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MOVIE SCORE |
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DVD SCORE |
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REVIEWER |
RumbleWolf4 |
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REVIEW DATE |
3rd July, 2004 |
Review Quote
"It's a solid and entertaining yarn spun by producers Robert Zemeckis (the director of Back to the Future) and Joel Silver (Cradle 2 The Grave, Gothika, the Matrix Trilogy). From such talent like that, I expected a little more."
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The Plot
The Kriticos family was a happy unified family until the untimely death their matriarch. Now they are hard at luck, living with a nanny in a small apartment...until the father, Arthur, recieves news that he is the heir to his late uncles secluded mansion! It seems like a whimsical, spectacular place to live as the mansion is made entirely of glass and ornate decorations. However, the house holds a secret in the basement...12 secrets to be exact. 12 Angry spectres that have been set loose in the house, hellbent on terrorizing the family and the mysterious clairvoyant that joins them. They must survive the otherworldy onslaught or they will join the ranks of the damned souls.
The Movie
This is a difficult film to review. It's a solid and entertaining yarn spun by producers Robert Zemeckis (Director-Back to the Future) and Joel Silver (Cradle 2 the grave,Gothika, the Matrix Trilogy). From such talent like that, I expected a little more. The film's first flaw is that it is woefully miscast. Shaloub is certaintly talented but he simply does not fit the role. Likewise for Shannon Elizabeth who spends too much time offscreen, creating a character we don't really care about. Murray Abraham delivers a hammy performance and rapper Rah Digga's presence is for "comedy" relief only. Also, Davidtz (Army of Darkness) deserves more than the derivitive lines her character spews. At least Lillard gives a fun and maniacal (albeit familiar) performance.
Also, the film has a low body count and the ending is sappy. On the plus side, the film sports good effects and beatiful set design and good direction. The house is simpy amazing and it appears most of the budget went into it's design. The ghosts themselves border on cheesy and cartoonish to eerie and disturbing. They all have their own backstories although only a few realy have any impact on the plot. Most of them are there for looks, but they deliver some effective "boo" scares!
Overall, the movie suffers from bad acting and a disappointingly familiar plot. But we have fun effects, cool ghosts (it's all about The Jackal and the Angry princess!) and fantastic set design. An entertaining cheeseball horror film and nothing more. "I'm gettin my a$$ out of this big glass house!"
The DVD
Although the menus lack innovation and seem thrown together, the features are quite cool. First off, we have a decent commentary by the director. Solid if unremarkable. The "documentary" is more of a featurette and it's main focus is the makeup processes for the ghosts. Also we have a "club reel" a sort of music video for Tricky's "Excess". It's basically a music video comprosed entirely of movie footage. But the main focus here is the Ghost Files, a series of interactive presentations narrated by F Murray Abraham. By selecting various artifacts on display, you'll acess the histories and backstories for all twelve ghosts. Very cool and quite entertaining. If you want a reason to pick up this US$6-8 brand new DVD, the ghost Files is worth it.
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Director
Steve Beck
Cast
Tony Shalhoub
Embeth Davidtz
Mathew Lillard
Shannon Elizabeth
Alec Roberts
Screenplay
Neal Marshal Stephens
Richard D'Ovidio
Tagline
"Terror has multiplied."
Country
USA / Canada
Classification
R
Year
2001
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Format
NTSC
Region Coding
1
Aspect Ratio
1.85:1
16x9 Enhanced
Yes
Running Time
91 minutes
Year Released
2002
Packaging
Snap Case
Extra Features
Audio Commentary
Documentary
Club Reel
Cast Film Highlights
DVD-ROM Features
Theatrical Trailer
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This Version On DVD
Region 1: Buy Me Now
Other Versions On DVD
Region 0: Not Available
Region 2: Buy Me Now
Region 3: Not Available
Region 4: Buy Me Now
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If you find any errors in this review, know of any other versions of this DVD available or no longer available, send us an e-mail so we can get the word out to the horror community.
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