Dead Still

While I admit that this could have been better, it could have been much worse as well.

The story of an evil/possessed antique camera is a good premise, unfortunately. The film is let down by the rather ponderous style it took.

Ray Wise is the best thing about this movie, his offers a good performance which unfortunately highlights the somewhat clunky acting from some of the other cast.

It is not purely a bad movie, it is just not a memorable one. Not bad, not great, it is just there.

This is a shame, because the premise is an intriguing one. A camera that takes portraits that ends in the subject's death, A slightly better script and tighter filming would have resulted in a better movie. But I did not end up turning it off, so that earns it an extra star.

I am surprise to see so many good reviews from users, with so low rating of the film.

Believe the rating.

This movie is bad, generally speaking. The story is weak, and there are so many inconsistencies, perhaps for the incompetence of the filmmakers, not really because it was unavoidable. Bad timing, wrong reactions to situations... etc.

Maybe the only thing that was notable was the not-so-bad costumes and the filming locations. But it was at all enough.

Finally , the acting was completely shocking, negligent.

The story of Victorian death photography: wasted.

Plot

Upon the death of his great grandfather, Brandon Davis a wedding photographer inherits an antique camera famous for taking Victorian death photography. After photographing his subjects they start to die from horrible, bizarre deaths.

Cast

Ben "Farscape" Browder and Ray Wise

Verdict

I was frustratingly excited by this, horror, Ben Browder, Ray Wise and the cover looked like my kind of horror! Bring it on I thought. I should have remembered Wise does a lot of terrible films and that outside of Farscape I've not seen Browder in anything enjoyable.

It has the "Killer camera" theme which we've seen several times before, the concept here is tweaked but doesn't deliver anything we've not really seen before.

Browder and Wise phone in their performances, this is a paycheck they did not earn.

The movie itself is oddly boring considering the subject matter, it plods along at an uneven pace, never really gets going, the kills are dreadfully handled and it builds to a weirdly drawn out finale that actually had me cringing.

Dead Still is one to skip over or put on if you have absolutely nothing else available to you and you're already too drunk to care.

Rants

So let's talk about the son, this kid is so alarmingly feminine I struggled to believe they were actually a boy until I Googled it. Don't get me wrong this isn't a dig in anyway shape or form, it was just a bizarre casting choice. Was the kid wearing eye liner? You'll think it's a daughter throughout especially since they're mute in the movie. The actor himself rather unsurprisingly went into one of the vampire teen melodrama things, he certainly comes under the pretty boy category and then some. I wish I was pretty, I like like a shaven potato .

Breakdown

Mostly pretty ugly Cast just don't try Never really gets going Boring Truly awful finale.

Suspenseful,scary,gore,fascinating are only a few words to describe this film! I had so much fun watching this movie! The characters are great! Costumes are wonderful and makeup and special effects are hauntingly delightful! The little girl who plays Lela is precious! I feel in love with her character! Most of all the story is intriguing and keeps you're attention! I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was next! Its on my DVR and I will be watching it again!! Thank you Booth Brothers for bringing us a very entertaining film! I hope you have other projects in the works because I for one am a fan! If your looking for a sitting on the edge of your seat kind of movie look no further!

I was sorely disappointed in this film. It had stylistic potential which it never fully exploited. Ben Browder, Ray Wise and all the children turned in fine performances, but the rest of the cast with speaking lines were stiff, awkward, one dimensional, and sometimes just annoying. One has to wonder if, despite their professional credits, they've ever acted at all. It's somewhat shocking to find them working alongside the likes of skilled actors such as Browder and Wise.

The plot was a tired re-tread of a haunted camera trope, supposed "based on true events". One comes to expect this sort of statement from the Booth Brothers, but we could have done it this time out.

As a result of this, watching Dead Still became something of an endurance sport. Perhaps turning it into a drinking game would have improved the experience.