THE PACT (2012) movie review

The Pact (2012) d. McCarthy, Nicholas (USA) 

Newcomer Caity Lotz stars in this good ghost story well told, with bigger names Casper Van Dien and Agnes Bruckner taking smaller roles (and presumably smaller paychecks – one has to wonder what Van Dien saw in what is ultimately a throwaway part). Atmospheric and effective, with minimal, well-executed special effects, a bit of bloodletting and some fine chilling visuals without relying (too) heavily on aural jump scares.

Fantasia Day 7 (Wednesday, July 25)

As of yesterday, it’s been a full week of Fantasinsanity, and MAN what a ride it’s been. However, I’d yet to be leveled by any amazing horror features (that I wasn’t already aware of, hello Manborg and Juan of the Dead). Happily, I recently encountered a trio of fright flicks that with any luck with be arriving on everyone’s radar in the not-too-distant future.

With The Pact showing up as “sold out” on the Fantasia website yesterday morning, I opted to head over to the press room to view a digital copy rather than run the risk of not getting into the screening itself. While this meant missing out on the by-all-reports enjoyable Q&A with Casper Van Dien, his presence within the film is so incidental that it felt a bit like a (presumably small) “paycheck gig” for him, although the fact that he was willing to travel to Montreal in support of it (and his exec-produced Starship Troopers: Invasion) says something, I suppose.