Poltergeist (2015)

Directed by Gil Kenan
Written by David Lindsay-Abaire, based on the story by Steven Spielberg
Starring Sam Rockwell, Rosemarie DeWitt, Kyle Catlett and Kennedi Clements

A family whose suburban home is haunted by evil forces must come together to rescue their youngest daughter after the apparitions take her captive.

The latest in a remake plagued market, this remaining of the 1982 horror classic doesn't hold much water to it's predecessor. In my opinion, the original isn't that scary. Sure it is filled with great visuals and awesome special effects, but the fear isn't there. The same goes for this one.

With every single scene a nod to Tobe Hooper's classic, Gil Kenan struggles to find his own voice i his reboot. Perhaps that is at the fault of Sam "I don't know why he's famous" Raimi. Even in his own creation "The Evil Dead", Raimi can't find originality.

The only differences between this and the 80s film is the time period and humor. As a comedy, this movie was pretty entertaining. There were plenty of slapstick moments and satires of modern culture. But as a horror film, it is weak.

I really wanted to like this movie. Upon viewing the first trailer, I had so much hope for it. But as soon as it was announced that it was rated PG-13, I knew it was going to be weak. With the exception of a few cool scenes with great imagery, there was nothing special or worth while about this movie.

You can skip this one this weekend. Instead, rent the original. If you're lucky like I was, a light bulb that isn't on will explode above your head, adding to the experience. 

My Rating: 4/10

The Devil's Backbone (2001)

Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Written by Guillermo del Toro, Antonio Trashorras and Mavid Muñoz
Starring Fernando Tielve, Íñigo Garcés, Federico Luppi and Eduardo Noriega

After Carlos, a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War, arrives at an ominous boy's orphanage, he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets that he must uncover. Mainly the mystery of "the one who sighs", the ghost of a little boy who wanders the orphanage.

There are truly no horror films like those of Guillermo del Toro. He has such a way with storytelling, that he does not need jump scares and gore to keep you terrified. He does so with a subtlety and grace of the building tension, until the pot boils over.

Rather than having a monster or ghost the source of fear in his films, he uses them as the victims to the much more real villain of human cruelty. It is certainly a privilege to watch his stories unfold and this is no exception.

Being one of his earlier pictures, "The Devil's Backbone" fells as though it set the course for his career. It also becomes apparent that his style has not changed, not that it needs to. The themes of the innocence of children and their first experience with death has been prevalent throughout his career, and this is no different. It is one of the thing that makes him unique. 

He does not present death as something you should be afraid of. He presents it as the sad, inevitable finale of life that we must all accept. He finds a way to find the beauty and humanity of pain and present it with a sense of calm and solace. He continues to show why he is one of the more unique directors out there.

My Rating: 7/10

Haunt (2013)

Directed by Mac Carter
Written by Andrew Barrer
Starring Harrison Gilbertson, Liana Liberato, Jacki Weaver and Ione Skye

An introvert teen befriends his new neighbor, and together the couple begin to explore the haunted house that his family has just purchased. Soon they discover that the stories about the house weren't the complete truth.

This was quite possibly the most unoriginal horror movie I have ever seen. Even down to the title screen, which was an obvious rip-off of the "Insidious" style. It is filled with every cliche in the book. Scenes that could potentially be suspenseful and creepy are ruined with sharp sounds and quick cuts. And every single plot point can be seen coming from a mile away.

The writing and acting were absolutely terrible. Even twice Oscar-nominated Jacki Weaver seemed to be trying her best William Shatner impression, making unnecessary pauses and inflections that made her performance laughable.

KAAAAAAAHHHHHNNNN!!!!!

All of the characters were dumb, even by horror movie standards. They seemed to have no concept of what was going on and asked all of the wrong questions. Then, on their first try to stop the ghost from possessing the house, they were more confident than the Seattle Seahawks opting to throw in the last minute of play with only one yard to go in the Superbowl.

Sport!

The only likable character in the whole movie is the ghost that is killing people. She seems to have a good attitude about her situation and is just trying to make the best of it. Can't blame her, really. They all had it coming.

My Rating: 1/10