Movie Review - Boogeyman

Boogeyman

2005

Screen Gems / Ghost House Pictures / Senator International / Pacific Renaissance Pictures Ltd, : Screen Gems / United International Pictures

6.75 / 10

I've heard this film is the remake of the 1980's video nasty,, though it has a different, and better, storyline to boot.  So if you've let that put you off watching this film stop right now.

Here you have the story of Tim, (a hit and miss performance by Barry Watson) who suffers mental stress due to strange events in his childhood, where he believes the demon in the closet took his father.  When his mother passes he has to sell the family home, which his uncle is kindly refurbishing.

On the whole, this is an okay movie, though at the time of release I hated it.  My newfound acceptance could be due to the lack of good horror on offer today; or worst yet, I've grown accustomed to the bad elements of this style of horror film which today's directors use in overabundance - such as the swooping camera's and crescendo sounds to startle not scare.

The thing I loved most was the demon, though the director, Stephen Kay, should have left the CGI alone; it was mainly the essence of the demon I loved, thank you Eric Kripke who wrote the story and screenplay.  Being able to travel anywhere and to any time through the wardrobe gives the viewer the feeling of distortion and unease; this ability also gives the demon great power.  The thought of him also being able to take any shape, for Tim, it was the zombie model he used to have by his bedside, is chilling - what would he look like for you?

Though most of the camera work is used to create action I did like the creepy segment where Tim meets his old friend and neighbour Kate (played by Bones, oh sorry, Emily Deschanel).  This is a brilliantly filmed piece and flows so smoothly, in the age of shakey-cam I loved it.

Also, the appearance of Franny, played really well by Skye McCole Bartusaik, was a great hook in the story... a secondary person who had seen the Boogeyman.

There's quite a bit of story weaved into this hour and a half film, enough to keep you engaged, and if you like your horror to be at a break-neck pace then this should be right up your street.  This could have been so much better though.  There are times when Kay creates a spooky atmosphere, which is a great thing as the Boogeyman is about instilling fear into children.  This is the way the film should have progressed instead of going the action and assault route.

This is better than quite a few horror films around today so if it's on telly or cable then you could do worse than giving it a viewing.

Movie Review - Extraterrestrial

Extraterrestrial

2014

Abduction Film / Manis Film / Vicarious Entertainment / Twin Engine Films / Pink Buffalo Films : IFC Films / IFC Midnight / Signature Entertainment.

6 / 10

So here we have another cabin in the woods story with a group of red-shirt young people, and as always their justification for being there is tenuous.  Evidently, the cabin was the vacation home for April and her family.  Now her family has fallen apart her mother has conned her daughter into going to the cabin to take a few pictures of the shack so she can sell it; apparently, real-estate agents charge the earth for this service.  From the first night, the stereotypical group of friends encounter a series of strange and scary events.

So this sounds very familiar... and it is, though it does have some pretty good points... in the beginning at least.  I loved the opening sequence which is Bill and Ted's Nightmare.  The thing which surprised me most was how good Gil Bellows is as Sheriff Murphy, the scene when he pulls the "let's go die'ers" over was one of my favourite scene's and Bellows is very believable, I wouldn't cross the Sheriff.

Then when Michael Ironside appears I was already enjoying the film and was looking forward to seeing how it would progress...

Down the toilet... with a double flush!

Ironside and Bellows aren't in the movie anywhere near long enough, and though the rest of the cast are okay it's their storyline which lets the film down.  Brittany Allan and Freddie Storma aren't too bad as the lovers, April and Kyle, though they're going through a rough patch.  Melanie, played by Melanie Papalia, is such a bland throwaway character that if she stood in one place for too long she'd just fade away.  Then there's Seth who's portrayed by Jesse Moss; too well if truth be told, as the character is unlikeable and you wonder how anybody could actually be his friend...  Oh, I nearly forgot Lex, Anja Savcic, who is Seth's eye-candy "blonde", at the moment, girlfriend - guess who goes first...

