Spoiler Alert! I love Dark Castle entertainment, I didn't love 13 Ghosts, but I did really enjoy House on Haunted Hill. I loved the original HoHH, and I thought the 'remake' was inventive and had some unique parts to it. It wasn't brilliant, but the special effects were beautiful and the sets were magnificent.
As a technical theatre student studying everything from stage management to lighting design these films are wonderful exercise in how to create atmosphere through lighting, sound & setting.
Okay so the film wasn't Oscar worthy, particularly well written or particularly well acted, but it did create an atmosphere it did give us a sense of setting and era... and to top it all off, everything was lush in detail.
The special effects team had done their homework. During the opening scene where they're all cut up by the high-tension cable, not only was it gory and creepy, but it was accurate to a degree. The lighting effects with the light reflecting off the water, the dripping sounds and the sound track were all amazing.
I would watch this film again, but only the opening and the middle part where Katie takes us on a journey through what happened. I enjoyed the film, and that's all films are really about - enjoyment. The background history here was errie and disturbing, there was a definite sense of panic here; made me think about how vulnerable you are travelling on board of a ship, your fate put completely in the hands of total strangers.
A lot more could have been made of the film though. More exploration of the ship, discovery of more bodies or something to alert people that something wasn't quite right about this ship. More background story about the gold! The dead captain told the live captain that they salvaged the gold from a sinking ship, more background was needed.
After watching the film I was left with a feeling of wanting to know 'why' it happened, rather than *what* was going to happen next.
Kudos to the special effects team, possibly the first time I've felt sick watching a film. You knew what was going to happen from the camera shots of the tension cable, but I wasn't quite expecting that! Also kudos to the actors who played the ill-fated passengers, especially to the little girl and the dead captain!
I'd give this film at least 5.5 out of ten, it did what it set out to do -- entertain me and that's good enough for me :)
As a technical theatre student studying everything from stage management to lighting design these films are wonderful exercise in how to create atmosphere through lighting, sound & setting.
Okay so the film wasn't Oscar worthy, particularly well written or particularly well acted, but it did create an atmosphere it did give us a sense of setting and era... and to top it all off, everything was lush in detail.
The special effects team had done their homework. During the opening scene where they're all cut up by the high-tension cable, not only was it gory and creepy, but it was accurate to a degree. The lighting effects with the light reflecting off the water, the dripping sounds and the sound track were all amazing.
I would watch this film again, but only the opening and the middle part where Katie takes us on a journey through what happened. I enjoyed the film, and that's all films are really about - enjoyment. The background history here was errie and disturbing, there was a definite sense of panic here; made me think about how vulnerable you are travelling on board of a ship, your fate put completely in the hands of total strangers.
A lot more could have been made of the film though. More exploration of the ship, discovery of more bodies or something to alert people that something wasn't quite right about this ship. More background story about the gold! The dead captain told the live captain that they salvaged the gold from a sinking ship, more background was needed.
After watching the film I was left with a feeling of wanting to know 'why' it happened, rather than *what* was going to happen next.
Kudos to the special effects team, possibly the first time I've felt sick watching a film. You knew what was going to happen from the camera shots of the tension cable, but I wasn't quite expecting that! Also kudos to the actors who played the ill-fated passengers, especially to the little girl and the dead captain!
I'd give this film at least 5.5 out of ten, it did what it set out to do -- entertain me and that's good enough for me :)