Lou D. Phillip stars as a teacher who lives in a small town haunted by the memory of the sudden loss of a busload of children years before. A young woman (Leah Pipes) returns from rehab to her family home, only to encounter the ghost of a little girl who slowly leads her to the lost children and the reason for their disappearance. That part of the movie is OK, and follows modern ghost movie traditions. But some bright bulb apparently decided to also make this a slasher film, with big boobs on display and lots of blood-letting for the JASON and FREDDY crowd. Th slasher segments all tie into the missing children plot, but they were absolutely unnecessary and damn near ruined the movie. We know who the masked killer is way too early, too. Ignore the cheesy slasher scenes, some of which look like they were filmed and inserted as an afterthought, and focus on the ghost plot. You will be rewarded. The ending is a dilly.
47 Reviews
Promising Story, Terrible and Messy Resolution
claudio_carvalho22 January 2009
The teenager Melanie (Leah Pipes) arrives in Emerald after a period of rehabilitation on drugs. When she lived in California, she had an overdose of heroin with her boyfriend that died, but she was resurrected by the paramedics. Mel is welcomed by her older sister Crystal (Kristin Cavallari) that tells her about an accident between a school bus and a train in 1957 due to a problem in a railroad crossing gate where all the children died. In the present days, there is an urban legend telling that if you put the car in neutral in the same place, the children will push the car and their fingerprints will be printed in the car bumper. Melanie has a cold reception from her mother, and later Crystal invites her to go to a party. When they leave the party with two friends of Crystal, they drive to the spot where the accident happened and Melanie sees a little girl. Later Mel befriends her and finds that her name is Julie (Sydnee Harlan). When Melanie has visions and daydreams with the children and the accident, her mother believes she is on drugs while Melanie tries to discover the truth about the fatal accident.
"Fingerprints" has a promising beginning with a plot with huge potential and scenes that startle. However, the terrible and messy resolution of the mystery is frustrating, with many holes. The heroine, her sister and her boyfriend are nice and empathic characters; however the rest are totally unpleasant or uninteresting. What has triggered the insane killer after many years? How the killer has selected the victims? The attitudes of Melanie's abusive mother are not normal and irritate. What has happened to Penn's car that was parked side by side with Melanie's car when they arrive in the train station? The last scene with the police cars arriving is absurdly ridiculous and senseless since nobody called the police. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Almas Condenadas" ("Condemned Souls")
"Fingerprints" has a promising beginning with a plot with huge potential and scenes that startle. However, the terrible and messy resolution of the mystery is frustrating, with many holes. The heroine, her sister and her boyfriend are nice and empathic characters; however the rest are totally unpleasant or uninteresting. What has triggered the insane killer after many years? How the killer has selected the victims? The attitudes of Melanie's abusive mother are not normal and irritate. What has happened to Penn's car that was parked side by side with Melanie's car when they arrive in the train station? The last scene with the police cars arriving is absurdly ridiculous and senseless since nobody called the police. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Almas Condenadas" ("Condemned Souls")
Waste of Time
butterflyeffect1111 January 2009
I don't suggest watching this movie even when you have much time to kill. It's full of clichés, its plot is beyond predictable and there are major logical flaws. The killing scenes are stupid and funny. The sexy actors and sexual material don't help much. The abusive mother,goofy,affectionate father, the hot sister and the problematic daughter constitute the family. Then there is the friendly teacher, the abusive- psychopathic guy who happens to be very handsome, the good and handsome boyfriend-to-be and the silly and slutty cheerleaders. So there's everything needed to constitute the teen-slasher scary movie, but it just doesn't happen. I advise you to sit and watch The Urban Legends again, rather than watching Fingerprints. The only thing i liked about the movie was Leah Pipes, whose performance was worth much superior movies.
Thumbs up!
Antiquity009 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I was able to catch a screening Fingerprints at Texas Frightmare Weekend and I give this movie a big thumbs up! It was nice to see an original horror movie that is NOT A REMAKE! Based on the urban legend surrounding haunted train tracks in Texas, Fingerprints was an awesome supernatural thriller with elements of slasher movies that I found to be a good mix of ghosts and gore. The lead actress in this film was extremely engaging and her acting was top notch.
At one point I thought I knew where the movie was going, but I was pleasantly surprised by the good old fashioned twist at the end. I would recommend Fingerprints to anyone who is looking for a fun, horror/thriller.
