Tuesday, December 29, 2015

NIGHTMARES (1983) Blu-ray Review



Nightmares (1983) d. Joseph Sargent (USA)

Like most compendiums, this throwback to the portmanteau heyday of the early ’70s (and likely trying to recreate the windfall of 1982’s Creepshow) hits a mix of high and low points, emerging as an engaging slice of ’80s genre entertainment. Originally conceived as a television pilot for Universal, the studio apparently wasn’t willing to pony up the cash to launch the series, whereupon the surprising decision was made to give it a theatrical release. After enjoying moderate success in hardtops, an equally successful run on home video followed, and it now emerges on Blu-ray courtesy of Shout! Factory.


Monday, December 28, 2015

Fool's Views (11/1 – 11/30)


Digging our way out...

Howdy folks!

I had such good intentions to renew the normal Fool’s Views regimen once the October Challenge concluded, seeing as how I’d built up a good routine and knew I wouldn’t be watching as many movies. Unfortunately, the fact that I wasn’t taking in as many Views made it all too easy to become complacent and there were the added pressures of beginning my personal training practice to factor in. But mostly, it just comes down to a growing lack of interest in putting butt to chair in the service of spilling words about the moving image. There are others out there doing it better, with greater skill and consistency, and I find I’m less and less concerned with consuming flicks with the ardor of days gone by. The sound you’re hearing may be the final tolling of the FV and H101 bells. We shall see what 2016 has in store.

In the meantime, here are the November Views (only a month late), which included a retrospective of NYC filmmaker Larry Fessenden (thanks to Shout! Factory’s recent box set), a little Bond, and a whole lotta Turkey. As it should be.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Sunday, December 27, 2015

THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE (1962) Blu-ray Review



The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) d. Joseph Green (USA)

Brash young surgeon Bill Cortner (TV mainstay Jason Evers, billed as Herb at the time), having developed a serum that keeps human tissue alive even after being separated from the body, decides to run off with his fiancée’s head (Virginia Leith) following a tragic auto accident. He props it up in his out-of-the-way country lab for safekeeping until he can find another host body (preferably a hot rockin’ one) to stick it back on, hitting up various strippers (blonde Bonnie Sharie, brunette Paula Maurice) and models (Adele Lamont) along the way.


Saturday, December 26, 2015

THUNDERCRACK! (1975) Blu-ray Review



Thundercrack! (1975) d. Curt McDowell (USA)

“Seeking shelter from a torrential downpour, a parade of hedonistic drifters, sexual deviants, circus animals, and grieving widows co-mingle at a lonesome farmhouse, sharing stories and bodily fluids until sunrise.” At first glance, what makes Thundercrack! different from your everyday, run-of-the-mill “stranded strangers assembled in a mysterious, out-of-the-way abode on a dark and stormy night” yarn is the fact that there are extensive scenes of hardcore sex liberally sprinkled throughout the proceedings. However, that is only the first of McDowell’s singular offering’s distinctions in the annals of horror – its 2.5 hour running time will put off your average genre (and/or porno) fan, not to mention its unmitigated weirdness and stark, shadowy black-and-white cinematography. But for the adventurous student of outsider cinema, this is a challenge worth accepting – I guarantee you have never seen anything like this before.


Wednesday, December 16, 2015

THE CAR (1977) Blu-ray Review



The Car (1977) d. Elliot Silverstein (USA)

Sandwiched between Duel and Christine in the annals of “Hell on Wheels” comes this hoot about a driverless chop-top black sedan menacing the inhabitants of a small Utah township. An ill wind blows whenever it approaches, tipping us off that this, my friends, is one B-A-D motorscooter. From its yellow-tinted behind-the-wheel POV shots, we watch the vicious vehicle mow down bicyclists and pedestrians, hide in garages, and even blast through houses while local motorcycle-riding sheriff Wade Parent (James Brolin) furrows and furrows his brow.


