Connect with us

News

Movie Review: “Ouija”

Published

on

In the paranormal horror movie spectrum there are movies such as“The Evil Dead” on one end, with its no-holds-barred gruesome playfulness. And on the other, “The Babadook”, with its slow, psychological build-up of atmosphere and tension. Universal’s “Ouija” falls somewhere safely in between, tucked like a stale chip in the couch cushions.

“Ouija” is out on DVD Feb. 3rd, but available to rent now on popular streaming movie rental sites.

[iframe id=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/_T1Jj1inE8M”]

I have always been a fan of Asian paranormal horror movies. In these movies, a tormented spirit creates havoc on the living in order for them to solve the mystery of their death. Part of the fun for those types of movies is in trying to figure out how and why the person died in the first place. With the right execution and direction, these movies can be creepy, gruesome and satisfying. “Ouija” is none of those things.

Produced by Michael Bay, Blumhouse Pictures and Platinum Dunes, “Ouija” is another Hasbro toy-inspired movie. Of all the board game-turned-movie scripts, “Ouija” seems like it would be the most fun, but not here, the move falls as flat as the game board itself.

In “Ouija” a young lady named Debbie—is she in college or high school—mistakenly plays with a Ouija board by herself, unleashing a presence who has nothing better to do than kill young adults for reasons vaguely explained. The ghoul’s first victim is Debbie and apparently afraid of a lawsuit, the ghost makes Debbie’s death look like a suicide. Her friend Laine (Olivia Cooke) is distraught and wants answers, asking her friends to play with a Ouija board in the dead girls house. Laine expects the planchette (the spade-shaped pointing device) to spell out answers to Debbie’s death, but what they contact is anything but happy to see them.

After their night of witchboarding, suddenly those involved with the séance begin to die “accidentally”. It is now up to Laine to figure out why and how to stop it. The “Final Destination” series ran this formula into the ground, but at least they did it with an edgy suspense and a flair for misdirection. “Ouija” neither builds suspense, nor does it deliver a creep factor.

Another thing “Ouija” does is get rid of the parents. After Debbie’s wake, her parents, instead of grieving at home like any normal family, must leave on a trip, leaving Laine to tend to the house. Of course this is a set-up just to get the main players in the house alone without the complications of extra logically-thinking characters.

Olivia Cooke (The Quiet Ones, The Bates Motel) in the lead role as Laine, is a capable actress, who in the right lighting looks exactly like Rose Byrne, the mother in the Insidious movies. Cooke has a permanent look of fear and curiosity on her face all throughout the movie, but she manages to generate the only feeling of sympathy from anyone watching who cares. This movie falls on her shoulders, and she carries it very well.

Perhaps trying to capitalize on the success of the Insidious franchise, “Ouija” has Lin Shaye (Insidious 1 & 2) make a cameo as one of the sisters involved with the history of the malevolent spirit. Through an obvious twist, things only get worse for Laine.

“Could this have been a better movie?”

None of this is really scary. Except for some string section orchestral assisted jump scares, and bass heavy “whoomps!” at “surprise” moments, the movie only mildly comes away with being something better than a Veronica Mars paranormal mystery.

What works in “Ouija” is the special effects. I say that because this movie will certainly be played at tween sleepovers around the country with its PG-13 rating. Perhaps to a small clan of pajama party 12-year-olds, the movie might meet its intended audience. To them, the effects will be horrifying, especially in scenes where twine and curved needles are involved.

“Ouija” is a movie that has many ideas, but doesn’t quite make them stand out. The concept is never quite heavy enough to bolster one’s suspension of dis-belief, and therefore the movie suffers from being stuck in between two worlds; tolerable viewing and good horror. The latter should outweigh the former.

“Oujia” is directed by Stiles White and stars Olivia Cooke, Shelley Hennig, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasof, Bianca A. Santos and Douglas Smith. With special appearance by Lin Shaye.

You can order you copy of “Ouija” at Amazon.com.

 

 

 

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

Published

on

Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

Published

on

The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

Published

on

Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading