, you want something scary to watch this time of year and you've already exhausted your DVD collection and don't want to trek to the theater because you can watch commercials at home for free. If this sounds familiar, you're in luck.

Ghostwatcher 2 is a great movie to watch this year (I don't know how it would fare the rest of the year, but I'm definitely adding it to my annual film festival on that night of nights). It's an unusual and ambitious horror film that doesn't treat its audience like a group of mongoloid idiots and has more than a few good scares to goose you when you least expect it.

Short synopsis: Tracy Cain suffers trauma from a car accident and soon after begins hearing voices which drive her to the point of seizures. Exhausting all other avenues, her father hires the Ghostwatcher, Laura Kove, to investigate and find out what's what. That's all you should know before you watch this movie because the fun is in discovering the source of the voices along with the characters. I will tell you that a very nasty ghost is involved (and if you don't already know that, you're really not paying attention) and that more lives may be at stake than just Laura's.

So, if you're in the mood, turn down the lights, pop this one in on Halloween night and go along for the ride. I will be. And hopefully next year Mr. Cross will give me another one to add to my collection.

Girl becomes plagued by noises and voices. Turns out to be spirits. A ghost hunter comes to help. Plot is weak and doesn't make much sense with contrived happenings to push plot forward and seek resolution. Boy, I did finish it, but why did I?

An agoraphobic girl finds out her house is haunted and finally comes to terms with the ghost who is stalking her. Three years later, cured and building a life for herself, she comes to the rescue of a teen with a similar problem and finds out that a lot more may be at stake than she thought.

Why do I find these movies so interesting? I think it's because Laura, the main character, IS interesting. And just as Laura has gone through a change, so has the sequel. I had to look at the box three times to make sure this movie was directed by the same person. At this point, director David A. Cross could probably set part 3 on Mars and make it interesting and believable. The best way to describe the difference between Ghostwatcher and Ghostwatcher 2 is to compare the first to freshman year. It was awkward and unsure of itself, but showed promise. The sequel would then be sophomore material, showing more maturity and a surer sense of the film-making process. The way I figure it, he's got two more in him before he's ready for the big time. And then I think he's going to scare the living crap out of all of us.