Thursday, December 10, 2015

GHOST STORY (1981) Blu-ray Review



Ghost Story (1981) d. John Irvin (USA)

In the quiet New England down of Milburn, a quartet of elderly men stir fitfully in their sleep. These are the members of The Chowder Society, and they harbor a dark, decades-old secret… one that comes bubbling to the surface as the winter nights grow shorter. When mayor Ed Wanderly’s (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) son dies in a strange accident, a tragic chain of events is set in motion, one that threatens the lives of his now-aged childhood chums Sears (John Houseman), Ricky (Fred Astaire), and John (Melvyn Douglas), as well as his surviving offspring Don (poufy-haired Craig Wasson). The rising ghosts of past wrongs have come home to Milburn, and the time has come to tell the tale....


Wednesday, December 9, 2015

BLOOD AND LACE (1971) Blu-ray Review



Blood and Lace (1971) d. Philip Gilbert (USA)

After her loose-morals mother is brutally murdered in bed with an, ahem, customer, 17-year-old Ellie Masters (Melody Patterson) becomes a ward of the state and is sent to live at Deere Youth Home, an orphanage run by the stern and strange Mrs. Deere (Gloria Grahame) with assistance from resident slimeball handyman Tom Kredge (Len Lesser). There is concern on the part of detective Calvin Carruthers (Vic Tayback) that the claw-hammer killer may still be after Ellie, fearing that she might have witnessed the crime, but one gets the impression that our local dick may have a more prurient interest than simply preventing future criminal behavior. And speaking of crime, we quickly learn that Mrs Deere isn't above torturing and killing her underage residents, holding them on ice to keep the government checks rolling in!


Friday, November 13, 2015

THE LAST WINTER (2006) Blu-ray Review



The Last Winter (2006) d. Larry Fessenden (USA)

An unscrupulous American oil company, hell-bent on drilling into the fragile Alaskan tundra, hires renowned environmentalist James Hoffman (James LeGros) to supervise and (hopefully) endorse their efforts. When the "greenie" takes a little long for comfort and profit margins (due to increasingly erratic temperature fluctuations), company man Ed Pollack (Ron Perlman) is dispatched to expedite matters, specifically to get the ice roads approved so that heavy equipment can be brought in. Camp leader Abby Sellers (Connie Britton) is caught in the middle, involved in a romance with Hoffman but intent on getting the project up and running. Just as the imminent war of wills begins its opening salvos, a supernatural presence begins to exert itself over the health and sanity of the various skeleton crew members on site, including resident mechanic Motor (Kevin Corrigan), Pollack's nephew Maxwell (Zach Gilford), cook Joanne (Dawn Russell), go-to guy Lee (Pato Hoffmann), and tech assistant Elliot (Jamie Harrold). Is Nature rebelling against its most potent enemy at long last?


Thursday, November 12, 2015

HABIT (1995) Blu-ray Review



Habit (1995) d. Larry Fessenden (USA)

The vampire of legend is eternal, and its cinematic brethren are equally durable and widespread. Even before the post-millennial pop culture phenomena of Twilight and True Blood (among others) but especially in their wake, it’s refreshing and rewarding to encounter an undead feature possessing a genuinely grounded and unique interpretation. As writer/director Fessenden’s Habit (alongside George Romero’s Martin, Abel Ferrara’s The Addiction and Michael Almereyda’s Nadja) shows, it’s not just about bringing the vampire into contemporary settings; since the 1930s, the silver screen has hosted an array of “modern” bloodsuckers preying upon hip and sensible disbelievers. What’s often missing is a true sense of personality, vision and passion, and it is here that Habit delivers with both barrels.


Wednesday, November 11, 2015

WENDIGO (2001) Blu-ray Review



Wendigo (2001) d. Larry Fessenden (USA)

Commercial photographer George (Jake Weber), his psychologist wife Kim (Patricia Clarkson), and their young son Miles (Erik Per Sullivan) head up to the Catskills for a winter weekend getaway, but the trip is temporarily sidelined when a wounded deer stumbles into their path. When the dust settles, the animal is dead and their car stuck in a snowdrift, while the hunters hot on its trail emerge from the woods none-too-pleased to discover their quarry damaged by the collision. The most antagonistic of these, Otis (John Speredakos), speaks exclusively in sneers and veiled threats, and while the family escape the situation unscathed, the incident casts an ominous pall over their arrival at the cabin and the rest of the evening. The next day, Miles encounters a strange Native American gentlemen (Lloyd Oxendine) in town who, after giving him a wooden totem of the legendary Wendigo, a "hungry, angry woodland spirit," promptly disappears. A tragic sledding accident follows, setting in motion a series of (possibly supernatural) events that will forever change the face of the young family.


