Dead Souls (2012)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Johnny Petrie, a young man who's just turned 18, learns that he has inherited a farm house in a small rural town in Maine. Johnny travels to Maine (against his mother's wishes) to tie up a deal with a realtor that will allow the property to be sold off, but when he arrives, he decides to stay at the house and look into why he was left the property and why it's been deserted for so long. As the day turns into night, Johnny starts to witness strange happenings around the house, and before long, he learns of the horror that went on there 18 years prior.Dead Souls has got to be one of the most boring movies I've seen for a good while which is a pity because it comes across as being a really decent supernatural horror. Nothing could be further from the truth, however, as the film just ambles along without any real direction, going about as slow as a snail in treacle.The story itself isn't that bad, even if it is unoriginal, but it's the execution of it that makes it a lot less interesting that it could have been. The whole movie just lacked atmosphere, lacked any real tension, was not scary or creepy, and was pretty poorly acted in some scenes. If it had a better ending then it might have been saved, but even that ended up being a damp squib.As for the characters, well, they were pretty much your run-of-the-mill annoyances, especially Emma who went around acting like the whole world owed her a favour or three. Actually I don't know what was more annoying...Emma's attitude when she's caught in a house that's not even hers, or Johnny for just blindly accepting her attitude and acting like it's him that's in the wrong.The only real decent part of this movie were some of the special effects that were used, but that's obviously not enough to save this guff.I'd only suggest watching this film if you're suffering from bouts of insomnia, otherwise it's best left well alone.

I read some negative reviews but I really liked the movie. It had some scary moments, the ghosts were well made and I finished the movie without being bored or watching my watch.I like the fact that instead of the common cheap gore the movie actually tries to captivate its audience just by the storyline and not by blood and/or nudity. This is much more difficult to do.The only predicable character is Emma. The way she suddenly appears in the beginning of the movie was too obvious. That could have been better.But for the rest it is a very good movie. I will buy the Blu-Ray too...

!!! SPOILERS IN POST !!! First off, the beginning is so low-grade in every aspect I can think of that I nearly stopped watching. But if you can stick it out until the mother goes to the hospital then things pick up nicely. And, too, a lot of little background facts are embedded in that awful start, so you need to listen.Secondly, the wonderful orchestral music was not presented properly; although I did not hear any of the irritatingly loud "jump" sounds, I also couldn't hear it when it should have been a tad louder. So some of the opportunities for adding suspense went right out the window, and I felt let down.On the other hand, I found the characters generally believable, and there wasn't one instance of awkward acting bringing me out of the movie other than in the very beginning. And you do need to remember that this is a horror movie, so it's short on artsy character development and the like.The ghosts creeped me out, but not as much as could have been had the beautiful music been a better presence at times. And their story is something new to me, unique.I can't say anything about the end without giving it away, but if you pay attention it has an interesting little twist on the "you won't believe me" thing.I will buy the DVD, pre-owned, if it ever comes out, because I know I would watch it at least once per year thereafter. If something can be done to improve the volume of the background music (not the songs) for DVD then I will buy it new.And last but not least, the soundtrack of songs should be something worth owning if you're a fan of such, which I am. But as of this writing I haven't found samples to listen to.So sit back, pretend the beginning will be on the exam, and enjoy the rest.

When reviewing movies, it's sometimes hard to judge them fairly by the mediums they were created for. For instance, to come down as hard on a TV-movie created on a small budget as you do a bigger one like the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" remake would be unjust. That's how I tried to look at Chiller's "Dead Souls."Johnny Petrie (Jesse James) inherits an old farmhouse on his 18th birthday from a family he didn't even know he had. Tired of living under the thumb of his overprotective aunt (Geraldine Hughes), he decides to visit his boyhood home and solve the mystery as to who he really is. Upon arriving, he discovers his father (J.H. Torrance Downes) was a local preacher in the small Maine town. He went crazy one night and murdered his entire family, leaving the restless spirits of his mother (Elizabeth Irene) and siblings (Kyle Donnery and Bridget Megan Clark) trapped in the house for eternity."Dead Souls" is an effective little supernatural thriller from Chiller directing regular Colin Theys. He does as well here with the haunted house genre as he did with the zombie genre when he helmed Steve Niles' "Remains." That might not win many over, but I thought the Las Vegas-set living dead tale was an entertaining entry into the world of Saturday Night straight-to-cable B-movies.Things tend to happen quickly in a 90-minute movie based on a 295-page novel. Yes, character development in the movie feels a bit rushed and it would have been nice to get them a little more fleshed out, but overall I thought director Theys and screenwriter John Doolan did what they could with the time they had allotted.Just like most low-budget horror films, "Dead Souls" has one big genre actor it relies on to help bring in fans. In this case, we have Bill Moseley ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre II," "The Devil's Rejects") playing the retired town sheriff who's privy to the dark secret the old farmhouse and its property holds. Moseley adds a level of legitimacy to the movie, as I'm sure filmmakers were counting on."Dead Souls" is presented in 1080p High-Definition Widescreen (1.78:1) and both DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The picture quality is clear, clean, and easy on the eyes. Whether you watch it utilizing the 5.1 surround sound or 2.0 stereo, there are plenty of creepy bumps, screams, and jolting sound effects to keep the viewer on the edge of their seat in anticipation of jumping through the roof.Special features on the Blu-ray release of "Dead Souls" include commentary provided by Director Colin Theys, Producer Andrew Gernhard, and Screenwriter John Doolan. There's also a tour of the set guided by Director Theys. Bloopers and TV spots round out the bonus material.Whether it was his intentions or not, "Dead Souls" writer Michael Laimo did a great job warning audiences what happens when you lose faith in God and begin to think you need something else as a religious supplement to the Bible. I'm speaking as a movie critic who happens to be a Christian, of course. This shows the tragedy the fallen preacher's family suffered all because he didn't fully believe and rely on God to take care of them and their eternal souls. To make a long explanation short, it highlights the dangers of mixing cult and Biblical beliefs together.I'm a sucker for ghost stories and, while not being as solid as theatrical releases like "Sinister" and others, "Dead Souls" still delivers enough scares to make it worth the viewer's time. The film does leave a little too much to the imagination sometimes when it comes to minor plot points. It relies on the audience's common sense to come into play and fill in what we don't see transpire on screen. However, if you can get past its weak points and just enjoy the movie for what it is, you'll find a decent little thriller here to keep you entertained on a Saturday night at the house.