Haunted House on Sorority Row (2014)

From my favorite movies..

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

For having a relatively low budget, the film's style and overall art direction are immensely impressive.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

A gaggle of sorority gals move into a rundown old house that turns out to be haunted by an evil force with the unnerving ability to tap into people's most shameful and nightmarish secrets. Director Henrique Couto, working from a compact and complex script by John Oak Dalton, relates the compelling story at a brisk pace, takes time to carefully develop the main characters so the viewer has a genuine emotional investment in their well being, makes excellent use of the titular creepy ramshackle abode, adroitly crafts a tense and spooky atmosphere, keeps the tone admirably dark and serious throughout, and even sprinkles in some tasty female nudity for tantalizing good measure. Moreover, it's nicely acted by an able and attractive cast, with especially praiseworthy contributions by Erin R. Ryan as the troubled and vulnerable Sherrie, Haley Madison as the sassy Melissa, Joni Durian as the sweet and sultry Alex, Brandi Baird as sarcastic geekette Kathryn, Mike Hilinski as wimpy nice guy Dave, and Eric Widing as obnoxious jerk Jim. Tara Clark cuts a suitably unnerving figure as a freaky naked ghost. Couto's crisp widescreen cinematography provides an impressive polished look, with neat use of titled camera angles and striking lighting. The shuddery score by Roland Thomas hits the spine-tingling spot. The diabolical way that the house uses people's fears and weaknesses against them gives this picture an extra unsettling edge. A solid scarefest.

This flick is a standout! Witty writing, great acting, suspense, terror, excitement, and fantastic direction make Haunted House on Sorority Row a movie not to miss! I had heard wonderful things about it from others who had seen it before me. So I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to purchase a copy at StebbinsCon 2014 AND get it autographed by Henrique and some of the film's stars! :-) I have seen it twice so far, and it just keeps getting better. It titillates the horror-hungry senses and whets the appetite for what creative delights may come next from Henrique Couto! I know *I'll* be watching and waiting for more from this impressive and talented filmmaker and his crew. I can't recommend it highly enough. Make sure you see this fantastic movie!!

If you haven't checked out the films of Henrique Couto, do yourself a favor and go seek them out. While not my absolute favorite film of his (that honor will always be the first I saw, Depression: The Movie), it shows that the man and his stable of irregular regulars know exactly how to make no budget films that fire on all cylinders. This one is a ghost tale, or an urban legend, or a body horror, or a raunchy comedy. It all depends on how you look at it and which scene is playing now. It may sound jarring, but it actually works like gangbusters and manages the changes in pace and twists that come very well.The acting, direction, sound design and cinematography are all far above what you would expect from an indie film such as this, I encourage you to give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

In an average year easily I see over 100 films and some films will be incredible and others; others not so much. After venturing out this past weekend to watch the latest creation by director Henrique Couto I felt the need to write a review of the film. First off I need to mention that the entire budget for this film was less than what is thrown away at the end of lunch for the average craft services table. The previous statement will be explained shortly. Is this a handicap for mister Couto? Absolutely not. This is not the first film I have seen by Henrique, but it far and away the best. I could continue to write adding platitudes in an attempt to convince you the reader that this film deserves your attention, but that may or may not convince you so I will just say this. The feeling he creates in this film is more unsettling at times than many of the big budget film to come out of the Hollywood movie factories. The micro-budget forces him to look for ways to "get you" that does not rely on the special FX. He uses common household items and awkward timing to create his very successful scares.One change to Henrique's formula is enlisting an outside source to write the screenplay. Screenwriter John Oak Dalton created a twisted plot that was very enjoyable ride. After watching the film I am left to wonder if he had some childhood trauma he is not telling us about. I now feel the need to back and find other films he had his hand in to see if I can find an answer to this question. Erin R. Ryan is as always wonderful in the very creepy take on Sherrie and Haley Madison as Melissa was a better roll for her than when last I saw her and she ran with it. In the acting department there were in fact no weak points, but there was a certain "Gentleman" that stole the show. Those who saw the film know who I am talking about. Mr. Widing takes a bow. So as not to give away any plot points (I hate it when people do that) I will say that Eric was far and away the best part in a great film. I hate having to wait to see this film again till sometime later this year with its DVD release, but wait I will. This film just flat out fun to watch.