House of Bad (2013)

Why so much hype?

The acting in this movie is really good.

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

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

A horrible, poorly-done, incredibly stupid movie. To go into everything wrong with this film would take more space than I have here. Don't waste your time. Oh, and as for all those reviews that gush about this movie, they're pretty blatant. One of the reviewers has only reviewed two movies in 11 years. They're both movies directed by Jim Towns. Another one has only reviewed two movies as well. They're both movies starring Sadie Katz. If you guys want to review your own movies, at least have the guts to post your own name so we can see who you really are. Or how about you put out a film that actually deserves praise instead.

I had no expectation to this movie and hadn't even checked out the rating or the reviews on IMDb, so little did I know what kind of snooze-fest I were in for here."House of Bad", well it would be more appropriate with "House of Boredom". Why? Well, because it was a slow paced horror movie that didn't really accomplish much of anything. The attempts to build up suspense didn't work, as there was little to be frightened by throughout the entire movie, unless you consider the lack of a proper story scary.The movie just trotted along at a fairly slow pace, with no ups and downs as horror movies usually do, tending to be a roller-coaster of thrills, screams and scares. The movie was essentially just three women sitting around in a house, where they saw the "ghosts" of their past coming to haunt them.It might actually have worked if the women actually were believing in it themselves. But they didn't, and that lack of commitment and enthusiasm clearly cast a long shadow over the entire movie, making it a less than adequate or enjoyable experience.I actually gave up just 15 minutes from the ending, as I really didn't need to see how this mundane movie ended, and if it kept up with the rest of the movie, I assume that I wasn't missing out on a grand surprise or twist of the plot."House of Bad" wasn't really my kind of movie, but I am sure that there is an audience out there for it somewhere. I prefer to be more entertained and have an occasional scare here and there, or at the very least have a dark atmosphere to carry the movie.A mere, but generous, 3 stars out of 10 for this movie from me.

Bias out front. I know the director and I shot stills for this flick. Having said that I wasn't on set and I didn't read he script or know the story going into watching the film.About 10 minutes in and I figured I knew what would play out and about 30 minutes in I had to change that assessment. By the time the movie ended I found myself glad that I was wrong both times.It wasn't your typical "gotcha" flick that tries to waste your time with swelling music and false starts. Nor was it a simple heist/revenge story. There's more depth and character development than you get in a lot of movies these days.I enjoyed the flick mostly because it was nice to see a truly low budget film, not some multi-million dollar "independent" film, keep my interest until the end. I tend to space out when a movie bores me or is too predicable and neither applies with "House of Bad".Jim Townes did a great job here and I'm glad to have seen it. To explain my "6" rating. That's the "I Liked it" rating. 8 would have been one of my favorites and 10 would be a perfect movie. I only use multiples of 2 for my ratings. I'm not going to blow smoke because I think Jim is a great guy, I liked the film and rated it accordingly.

Sure, you could go and spend x amount of your hard-earned dollars to go and see the most recent blockbuster playing in an overcrowded theater near you. That's your every right. But have you ever considered some of those lesser known names? Some that aren't on the Hollywood A-list? You know, one of those movies you come across on Netflix but won't watch because you don't know who made it/stars in it? You might be surprised what is out there. To which proves this little film. Shot in a mere 8 days with a budget which is a fraction of a typical blockbuster, House of Bad focuses on three siblings returning to their elderly home after one of the sisters steals a large suitcase filled with heroin from her boyfriend. Little do they know, the house that was once their childhood home, is now confronting the girls with a cruel past.With a few eerie scenes, underlined by a great soundtrack (courtesy of Terry Huud) and several great suspense moments you could easily classify this as a thriller/mild horror. Yet the film has more to offer. The characters are well explained, with the family history as a central plot to the movie, you can find yourself caring for the characters. Director/co-writer Jim Towns clearly did a great job making this, especially considering the ridiculous small amount of time and money that was put into this.If you get a chance to watch this, go for it. It's a great 1.36h ride.4/5. Independent cinema. Done right.