The Innkeepers (2011)

"Yoo hoo... Creepy ghosts? Where are you? I don't have all day."

Old-fashioned haunted house. Yeah.

At a glance:

Happy Friday The 13th! Here's an excellent example of an indie horror that knows what it is and sticks to the basics. If you remotely fancied director Ti West's previous throwback treat The House Of The Devil (2009) like I did, this is a resoundin win. We follow the final days of the foreclosin (real) Yankee Pedlar Inn, where bored employees Claire (Sara Paxton, The Last House On The Left, 2009) and Luke (Pat Healy, Rescue Dawn, 2006) leisurely attempt to document the supposed long-runnin paranormal activity that plagues the old buildin. It's a surprisingly tense and effective stop-start haunted house affair made more compellin with the introduction of author-turned-psychic Leanne Rease-Jones (Kelly McGillis) who's in town for a book convention.

Bad news on the doorstep:

Suitably claustrophobic and low-key, some might find this borin and mediocre. Some of the everyday dialogue between the two hotel workers may work against the mood. Check out The Innkeepers IMDb listin and Facebook fan page for more info.

Perennial wonderment:

♪♫ Time changes, changes everything ♪♬

How the hell did Kelly McGillis go from sex siren to this burned out bat? Poor ol' Kelly looks really maternal these days, yet her Top Gun (1986) opposite, Mr Tom Cruise, just appeared as ageless, bronzed sex god Stacee Jaxx in the campy Rock Of Ages (2012). She does a very good job here though.

Reminds me of:

Well, I just watched The Skeptic (2009) and Grave Encounters (2011) last month. Any more haunted house runarounds to recommend, fellas? I'm game for more.

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?

Great buildup, suspenseful execution and very strong finish. No need for gore or nudity here. Hell, even Roger Ebert liked it. ★★★
Bonus material:

The Skeptic (2009) @ The Haunting of Bryan Becket

At a glance:

"Is it so wrong to believe that
the Malaysian PM is innocent?"

You have every reason to doubt this telemovie that didn't quite make the big waves TV commercial director Tennison Bardwell wanted it to, despite first spawnin the idea as early as in the 80s. The Skeptic another haunted house exercise but with a decidedly strong focus on the titular lead, upon which the movie's credibility rests. Unfeelin workaholic lawyer Bryan Becket (Tim Daly) is a doubtin Thomas who moves into his late aunt's reputedly haunted Victorian mansion after her death, much to the displeasure of his wife (Andrea Roth) and his partner (Tom Arnold). Naturally, the spookfest begins and ghostbusters are consulted - a scientist (Bruce Altman), a psychiatrist (Edward Herrmann), a priest (Robert Prosky) and even a young psychic (Zoe Saldana). The psychic points out to Bryan that it has somethin to do with his childhood memories.

Bad news on the doorstep:

"You heard whispering sounds,
and presuming that they must be human,
your brain strove to put speech to them.
It's called psycho-acoustics."

With hardly any special effects, the burden of suspense rests squarely on Tim Daly's exasperated character; and the actor does give it all. However, the Sceptic vs Believer elements are a little overstated by the filmmaker, as if tryin too hard to make a ghost movie for adults. This strangely brings about an air of unintended humour to the proceedings but to no good effect. Slant Magazine's Fernando F. Croce points out that Bryan's scenes with his partner (Tom Arnold) and priest (Robert Prosky) have comic and poignant energy, but for the most part the film awkwardly suggests Poltergeist (1982) as a 12-step self-help programme.

Perennial wonderment:

"I see dead careers."

I find movies with such titles irresistible. Here are some if you care for more: The Possession Of Gail Bowers (2006), The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009), The Haunting Of Molly Hartley (2008), The Possession Of Emma Evans (2010), The Possession Of David O'Reilly (2010).

Amacam joker, berapa bintang lu mau kasi?
Some interestin moments and a committed though not particularly compellin performance from the cast. You will finish the film, at least. Popmatter's Cynthia Fuchs put it best: "Inane as any other insight offered up in The Skeptic, at least it acknowledges the fundamental metaphor of every haunted house movie ever made. And now, we can all go home."  ★★ 1/2

Bonus material:

"So father, did you manage to find my career in here somewhere?"