The story starts it's slide into the pan when Travis (Ironside) recounts to the red-shirts that the human race knows about the existence of aliens and it's excepted that if we don't mess with them then they won't do anything too bad to us...  Okay!  Unfortunately, April has killed one of them and this action has put her friends on their hit-list.

Though most of the movie is pretty unoriginal, there are some good scenes like the opening and the one where Murphy comes across a taped abduction and when he gets mind-melded.  The special effects are above average too - the guy's even built a wrecked UFO, though when you see the size of the greys you do wonder how they ever fitted inside.  My favourite effect is the tractor beam... I wanna go!

Though it's the ending that really kills the film.  For some strange reason writer and director Colin Minihan, along with writer Stuart Ortiz (under the pseudonym The Vicious Brothers) opt for an over-the-top unbelievable schmaltzy ending.  Though Minihan is capable of filming nicely stylised shots, with some interesting angles, he's not too great at handling emotion.  The penultimate climax is risible and instead of making me think, NO! you can't do that!, it had me giggling... and cringing...  And the homage to the X-Files is more of an Oh No! than a Cool! moment.  However, he nearly makes up for it with the beautifully filmed climax, the effects and cuts are seamless, I skipped back a few times just to watch that scene over again.

If the Vicious Brothers had risked it all to give the audience a fresh approach to the "Cabin In The Woods" sub-genre with some original characters and a more realistic outcome, as well as filling in some gaping holes in the story, then this could have been a brilliant movie.  Shame.

I would recommend it for the reasons I've stated above as they just outweigh the negative elements, though I would say rent it before you consider buying... and only rent when it's cheap.

Movie Review - The Evil Within

The Evil Within

2017

Supernova LLC / The Writers Studio : Vision Films

7.5 / 10

This is a special movie, not just because it's a brilliant and original horror movie, but because of the story behind the making of the film.

The writer and director Andrew Getty started this film back in 2002 when it was titled "The Storyteller" and was released in 2017 under the current title, two years after Getty's death due to an ulcer causing internal bleeding.  This is a shame as he spent so much money on the project and wasn't around to see his creation brought to life... or take credit for it.

The story is about a mentally handicapped man, Dennis (expertly portrayed by Frederick Koehler), living in his brother's, John (Sean Patrick Flannery), care.  Dennis is plagued by twisted and dark nightmares for which a tall grey man claims responsibility.  Then one day John and his girlfriend, Lydia (Dina Meyer) bring home a mirror for Dennis' bedroom.  Dennis hates the mirror as he doesn't want to loose his hamsters like he's lost his comic collection.  However, his decision changes when his reflection starts talking to him and offers him a way to get better... to get smarter...

It was the trailer that had me salivating at the thought of watching the film.  However, be aware the movie isn't how it looks on the trailer.  Instead of an exciting run-of-the-mill horror what Getty gives his audience is a deep and powerful insight into the human psyche and not just through Dennis, but all of the other characters have some kind of dysfunction.  John is hiding a secret.  Lydia has relationship issues.  Even Pete (Tim Bagley) - who is only in the film a few minutes - hates people touching him and invading his person space.

The film can even be taken a couple of ways.  It could be a very dark psychological thriller or it could be a supernatural entity possession, making it a horror.  It works in either genre.

The star of the show is Frederick Koehler as Dennis.  He is brilliant at portraying the character, giving him facial ticks, body form, hand gestures, and a speech impediment.  His acting is really believable and draws the audience into the film more.  However, it's Flannery's and Meyer's characters that appear flat at times, a little too dimensional and wooden; I think this may be the characters they were playing or the direction at the time of the scenes, as both of them are good actors.  It just jars the mood and atmosphere at times and this is a bad thing as the movie depends on mood and atmosphere, which Getty builds beautifully.  It's also great to see Michael Berryman again.

