– (1980) – A small family moves into a house where a death occurred, and experience bloody happenings. The few horror inclusions are commendable, but most of this plods through dull events. Ends well, but the set-up is a drag.
Category Archives: Haunted House
The Conjuring 2
– (2016) – Paranormal experts investigate the possession of a child and the ghostly mayhem in her London home. Begins in a location promised in the previous film’s conclusion, and proceeds with events that not only keep pace with the freakishness of the original, but invents new scenarios as well. A surprisingly dramatic spookshow that’s loaded with tension.
Sinister 2
– (2015) – A family hiding out in a haunted farmhouse are subjected to videos of torture. Some of the family dynamics feel realistic, and characters are somewhat well-drawn, but the pace is too slow and the horror too familiar. Tries to get by on jolts, yet can only manage a few creepy images.
Satan War
-(1979) – A married couple moves into a house that inverts crosses and spews gook. Begins with an overlong satanic ritual that paves the way for the sheer boredom that follows. There’s hardly any dialog, barely any movement, and not one inkling of suspense. For some reason ends with a voodoo ritual.
Crimson Peak
– (2015) – A young woman marries into a small family that has big secrets. The production values far outshine the common script and its many predictable advancements. Tries to make up for the story’s shortcomings with brutal violence, but by the end all concern is lost.
The Nesting
– (1981) – An agoraphobic writer retreats to a haunted country house and tries to figure out what’s happening there. The only thing worse than the lame explanations are the forced performances that are supposed to represent common folk. An overlong drag with too many preposterous moments and not enough reasons to care about the outcome.
Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension
– (2015) – A family moves into a house and become new targets of an old entity. Follows the same trends of the previous monstrosities, from awful “real” acting to awful “real” plotting. Hopefully the final nail in this miserable franchise coffin.
Poltergeist (2015)
– (2015) – A suburban family loses their youngest daughter to the angry forces within their haunted house. A goofy, teen friendly ghost story that never dares touch the non-PC heights of the original, and thereby turns itself into a safe, polished joke. Not awful, but never frightening or innovative.
Knock Knock 2
– (2011) – Two couples film themselves touring famous murder sites and end up trapped in a house with a violent apparition. Takes far too long to get to the final house, and spends too much time getting to know characters who aren’t very likeable. Anything remotely scary has been done better, as this is nothing but more found footage fodder.
We Are Still Here
– (2015) – After losing their son in a car accident, a couple moves into a new house that has a strange and violent past. Does what it can to build a credible horror story, but everything’s been seen before. The characters are silly types and the ’70s design is inauthentic. There is, however, a lot of bloody mayhem in the final act.
