Movies recommended or seen lately... les films a voir #138: Dark House

Genre: Horror/Horreur

Annee/Year: 2009

Format: DVD

Dark House. This was to be one of my christmas bonbon. I have been looking for this movie ever since i heard of it last year. it came out last November but it took until this week to put my greedy little hands on it (found it at HMV by the way). This movie is part of a horror series called Fangoria frightfest and the 8 movies from that series ALL look like great horror flicks. In retrospect this one maybe be the weakest in the series. I will let you know as i will certainly watch the others.

Dark house is the name of an old mansion in which gruesome murders were committed 14 years before the events. A young girl, called Claire, had survived the original massacre of 20 foster kids by a deranged mother. 14 years later she is still trying to deal with the scars and she gets hired as an actor for a haunted house attraction built in that very same house by a rich entrepreneur played by Jeffrey Combs (Re-animator, House on haunted hill, 4400, and many more). The new attraction is abased on holographic projections and is quite cool, but the goals which Claire pursues is to go back to the house withoout being alone in order to get closure.

Obviously this turns out bad, as the spirit of the old killer lady comes back to infect the computer systems and take over the house... The holograms become real and death becomes a reality in what was supposed to be a make belief system.

Some aspects were good (the over the top role of Combs was interesting), the special effects were good. But the acting was otherwise marginal by the rest of the crew and whole computer vs spirit piece was too much. Overall a disappointment. I will go back to view again but only because i am a hardcore haunted house fan. This was the second movie for Darin Scott as director so there is still hope for him.

Dark house. Ce film était bien attendu de mon côté, car le sujet est les attractions de maison hantée. Il m'a fallu beaucoup de temps pour trouver ce film, mais HMV a répondu à mes attentes finalement 2-3 mois après la sortie du film. Ce film du directeur Darin Scott n'a malheureusement pas été à la hauteur de mes attentes.

L'édition de ce film m'agaçait souvent même si la cinématographie était bonne. Les effets spéciaux étaient souvent bons, mais quelquefois laissaient à désirer. Les acteurs étaient moyens même si Jeffrey Combs (re-animator, House on haunted hill, et plus) y jouait le rôle d'un entrepreneur tres agressif qui se voulait drôle. L'histoire était celle de Claire une jeune femme qui s'engageait avec une troupe d'acteurs pour jouer dans une attraction hantée. Le hic c'est que cette même maison a été le lieu de meurtres sordides 14 ans auparavant et Claire en fut l'unique survivante. Son psy lui suggère de retourner dans la maison pour fermer la boucle. La boucle ne se clos pas tres bien cependant, car l'esprit malevolent de la maison attaqua le système informatique sophistique de l'attraction sous forme de virus informatique (....) et pris contrôle du système holographique qui projetait les monstres de la maison. Bien sûr l'horreur simulée devient réelle. Bon pas le meilleur script en fin de compte. Quand même un film d'horreur qui vous fera vivre du bon temps. Mais pas à la hauteur de ce qu'il aurait pu être.

Great quotes:

COMBS: My name is Walston Ray and I am turning the Durudd house into a hautned house for the ages: Dark House.
...
COMBS: It's the world's most advanced holographic system. 2000 laser image projectors all over this building. You actors will be our characters that interact with the holographs and above all, always keep them screaming!
...
COMBS: We are the merchants of adrenaline. Though us, people can face their worst fears; and live to tell the tale. Through us they can die a thousand deaths. It's what makes us truly alive.
...
COMBS: Above all always leave them screaming.

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1260567/

Rating perso: 6.5/10