This is based on a true story, although it's positive part (near enough all) of the truth has been exaggerated somewhat for the sake of shitting you up even more. Although saying that, THIC can lay claim to being a damn sight better than the remake of The Amityville Horror a few years back.So, a teen, Matt, is diagnosed with cancer and has to be driven by his mother from state to state in order to receive intensive experimental treatment. It's decided that in order to make life simple for the family, they'd have to move closer to the hospital. Hark then as we discover that they've conveniently moved to the location of the movie, Connecticut!
It's from there on, that strange things start happening within the house, things that only Matt can see. Things that his family believe they're hallucinogenic side effects from the medication. I mean, wouldn't it just be totally unlucky if that it was discovered that the house was an old funeral home, and even unluckier that within the home itself, seances were held and cultist rituals were performed? Really that would be reeeeal unfortunate. Oh dear.
Sadly, instead of offering anything new, it truly is a paint-by-numbers haunted house movie. You know something's going to pop up onscreen, in an effort to make you shit your pants. Although, not ALL the time, something will catch you off guard, which throws predictability towards a window, and leaves it hanging off a splintered wood. The pace of the movie is quite fast too, in terms of events happening. In terms of dialogue, it's yawnsome. Rushed, and not polished. Some of the effects are gruesome, whilst others appear dated. At one point, I had to remember I wasn't watching Spawn again. I guess the less said about actual performances, the better, the floorboards of the house were more likely to win an award for Best Supporting Role.
I feel it's about time someone made a refreshing look at a haunted house movie, as THIC threatens to be the final nail in the coffin until someone else decides Amityville needs a modern twist. THIC is a film you've seen before time and time again, and not one you'll hurry back too either. Oh god, with that RIDICULOUS ending? Say no more.
2 points very loosely based on a true story, which was actually the account of one woman and had nothing to do with cancer out of 5
Yeah i think i'm officially off movies with Haunting in the title since i saw An American Haunting in the cinema which I reviewed like this:
ReplyDelete'OK first off I don't recommend this film to anyone as it is both extremely predictable and exceptionally boring.
I'm one of those people who gets scared very easily (vivid imagination and possible girlie tendencies i guess) and for the first twenty minutes I was really pretty terrified. And then I got bored. And then the 'twist' occurred and I groaned. Then it ended.
The direction is appalling (unnecessary changes from colour to black and white confuse me, not scare me) and the theory of the more jumps the better wears very thin very, very quickly. However the sound is superb and (as is standard with modern horror) makes it seem a lot scarier than it actually is but that is hardly enough to stop this being shit.
The major problem comes from the actual story telling. By the time the first act is over they've pretty much done everything they can to scare (and torture the protagonists) leaving the next two acts nothing new to offer. Then the awesomely exciting twist comes along (and is obvious from ten minutes into the plot to anyone who has seen the much better, funnier and scarier Twin peaks) and the prologue/epilogue contemporary scenes are just stupid. Really stupid.
PLEASE DO NOT WATCH.'