At one point I thought I knew where the movie was going, but I was pleasantly surprised by the good old fashioned twist at the end. I would recommend Fingerprints to anyone who is looking for a fun, horror/thriller.
low budget horror
SnoopyStyle11 September 2015
Melanie Wood (Leah Pipes) is told by her older sister Crystal (Kristin Cavallari) about an urban legend of a haunted railroad crossing. A bus full of kids supposedly were killed by a train at that site. Melanie rejoins her family in their new home after a stint in rehab for heroine. She's the only who can see a mysterious girl who turns out to be Mary (Sally Kirkland)'s dead sister Julie. Doug (Lou Diamond Phillips) is the school counselor.
This is a low budget horror that suffers from a lack of vision. The kills are not that good. The killer isn't that cool. I like Leah Pipes and Andrew Lawrence is a good douche bag. The other actors are not so good. It's a fine ghost story but Harry Basil is a limited horror director.
This is a low budget horror that suffers from a lack of vision. The kills are not that good. The killer isn't that cool. I like Leah Pipes and Andrew Lawrence is a good douche bag. The other actors are not so good. It's a fine ghost story but Harry Basil is a limited horror director.
I tried but couldn't like this...I just didn't care.
inkslug8 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I always try to support or fight for low budget or independent film and from what I understand this is a low budget one, and for that it should be commended. To be fair it's not overly obvious that money was tight. However that's not the reason I didn't like this film.
The plot in a nutshell is troubled teenager fresh out of rehab rejoins family in a new town. Cue an urban legend about a school bus stopping on the railroad tracks and a train smashing into it and killing all involved. Legend has it that if you put your car in neutral on the tracks the ghosts of the dead children will move your car off leaving behind fingerprints that you can see if you cover your car with talc beforehand.......yawn! Then there's a twist that's so blatant you want to shout at the scriptwriter, and a dark figure killing people all of a sudden. So there's nothing original in the story, it's cliché ridden, but acted okay...so far so average.
The problem I had with the film was there wasn't a nice person in it, I couldn't have cared less about any of them including the heroine. I found myself refusing to give up on the film in case some good came of it, but desperately clock watching and wishing it would finish. It drags, it treats you like you're stupid, and you want them all to die.
I wouldn't recommend it but it's not bad enough to say avoid like the plague.
The plot in a nutshell is troubled teenager fresh out of rehab rejoins family in a new town. Cue an urban legend about a school bus stopping on the railroad tracks and a train smashing into it and killing all involved. Legend has it that if you put your car in neutral on the tracks the ghosts of the dead children will move your car off leaving behind fingerprints that you can see if you cover your car with talc beforehand.......yawn! Then there's a twist that's so blatant you want to shout at the scriptwriter, and a dark figure killing people all of a sudden. So there's nothing original in the story, it's cliché ridden, but acted okay...so far so average.
The problem I had with the film was there wasn't a nice person in it, I couldn't have cared less about any of them including the heroine. I found myself refusing to give up on the film in case some good came of it, but desperately clock watching and wishing it would finish. It drags, it treats you like you're stupid, and you want them all to die.
I wouldn't recommend it but it's not bad enough to say avoid like the plague.
Hudge Plot Holes
alinayanta23 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I get that the conductor likes to torture and kill children and taught his daughter to do the same. But the villain kills older teens and an adult. These are not little kids. Is the killer targeting anyone who sits at the train tracks? Targeting anyone who snoops at the train station? Or just targeting anyone in the main character's life? At the end we find out the conductor's daughter is killing people because the towns folks lynched her father and are now trying to get her father's train station torn down. Wouldn't she be targeting the people who lynched her father or city officials in charge of the demolition? Why not attack little children like she was taught? Or at least the main character for asking too many questions. If she just happens to be a serial killer then she would have a victim profile... like all teens who visit the train tracks. How does the counselor fit into the picture? She never even met the guidance counselor, as far as we know. The killer has no motive for killing these people. If it's just killing people that the main character knows, then why not her mother and father (god knows I was hoping her mother would get it). Or do they have to have visited the tracks first? It's confusing and isn't really made clear.
Also at the end after the main character defeats the villain an entire troop of police cars 'just happen' to show up with sirens blazing. Why were they racing to the train tracks? No one had time or a cell phone to call for help. There were no gun shots to alert them to trouble. Possibly they are looking for the main character who has just fled the police station...however the police seem very polite and helpful saying "how can I help you two ladies?" Not exactly like police sent to arrest someone. Also, the dead boyfriend's truck mysteriously disappears at the end...it was parked in front of her car just 15 minutes before.
Also at the end after the main character defeats the villain an entire troop of police cars 'just happen' to show up with sirens blazing. Why were they racing to the train tracks? No one had time or a cell phone to call for help. There were no gun shots to alert them to trouble. Possibly they are looking for the main character who has just fled the police station...however the police seem very polite and helpful saying "how can I help you two ladies?" Not exactly like police sent to arrest someone. Also, the dead boyfriend's truck mysteriously disappears at the end...it was parked in front of her car just 15 minutes before.