This film reminds me of Phantasm in its essence and spirit, and like Phantasm I will gladly watch this film again... and again... and, probably, again...  There are a lot of interesting and well thought out concepts in this story, which should send a chill down your spine.  However, if you prefer shock horror over creepy and atmospheric then this probably won't be your cup of tea.

  

Movie Review - Crimson Peak

Crimson Peak

2015

Double Dare You / Legendary Entertainment : Universal Pictures International / Universal Pictures Home Entertainment

9.5 / 10

While watching this beautiful motion picture one thought kept flickering through my mind; this is what a modern Hammer film should look like - it so reminded me of the classic '60's and '70's films.

Guillermo Del Torro has created another masterpiece filled with vivid and beautiful imagery and superb transitions between the light - happy - and dark -eerie - atmospheres, which work well on the emotions.  Along with superb acting from the cast and a potent story, with the help of Matthew Robins, we are given the tale of twisted love and greed, which builds slowly with twists and turns throughout.

What always surprises me most is that Del Torro takes some of the nastiest parts of the human psyche and the violent actions they include and shows them in such a gorgeous way while never glorifying or condoning them is amazing.

This is the story of Edith Cushing, lovingly portrayed by Mia Wasikowska, a solitary and intelligent woman trying to make her way as an author in a man's world.  She meets and falls in love with Thomas Sharpe, played elegantly by Tom Hiddleston, who is in town trying to raise funds for his mining machine from her father, Carter Cushing, who is admirably portrayed by Jim Beaver.  However, her father doesn't like Thomas and does everything he can to stand in the way of their relationship.  It's only after his death that Edith is free to wed Thomas and move out to Crimson Peak.

As the days pass, Edith begins to realise that maybe her father was right, there's something not quite right with Thomas and his sister Lucille, strongly portrayed by Jessica Chastain... or the house they live in...

I fell in love with this film right from the start.  It's so stylish with its lighting, camera angles, and sound, that it fits perfectly with the era in which it's set.  Even the End Credits are beautiful to behold.  There are a lot of directors trying too hard to be stylish and here Del Torro makes it appear effortless.  The special effects are really good, the one scene where the ghost is dragging itself up and along the floor is pretty creepy.  I also liked the effect of the clay on the snow, turning it blood red, that was a nice touch.

I would recommend this movie to everyone - it now resides at the top of my favourite Del Torro movies.

Movie Review - The Road

The Road

2011

GMA Films : Freestyle Releasing / Freestyle Digital Media

8.5 / 10

If you're like me and enjoy a good movie, no matter what the language, then you should check out this Filipino gem.

What this film gives the audience is a story in three very different acts.

The first act is the present day where three friends "borrow" a car to go joy riding.  Though their version of joyriding isn't creating havoc on the road but to actually practise their driving.  While they're tootling around the town they see a police car and decide to try and find a quieter section of town.  They come across a fenced off lane and think it would be a good place to improve their driving skills.  However, it's not long before they find themselves in some scary and creepy situations.  The director Yam Laranas does a fantastic job of creating an eerie atmosphere, using shadows and light to their fullest.  The only thing I found annoying with the film was in this act... the girls really can scream... you need to turn the volume down before all the glass in your house explodes...

The second act starts to tell of the events that have led up to the present day events.  We travel back in time a couple of years to when two sisters disappear while travelling the road.  Adding to the creepiness of the earlier act the story now adds a dark and ominous feel as things become dangerous and deadly for the sisters.

The third act goes back twelve years to the very beginning and shows the psychological effects that a dysfunctional family in turmoil can experience, especially if one of the family is mentally unstable.  This is one of the strongest sections of the film as it resolves the mysterious parts of the story.  Laranas does a brilliant job of building atmosphere, once again.  This time he uses brightness and shadows to convey feeling.  Add the great acting of Carmina Villaroel who plays Carmela, a strong controlling independent woman caught in a loveless marriage due to having a child, a woman who runs hot and cold at the flick of a switch.

All of this makes the story much more interesting.   The writers, Aloy Adlawan and Yam Laranas, easily blend the styles and intricacies into a strong and believeable story that spread through the horror, thriller, psychological, and crime genres.

I would recommend this to all horror lovers and even to fans of thrillers, who wouldn't usually watch a horror movie.  This film really does work on so many levels.

This trailer does not portray how good this film really is.

Movie Review - Phantasm Ravager

Phantasm Ravager

2016

Silver Sphere Corporation / Well Go USA Entertainment

7.75 / 10

Looking at some of the reviews of the film on IMDb it's obvious this film is like Marmite you either like it out loath it, there's no middle ground.  I'm so glad to say I'm in the "like it" bleachers.  For me, when I watch a Phantasm movie I get a silly smile on my face and feel instantly at home, this instalment was no exception - A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL INVOLVED - your hard work is appreciated.

The thing with Phantasm way back in 1979 it was exactly the same way and a lot of people just didn't "Get It".  This is the majorly brilliant thing about the film and the series... you're not meant to get it... you're meant to reach out and just about grasp it... only for it to change and slip away from your grasp at the last second.

I noticed a few reviews were complaining that there was no real resolve... this is one of those stories where there will never be a resolution.  As the Tall Man says in the film, there are hundreds of thousands of him in hundreds of thousands of different dimensions.  This means that there's also hundreds of thousands of Reggie, Mike and Jody.  This is alluded to in the Dawn/Jane character and when Mike visits Reggie in the hospital and tries to describe the theory behind dimension hopping.  So Reggie's dreams aren't really dreams at all.  Then when you enter the Chaos Theory into the mix then every dimension should have a different outcome and conclusion to another.  To get this film to a conclusion would mean killing all the Tall Men, which is an impossibility and because of the limitations our heroes have it would've been a slap in the face if they had reached a conclusion.  However, the duel ending tells the viewer that no matter what happens and what you may face you have to fight - the future is in your hands.

Though Don Coscarelli has handed the Director's chair over to David Hartman there is an air of the original film throughout this one.  Hartman is also quite brilliant when it comes to segues as he effortlessly and easily slides from one reality to another.  The major drawback and flaw to the movie are that it's filmed on digital media - I hate digital film as it can sometimes feel soulless and there are sections in this movie that have that feel and it is a digital rendition issue rather than directorial one; since it's visual you can literally see it.

Yes, the special effects aren't on par with bigger budget films and I do wish Hartman had used wet-effects for the body and head explosions as they will always look more realistic, especially with the blood splatter and misting, than CGI.

However, these are only small issues as they don't really disturb the viewer's enjoyment (if you're in that group) too much.

If you've watched the series then you may enjoy this... or you may not.  Though if you've not seen any of the series then fo yourself a favour and get the original movie and if you enjoy that then continue through the series.

Video Nasty - Evilspeak

Evilspeak

1981

Leisure Investment Company / Coronet Film Corporation : Warner Bros. / Anchor Bay Entertainment / Warner Home Video

7.25 / 10

What surprises me most about this title is that I haven't seen it up until recently, as it's right up my alley... dark, nasty, and messed up.

This is the story of Stanley Coopersmith, a strange gawky kid who finds it hard to make friends and so ends up as a joke and punching bag for the other cadets at military school.  However, while he's being punished by having to tidy up the chapel's basement he finds a secret room and a book of Satanic spells and worship. These were hidden away by a rogue priest Father Esteban, who had been banished to the Americas.

Unable to read the scriptures in the book, Coopersmith uses the schools' computer to translate them. and when he finally carries out the Black Mass all hell breaks loose at the school and the chapel.

One of the better aspects of this film is the cast as it stars Clint Howard as Coopersmith and it's really nice to see him in a lead role and not just playing a strange and creepy secondary role.  Though he's young here, he does a good job.

Then there's R J Armstrong who plays Sarge, the drunk janitor looking after the school and chapel, who hates kids and has it out for Coopersmith.  Armstrong is great in this portrayal, he gives the air of a man you just wouldn't trust.