Saturday, November 7, 2015

NO TELLING (1991) Blu-ray Review



No Telling (1991) d. Larry Fessenden (USA)

Experimental electro-biologist Geoffrey (Stephen Ramsey), hoping to develop a patent for his ethically questionable animal research, heads upstate with his artist bride Lillian (Miriam Healy-Louie) to their government-sponsored farmhouse. Settling into the small-knit agricultural community presents its own challenges for the urban couple, but more disturbing is Geoffrey’s fervent devotion to create “life” in his laboratory – cue vivisections of all creatures great, small, and furry – as opposed to planting seeds within his wife’s fertile body. Enter handsome environmental activist Alex Vine (David Van Tieghem) providing Lillian with a kind presence, receptive ear, and ample temptation, and the stage is set for violence emotional and physical, animal and human.


Monday, November 2, 2015

SCARE-A-THON 2015 FINAL RESULTS!!



EAT. YOUR. VEGETABLES.


And so, friends and fiends, we arrive on the other side of another glorious OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE. I won’t lie, this year lived up to its name, and will probably mark the last time I reach for the triple digits. As enjoyable as the binging can be, both in terms of revisiting old favorites and exploring new terrain, the task at hand often means that other tasks at hand get shorter shrift. There was a moment about a week in where I considered revising my stated goal of 100 films, but ultimately decided that it was worth pushing on through, because this year’s causes were worthy of the strain (on mind as well as eyes).

I’m thrilled to report that through our combined efforts, we managed to raise nearly $3000 for PLANNED PARENTHOOD and CHICAGO’S GREENHOUSE SHELTER. Thanks to everyone who participated, whether it be reading the reviews, pledging, watching alongside, or just stopping by to chat. Your support makes the long days and nights go by so much easier. I’ll be contacting donors directly via email, but if you are still interested in contributing, contact me at drach101@gmail.com and we’ll get you to the right place.
Below are the final statistics, as well as links to each day’s respective reviews. Hope you enjoy the walk down memory lane, dark and dangerous as it might be. As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!


CHALLENGE STATS:

Total Movies Watched: 100
Total First Time Views: 34
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $2930.00

Sunday, November 1, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/31)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 4
Total Movies Watched: 100
Total First Time Views: 34
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $2830.00

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Saturday, October 31, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/30)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 4
Total Movies Watched: 96
Total First Time Views: 34
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $2716.80

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.


Friday, October 30, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/29)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 3
Total Movies Watched: 92
Total First Time Views: 34
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $2603.60

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.


Thursday, October 29, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/28)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 4
Total Movies Watched: 89
Total First Time Views: 34
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $2518.70

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.


Wednesday, October 28, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/27)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 3
Total Movies Watched: 85
Total First Time Views: 34
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $2405.50

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.


Tuesday, October 27, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/25 - 10/26)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 6
Total Movies Watched: 82
Total First Time Views: 34
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $2320.60

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.


Monday, October 26, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/24)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 7
Total Movies Watched: 76
Total First Time Views: 34
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $2150.80

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.


Sunday, October 25, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/22 - 10/23)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 3
Total Movies Watched: 69
Total First Time Views: 33
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $1952.70

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Thursday, October 22, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/20 - 10/21)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 3
Total Movies Watched: 66
Total First Time Views: 32
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $1867.80

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.




Tuesday, October 20, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/18 - 10/19)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 3
Total Movies Watched: 63
Total First Time Views: 31
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $1701.00

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.





Sunday, October 18, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/17)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 5
Total Movies Watched: 60
Total First Time Views: 31
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $1491.00

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Saturday, October 17, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/16)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 3
Total Movies Watched: 55
Total First Time Views: 27
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $1344.75

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Thursday, October 15, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/14 - 10/15)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 5
Total Movies Watched: 52
Total First Time Views: 26
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $1271.40

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Wednesday, October 14, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/13)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 4
Total Movies Watched: 47
Total First Time Views: 21
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $1071.60

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Tuesday, October 13, 2015

THE VISIT (2015) movie review



DISCLAIMER: This is less of a review than a blatherfest, so just know that going in. I don’t intend to give anything resembling a coherent critical assessment – this is just fingers flying free on the keyboard during the October Challenge, where I never take this much time or space to talk about any one certain movie. But I’m going to make the exception here. Because I have some things to say.