" If at first you don't succeed , then die, die again "
thinker16914 November 2009
A horror movie must have many given aspects, before it captures the loyalty of it's audience. The initial ingredient of course is suspense. This must be followed by a solid story line which conjures up the dark side of imagination. Lastly, it must be held solidly by the actors which must convince the audience of their fear, terror and apprehension. In this movie which is called " Fingerprints " several key aspects are definitely present. The story is that in a small town, a dramatic and mysterious event took place which centered around the deaths of a dozen children. It seems a bus load of school children were killed when their vehicle was hit by a passing train. Years later Melanie (Leah Pipes) a returning resident arrives to finish high school, learns this may not be true. Her parents worry about her as she is also a recovering drug addict who suffers from residual delusions. From the moment she starts school, she becomes aware of her tenuous situation with her strict parents, her insincere counselor and the reoccurring apparition of one of the dead children. The movie has the surprising addition of two Hollywood veterans, Lou Diamond Phillips who plays Doug and Geoffrey Lewis playing old man Keeler. Unfortunately, the film also contains several repetitive themes borrowed from 'The Sixth Sense', 'Scream' and 'Holloween' and further does not resolve some very tense and dramatic moments. As a result, the movie is deemed acceptable, though it tries very hard to become the corner stone of an anticipated sequel. ****
Nice try, but doesn't deliver
rlaine23 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Caught this from a movie channel. I don't usually expect much from a low budget horror film, but once in a while there is a gem in between. This ones not a gem. Still, even bad ones are usually worth a look.
The story starts off quite interesting. We have a train accident where a bus full of children get killed and a teenager who is back from rehab starts getting messages from the dead. The bus crash in the beginning is indeed horrific and the fact that the leading actress is back from rehab after od'ing from hard drugs was new for me. I'm guessing the fact that she was dead for a while should have had more meaning on the story (think of Flatliners), but she didn't seem the only one who got clues from the dead.
The acting is not bad, it's actually quite good. Some of the characters are annoying, but the performances are pretty good if you consider the rest of the movie. Surprisingly, by far the worst performance comes from Lou Diamond Phillips. Scenes with him alone are downright cringe worthy.
The movie is a mixture of a ghost story and a slasher and it doesn't seem to know which one it eventually is. The slasher part doesn't work, at least to me the victims seemed pretty random, but I may not have been too sharp while watching. Also people didn't seem to care that their fellow students have gone missing, or if teachers were getting slaughtered in their office. As a ghost story it's better, but still does not deliver. It just lacks the logic of a well unfolding story and the "twist" in the end is not very memorable.
There are lots of small goofs or other details that distracted me. Would anyone have his ex-wife named "ex-wife" on his cellphone, for any other reason than for the audience to know the ex- wife is calling? Also the very ending, I don't know if you could call it an epilogue, is somewhat out of tune with the rest of the movie.
It's worth mentioning that this is the first horror movie I've seen to use a type face similar to comic sans in the opening credits!
The story starts off quite interesting. We have a train accident where a bus full of children get killed and a teenager who is back from rehab starts getting messages from the dead. The bus crash in the beginning is indeed horrific and the fact that the leading actress is back from rehab after od'ing from hard drugs was new for me. I'm guessing the fact that she was dead for a while should have had more meaning on the story (think of Flatliners), but she didn't seem the only one who got clues from the dead.
The acting is not bad, it's actually quite good. Some of the characters are annoying, but the performances are pretty good if you consider the rest of the movie. Surprisingly, by far the worst performance comes from Lou Diamond Phillips. Scenes with him alone are downright cringe worthy.
The movie is a mixture of a ghost story and a slasher and it doesn't seem to know which one it eventually is. The slasher part doesn't work, at least to me the victims seemed pretty random, but I may not have been too sharp while watching. Also people didn't seem to care that their fellow students have gone missing, or if teachers were getting slaughtered in their office. As a ghost story it's better, but still does not deliver. It just lacks the logic of a well unfolding story and the "twist" in the end is not very memorable.
There are lots of small goofs or other details that distracted me. Would anyone have his ex-wife named "ex-wife" on his cellphone, for any other reason than for the audience to know the ex- wife is calling? Also the very ending, I don't know if you could call it an epilogue, is somewhat out of tune with the rest of the movie.
It's worth mentioning that this is the first horror movie I've seen to use a type face similar to comic sans in the opening credits!
Surprisingly good
MattyGibbs20 June 2012
Having read the reviews and seeing the IMDb rating of 4.9 (1312 votes) at the time of writing, I had low expectations of this film.