Charles Tyner does a brilliant representation of a prig of a Colonel who finds it demeaning and below him to run the military school.

Finally, Richard Moll is excellent in the role of the Evil Father Esteban.  He adds the right amount of power, menace and violence to the character to make him believable as being the hand of Satan.

For the time, the special effects would have been superb, especially the computer graphics (which today are cringeworthy and laughable) and most are still passable today.  The climax of the film in the destruction of the God's house is very well done and created.

All in all, this is a pretty decent horror movie with a lot of the right elements and well directed by Eric Weston. A definite watch for a horror nut and if you're not, it's still worth a look-see on a dark night...

Nergling - The Video Nasties Scare - Evilspeak

Movie Review - The Woman In Black 2: The Angel Of Death

The Woman In Black 2

Angel Of Death

2014

Alliance Films / Da Vinci Media Ventures / Exclusive Media Group / Hammer Films / Talisman Films / Vertigo Entertainment : Momentum Pictures / Entertainment One

1 / 10

Hammer used to stand for Horror, so what the hell went wrong here?

Firstly, where was The Woman In Black?  The only time you see her is when you look at the advertising poster.  As for Angel Of Death!... well there wasn't much to speak of at all.  After watching this I was amazed it didn't get a PG certification, especially because there was nothing overtly frightening or horrifying about the story or the picture.  The closest we came to an eerie atmosphere was when young Edward was trapped in the constantly locked, however always open, room where the spirit of The Woman resided, all we got then was a few moving toys and a dark shadow.

I think the director, Tom Harper, was trying to build atmosphere and get the minds of the audience to "fill in the blanks", therefore immersing themselves into the story and film more.  It didn't work.

In fact, I'd probably recommend this film to all insomniacs as the banality within should put them to sleep quite fast.

Did the studio pay its light bill?  Because everything that was shot in darkness was so poor in visibility that if I even turned on an incidental light source the picture on the screen was near unwatchable!

This is a travesty in Horror filmmaking, from the story (which is basic, lacking in substance, and holds no surprises) to the direction (which lacks style, atmosphere, and power).

The only good thing about the whole movie is the acting though it's impossible to save this film.

Movie Review - The Void

The Void

2016

Cave Painting Pictures / JoBro Productions & Film Finance : Screen Media Films / Signature Entertainment

3.5 / 10

I had read articles where they were touting a kind of 1980's horror film style resurrection.  Now being a horror fan and loving the 1980's films of my youth I have to say that my interest was well and truly hyped up with anticipation.  I'd already been quietly surprised by 2014's It Follows, which was okay and had a definite John Carpenter feel at times, though it wasn't as strong as any of Carpenter's films.  So when I had the chance to view this film I jumped at the chance.  Which was a mistake!

This should have a been a much better film and it even had the possibility of being a masterpiece... shame everything went wrong with it.

The story is of a Doctor who is trying to cheat death by making a deal, not with the devil, but with the Lovecraftian Old Ones, and there are tentacles and monsters aplenty.

The thing about the film is that by and large, it's boring and way too shouty, with very little characterisation and even though the actors do their best I just couldn't empathise with any of them (which is really strange as we do actually share the same driving force).

I could also understand why the article had said the new set of horror movies felt like 1980's because I could count four, possibly five, film references.

Hellraiser:  The good Doctor Richard Powell, played well by, though not as menacingly as he should have been, Kenneth Welsh was a cross between Uncle Larry and Pinhead.

The Keep:  Here it's the "Anti-God" symbolism and the atmosphere of the "Evil" symbol.  In the case of The Keep, it's the nickel crosses which are holding something back.  In the case of The Void, it's the...  Triangle! We all know what a cross symbolises so that's already in our subconscious mind to be exploited.  I know the triangle is meant to represent a pyramid but as a symbol of evil, it doesn't work... I never thought Pythagoras was evil, though I never did love mathematics.  Then when we get to the scene where our hero's come across a triangle painted on a door as a warning and the tough guy of the pack has a meltdown, the first thought in my head was, "Run Away they have triangles." 