Like many folks, I had no idea that this new Blumhouse film was another M. Night Shyamalan effort, a director whose output following his 1999 breakout film has been a unbroken streak of continual disappointments, dropping in satisfaction almost like clockwork (though I admit to liking Unbreakable more than The Sixth Sense nowadays, it wasn’t always that way). Signs had more than its share of logistic flaws, The Village was an extended B-grade Twilight Zone episode, Lady in the Water was pretentious and scattershot, and The Happening was – following the opening 10 minutes of mass suicides – forehead slappingly awful. So I gave up. The Last Airbender? Didn’t bother. After Earth? No thanks. It was a sharp move on Jason Blum’s part to minimize MNS’s presence in the marketing materials because, like Nicholas Cage, seeing his name on the marquee is actually more deterrent than attraction these days. The secret didn’t stay under wraps for long, obviously, but I was hearing positive buzz about The Visit before I heard it was another Shyamalan effort, so that says something.


OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/12)



Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 2
Total Movies Watched: 43
Total First Time Views: 18
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $898.70

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.




Monday, October 12, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/11)



Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 5
Total Movies Watched: 41
Total First Time Views: 18
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $719.55

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.





Sunday, October 11, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/10)



Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 5
Total Movies Watched: 36
Total First Time Views: 16
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $622.80

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Saturday, October 10, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/9)



Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 2
Total Movies Watched: 31
Total First Time Views: 14
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $536.30

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Friday, October 9, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/7 - 10/8)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched: 4
Total Movies Watched: 29
Total First Time Views: 14
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $501.70

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Wednesday, October 7, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/6)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 4
Total Movies Watched: 25
Total First Time Views: 11
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $393.75

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Tuesday, October 6, 2015

OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/5)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 4
Total Movies Watched: 21
Total First Time Views: 8
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $330.75

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Monday, October 5, 2015

THE SENTINEL (1977) Blu-ray Review



The Sentinel (1977) d. Michael Winner (USA) (92 min)

Seeking space from her lawyer beau (top-billed Chris Sarandon, sporting a truly hideous mustache), beautiful model Alison (Cristina Raines) rents out an NYC brownstone apartment and finds that in addition to sharing a rooftop with some decidedly bizarre neighbors, her new residence just happens to be the mailing address for a doorway to Hell, guarded by a blind priest (John Carradine) on the top floor. Things only get weirder when she starts hearing strange noises at night, losing consciousness during the day, and seeing visions of her long-dead father wandering the halls.


OCTOBER HORROR MOVIE CHALLENGE (10/4)


Challenge Totals to Date:

Movies Watched Today: 5
Total Movies Watched: 17
Total First Time Views: 7
Scare-A-Thon Donations: $264.35

Remember, if you would like to make a pledge toward Scare-A-Thon 2015 (benefiting PLANNED PARENTHOOD and GREENHOUSE SHELTER) at any time, drop me an email at drach101@gmail.com to say how much you would like to pledge. Your donation is tax deductible and, seriously, even a penny per film helps.



Sunday, October 4, 2015

WE ARE STILL HERE (2015) Blu-ray Review



We Are Still Here (2015) d. Ted Geoghagen (USA) (84 min)

After their teenage son is killed in a car crash, grieving couple Anne (Barbara Crampton) and Paul (Andrew Sensenig) purchase a vacant New England home to escape the painful memories. As the horror fates would have it, though, the new residence – a former funeral parlor, no less – hosts a congregation of restless spirits that may or may not be using their child’s aura to mislead them. To further complicate matters, the local human residents are a close-knit and superstitious lot, believing the angry afterlifers to be demanding of a sacrifice; “This house needs a family,” they say, with forked tongues flicking. Paul and Anne call their hippie spiritualist friends May (Lisa Marie) and Jacob (Larry Fessenden) to help them conduct a séance and things just get livelier from there.