(The movie above, “Phasma Ex Machina” promises to be the movie I would have written if I wrote an ideal ghost hunter-themed movie. This looks wickedly cool. I haven’t found a date for release, but it’s gotta be soon)
*See also “The Eclipse” review in my last post being release March 26th.
After writing about “The Strangers,” I couldn’t help thinking about how amazingly well directed that movie was. I wondered what the director was up to now. He’s got a fantastic project in the hopper. It’s due out in 2011, but I will be counting the days. “Alone” is about woman who, after she suffers a tragedy, becomes a shut-in in a fancy apartment. Trouble is, the place is haunted and she soon finds herself seeing things
“Box of Shadows” is awaiting release. It centers around a group of college friends, who discover a 15th century coffin that allows them to experience the world as ghosts. While their first adventures in the spirit world are playful and innocent, the "Box of Shadows" soon brings out the group's most dangerous impulses and desires. The friends find themselves pulled into a world of evil where they learn the line between life and death is there for a reason.
“The Ward” by John Carpenter is in production. Due out 2010. Set in a mental institution where a young woman, Kristen is haunted by a mysterious and deadly ghost. As danger creeps closer, she comes to realize that this ghost might be darker than she could have imagined. Kristen, early 20's wakes to find herself bruised, cut, drugged and held against her will in a remote ward of Chamberlain Psychiatric Hospital . She is completely disorientated, with no idea why she was brought this place and no memory of her life. The other patients in the ward, four equally troubled girls, offer no answers and Kristen quickly realizes things are not as they seem. The air is heavy with secrets and at night, when the hospital is dark and foreboding, she hears strange and disturbing sounds. It appears they are not alone. One by one the girls disappear and Kristen must find a way out of this hellish place before the ghost comes for her too. As she struggles to escape, she will uncover a truth far more dangerous and horrifying than anyone could have imagined.
Some remakes and sequels are promising, others are just plain stupid:
“Poltergeist” (will surely be as bad as the “Amityville Horror” remake)
“Dark Shadows" (promises to be better than the campy original)
“Ghost Rider 2” (how stoned was this production crew to think this was worthy of an original, much less a sequel?)
“Ghostbusters 3” (by Ivan Reitman, I think it’ll be fun if the originals will join)
“It” (the Stephen King miniseries, you know, the one with Pennywise the clown. I doubt it’ll be any good, the original was a questionable plot line)
“Mirrors 2” (the original was pretty okay and original but definitely not worth a revisit)
“Paranormal Activity 2” (hey, director, did you ever hear of “Blair Witch 2?” Stop while you’re making a profit!)
“Pet Semetery” (okay, another Stephen King not worthy of a first let alone second version)
“Silent Hill 2” (better be by the same folks and not have such a damned dark ending--people do not like seeing families separated and children involved.)
“The Orphanage” (who would remake a masterpiece?)