The Thing:  The special effects are very reminiscent of John Carpenter's remake, especially where the creature is breaking free of its human host, though her mouth.  It had me thinking of the spider head scene in the thing.

Assault On Precinct 13 and/or Prince Of Darkness:  There are scenes where groups of the Followers are standing outside the hospital to keep the people captive inside.  They way this is filmed is very evocative of these two Carpenter films, though not as menacing are as scary.  I put this down to the Followers looking like refugees from a KKK meeting, as they are dressed in white robes with one glaringly obvious difference, a black triangle on the front of their masks.  I'm sorry, but as I said before a triangle just doesn't cut it as being eerie enough to invoke fear.

The major thing which the above movies have is the atmosphere and I'm sorry to say that's one of the main ingredient's missing in The Void.  With Carpenter, the atmosphere was created with lighting and music, which he himself composed.  There's very little music in The Void and no atmospherical lighting at all.

The other is Style, John Carpenter is a master of style and Michael Mann gave it a good try in The Keep.  But, in The Void, there's no style or flair whatsoever.  The Directors, Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski, just go from scene to scene. 

With these elements missing, the movie feels tedious as the viewer isn't drawn into the story, there are no goosebumps forming on the backs of their arms and no shivers down the spine.  I found my attention drifting and I looked away from the screen often.

I would recommend watching the five other films over this one as they are all superior to The Void.

When you watch the trailer you'll see the sound-bites from SlashFilm, Fangoria, and Screen Horror Mag, I'm so sorry to think these publications no longer know what a good horror film is.

Movie Review - Zombies Have Fallen

Zombies Have Fallen

2017

Infinity Film Company : Green Apple Entertainment

2 / 10

With a title such as this, I was looking forward to a parody of Olympus Has Fallen and London Has Fallen movies.  An agent on the attack against an enemy that outnumbers the good guys.  This is, on one level, what you get; on another level, it doesn't come anywhere near the standards of the Hollywood movies.

Don't get me wrong, I know this was made on a shoestring budget as it's painfully obvious when you watch it.  Some of the locations are dire.  There's an opening scene where the director of the pharmaceuticals company who is holding Kyra to observe her psychic powers, gets into a lift.  This appears to be a grimy car park lift they used one Sunday morning when no one was around.  The director's office is a small room with crappy office tables and nothing on the walls... maybe he sold the stuff to make the film(?)

The zombie effects are also very weak and could have been done by the actors themselves as there are quite a few varying designs; the best by far being...

...and you only see her for a few seconds.

Sam Fountayne, who directed and wrote (under the pseudonym Sam Hampson), gives the audience a run of the mill film with no special or attractive camera shots or angles.  Along with the cast's below average acting skills, it makes the movie bland and boring, even when the action hits the screen.  This is a shame as the premise of the story could offer the viewer an entertaining hour and a half if everything had been done better.

A girl with psychic powers has been discovered, she is taken to a laboratory where she is watched and trained to utilise her talents to her best ability.  She arranges a breakout and all hell ensues as the company try to recapture their number one asset...  Wait a minute that sounds all too familiar...

Ah... That's right...

Watch Stephen King's Firestarter with Drew Barrymore and Keith David rather than this.  There are no zombies in Firestarter though the premise is the same as Zombies Have Fallen.  However, the director can direct and the actors can act pretty well, oh yeah Stephen King can write one hell of a story.

Another good thing is the poster for the film, though I cannot help but think they knew how bad the movie was so they altered the title from Bad Blood, to make use of the popularity of the "----- Has Fallen" movies.

I actually prefer the Zombies poster, it's a little more dynamic - so yay for the artists.

It's a shame this film wasn't given the cash influx it deserved as it could have been so much better.

