eileenmchenry

Considering the budget, I have to say this movie really succeeded. It had some great seat-jumper moments far above what I hoped to see in a film of this caliber. The chemistry test scene was utterly delicious. The acting was really very good -- you could tell everyone was serious about making this movie even though they really had no business doing that. The pace was good, the story was sound, the makeups and costumes were good (especially with what had to be a buck-ninety-eight effects bankroll), most of the camera work and stuff was pretty good. And so it actually worked! Unexpected in a movie that dares to take "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" into the recess yard.

This was a decent horror picture, but it could have gone so much farther, you know? It reminded me so much of "The Ring" and "The Grudge" that I was not overly surprised by anything that happened. Don't get me wrong -- damp ghosts are the best kind in my opinion. The setting and the atmosphere were perfect. Sheesh, what a horrible place. But I felt I was seeing a lot of scare potential go to waste. I wanted to see much bigger things happen in the waterlogged apartment, for one thing. Most in-your-face ghostage. I wanted to see certain parties get it, but good, and I was disappointed. I wanted to see a little tiny glimmer of beauty or good cheer SOMEWHERE in this movie to break up the depressing atmosphere and remind us that not everything in the world looked like Roosevelt Island.

This is a rather slick, big-budget horror picture that is kind of low on the horror, but nice if you want some "suspense lite" of an evening. Good story progression, boss visuals, nice special effects, good production values. There was a certain lack of dramatic tension that brought the whole thing down. The story would have been more convincing if Martin Sheen had acted, you know, a little bereaved in the wake of his wife's death. Ditto his son. Now, about that kid. This is one of the most egregious examples of the Odious Child role ever -- so much so that I really suspect him of having been the most threatening person in the story. He was a more convincingly evil character than Malik Bowen's Santeria priest -- oh, sure, the priest's eyes change color when he's feeling the Spirit, but everywhere the kid goes with his tribal fetish doll, someone dies horribly. COINCIDENCE?