Going backwards helped this franchise move forward.
Scheduled to be released on October 21, 2016 - this supernatural horror film, written and
directed by Mike Flanagan is a prequel spin-off to 2014's surprise hit, "Ouija".
And if this $6-million dollar follow-up is even half as successful, you can expect it
to clear $50 million easily.
A widowed séance-scam artist living in 1967 Los Angeles must confront the demons inside
her home when a haunted gameboard allows evil spirits to possess the body of her youngest
daughter.
Watching both films back-to-back, the more observant viewer might notice some inconsistencies,
but by-and-large, the PG-13 rated story sticks closely to the decades-old myth established
in part one.
Elizabeth Reaser has the poise and determination to carry such a challenging role - faced with
the impossible reality of losing her daughter to unbelievable danger.
But first and foremost, "Ouija: Origin Of Evil" works thanks to the excellent performance
from its young lead, Lulu Wilson.
While it remains to be scene if she can parlay this role into a full career - it's evident
the 10 year old actress has tremendous talent.
Handling the somewhat physical and emotionally challenging role like a veteran.
Plus, she... is... creepy.
The perfect balance of childhood innocence married with chilling terror.
It's like those twins from "The Shinning", if they were wearing a nicer dress.
Real talk: the only thing creepier than a clown in a dark forest is a little blond girl
in a puritan outfit quietly making unbroken eye-contact.
Her long, dispassionate monologue about the sensation of strangulation is particularly
creepy - gleefully asking, "Do you know what it feels like to be strangled to death?".
"Origin's" period-authentic setting is unquestionably the best thing this movie has going for itself.
Thanks to the 1960s-era costumes and locations, the 99-minute film looks and feels exactly
like the iconic horror films my generation grew up watching.
The visiting priest, the spooky old Victorian home - all of these elements are decidedly
reminiscent of pictures like "The Exorcist" or "Poltergeist".
And while this movie mayn't live up to their reputation, the comparison is undoubtedly
a favorable one.
The titular board game only has three simple rules; "never play alone", "never play in
a cemetery", and "always say goodbye when you're finished".
Predictably, these extremely simply rules are consistently broken - leading to some
conventional, but no less effective scares.
Every slow pan and every quick edit invites another frightening element - providing a
relentless sense of uneasiness throughout much of this picture.
I was able to sense most of the jump-scares before they happened, but since a number of
these payoffs were so great, I'm willing to overlook their predictability.
The brooding music, great set-design, and period-specific title cards also lend an appropriately
chilling vibe
to the movie.
Inherently, part of what make a horror movie more enjoyable is the viewing experience itself
- and this time around, mine was pretty special.
I was invited to an exclusive early screening at the Playlist Live YouTube convention weeks
before its theatrical release, and saw this movie with its target audience: a crowd of
rowdy and enthusiastic teens.
The result was definitely a lot of fun.
Every scream, every gasp only serves to heighten the movie's underlining tension - but it was
a surprise appearance by Ms. Wilson herself at the conclusion of the screening that was
the highlight of my weekend... walking right through my row with that deadpan stare on
her face.
This evening has no relevancy on my actual review, but I just had to share what a cool
time I had - which included a photo-op with the young actress immediately afterwards.
The movie is a marked improvement over its predecessor - and since you don't *really*
need to see that original installment to enjoy this one, I'd recommend checking it out when
it releases later this month.
"Ouija: Origin Of Evil" provides unsettling performances in a familiar package - and I
thought it was a COOL movie.
That does it for this quick excerpt - but if you'd like to watch full episodes of "Movie
Night", and submit your own reviews to be included on the show, please visit the Jogwheel
YouTube channel.
My name is Jonathan Paula, thanks for watching and have a good Movie Night!