Movie Review - Beware! The Blob

Beware! The Blob

1972

Jack H Harris Enterprises

Columbia Broadcasting System / Umbrella Entertainment

0 / 10

The only thing horrifying about this movie is that it got greenlighted, backed, and filmed:  It's more horrendous than horrifying.

I have never given a zero rating before as I try to find good in everything, though no matter how hard I tried I couldn't do it with this travesty of a movie.

The story of The Blob's return is told in a series of skits and sketches, which are meant to be humorous and scary...  Unfortunately, the writer Jack A Harris (who produced the film) and screenwriters Anthony Harris and Jack Woods evidently couldn't grasp either concept as the laughs are on the audience who paid good money to watch this, which is the only horrific idea related to the film.  Not having read Richard Clair's story "A Chip Off The Old Blob!" (which is also a much better and funny title for a comedy horror movie) I cannot say if these traits stem from there.

Then they give the directors hat to Larry "JR Ewing" Hagman.  Though he'd directed five TV episodes this was his first full-length movie and it shows.  It could also be the reason he never went back to directing for the big screen.

Another shock was to see some big'ish names appearing in cameo roles... Robert Walker Jr, Carol Lynley, Shelley Berman, Cindy Williams, Burgess Meredith, Dick Van Patton, and even Sid Haig

All these names do not a good film make.  Instead of watching this movie, go paint that bedroom you've been putting off and then grab a chair and watch that paint dry, you'll have a more entertaining and productive time.

Remember these are the BEST bits of the film...

BEWARE!

Movie Review - The Lamp

The Lamp

1987

H I T Films / Skouras Pictures / TMS Pictures

Avid Home Entertainment / Braveworld / Midnite Movies / Scream Factory

7.5 / 10

This movie had me reminiscing about my youth and before we get onto the review I will admit I've added a point for the warm feeling the film left in my soul.  This is the type of movie we would walk miles for on a Friday night back in video's heydey.  I even know which of my friend's homes I originally watched this movie at because his mum loved horror films.  God bless you Mrs A.

This is not a great horror film and came at a time when the industry was asked to cut down on the graphic violence so most of the nasty stuff is done off-camera and your imagination has to do some "fill-in-the-blanks" work.  This isn't usually a bad thing as it can have the ability to bring the audience into the story more, however, here the director doesn't do such a great job and at these moments the film feels dislocated and disjointed.  Especially with the fan scene and the torn in half shot of a student, this is mainly due to not knowing how the halving exactly happened.  One shot and he's whole, the next and he's been halved... by what and how?

I am unsure if this is how the director, Tom Daley, filmed it or if the special effects ended up on the cutting-room floor, as the cuts are so sharp it feels as though there was more to the scenes.  Quite a few films of this period have this kind of feel and is one of the reasons Friday 13th VI wasn't as visceral as it's predecessors.

These cuts harm the film in a way which could have been fatal, had the story and the direction not been enough to keep it alive... though not kicking so hard.  That said there are quite a few interesting kills... the skeleton scene is pretty well done and the axe to the head is inventive.

The opening scenes on a steamboat and then at the estate of an heiress as she is murdered and robbed are nicely done and give the backstory of the how The Lamp finds it's way to the museum.  Most horror films just get on with it and fill the audience in vocally, should there be a history to be told.

The acting isn't too bad.  Most of the time it's wooden and the stereotypical baddies are portrayed in the usual style of the time - over-the-top, we're bad... but we're only having fun...  No Oscars were ever going to find themselves into any of the actor's homes on the basis of this film.  Though I have seen much worse.

On the whole, the special effects are good, though I do feel the better scenes may have been cut.  The worst effect it the computer program used to decipher the legend on The Lamp.  Why it had to be prettied up I have no idea, but in today's gadget and app tech-age, this looks dated and laughable... I think it was laughable even then. 

If you like 80's horror films then this could be for you, but if you like the Jinn mythos then do yourself a favour and watch the wonderful and brilliant Wishmaster.  If this film had that type of Jinn and half the humour then it would have been a much better movie.