This is a low budget horror that effectively merges a ghost and slasher storyline, as a young girl plagued by visions tries to uncover the secrets behind a decades old bus crash. The film builds a genuine sense of suspense and has enough scares to lift it above the usual low budget horror. This is in no small part due to a hugely likable and confident performance by the lead actress Leah Pipes.
The limitations in budget do show in the special effects but if you put this aside it is a very effective and creepy horror film.
This is a low budget horror that effectively merges a ghost and slasher storyline, as a young girl plagued by visions tries to uncover the secrets behind a decades old bus crash. The film builds a genuine sense of suspense and has enough scares to lift it above the usual low budget horror. This is in no small part due to a hugely likable and confident performance by the lead actress Leah Pipes.
The limitations in budget do show in the special effects but if you put this aside it is a very effective and creepy horror film.
Meh. Had fun complaining during the movie, though.
badgerbadger10410 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Not a COMPLETE waste of time. It is predictable and trite, but I managed to sit through it's entirety. It is almost one of those movies that you love to hate. Almost. In this film there are a few people upon whom I wish ill, and things with which I had serious issues:
High school students? Not believable. College students would have been less of a stretch.
D-Bag kid whose uncle is the chief of police? I wish I could punch people through the internet. His D-Bag girlfriend as well. I was glad you died.
Uncle Chief of Police? Could you make me roll my eyes any harder with your over the top portrayal? I think not.
Lou Diamond Phillips? Your character deserved to die. I liked you in Young Guns and The First Power. This one, not so much.
The parents? Oh. My. God. How can one's performance be simultaneously wooden AND over acted? Think Crispin Glover in "Back to the Future": "Hey... You... ...Get... Your... Damn... Hands... Off... Her." Thanks, Mom. Dad, grow a pair. Seriously. I *did* think of a fitting demise for the pair, though. Dry well, about 40 feet deep. Spikes at the bottom. Mom and dad are tied together with about 20 feet of rope. Mom gets tossed in, and at the rate of 32.2 feet per second, Dad has a little more than a second to actually do something. Which the movie quite clearly established he won't. So, she's impaled, and he gets to die thinking about how he did nothing once again.
This was one of those movies where it is actually more fun to have these sort of discussions during and after. Watch it if you have someone who is amused by your rants.
High school students? Not believable. College students would have been less of a stretch.
D-Bag kid whose uncle is the chief of police? I wish I could punch people through the internet. His D-Bag girlfriend as well. I was glad you died.
Uncle Chief of Police? Could you make me roll my eyes any harder with your over the top portrayal? I think not.
Lou Diamond Phillips? Your character deserved to die. I liked you in Young Guns and The First Power. This one, not so much.
The parents? Oh. My. God. How can one's performance be simultaneously wooden AND over acted? Think Crispin Glover in "Back to the Future": "Hey... You... ...Get... Your... Damn... Hands... Off... Her." Thanks, Mom. Dad, grow a pair. Seriously. I *did* think of a fitting demise for the pair, though. Dry well, about 40 feet deep. Spikes at the bottom. Mom and dad are tied together with about 20 feet of rope. Mom gets tossed in, and at the rate of 32.2 feet per second, Dad has a little more than a second to actually do something. Which the movie quite clearly established he won't. So, she's impaled, and he gets to die thinking about how he did nothing once again.
This was one of those movies where it is actually more fun to have these sort of discussions during and after. Watch it if you have someone who is amused by your rants.
Yes!!! Old School Horror is Back!!!!
atomic_age5730 March 2008
What a treat...this one has it all! A good mystery, a great ghost story, a taste of the slasher genre, some deadpan humor....throw it all together and you get a cross between "Scream" and "Ghost Story"...a nice throwback to the '70s and '80s classic horror genre. I enjoyed every single minute of this roller coaster ride. Good film quality, nice camera work, remarkable special effects for the budget, decent acting...and even Lou Diamond Phillips. What more can you ask for? Too bad mom didn't get "offed", though...her Mommie Dearest personality certainly warranted it. Great effort on the part of the director and cast. I give it 8 stars.
Great horror film...
MovieGuy018 October 2009
I enjoyed watching the film Fingerprints. It is about a teenager called Melanie, who arrives in Emerald after a period of rehabilitation on drugs. When she lived in California, she took an overdose of heroin with her boyfriend he died but she was saved by the paramedics. when arriving Mel is welcomed by her older sister Crystal. Crystal tells her about an accident between a school bus and a train in 1957, which was due to a problem with a railroad crossing gate, and all of the children died. theses days there is an urban legend that if you put the car in neutral in the same place, the children will push the car and their fingerprints will be printed in the car bumper. Later Crystal invites Melanie to go to a party. When they leave the party with two friends of Crystal, they drive to the spot where the accident happened and Melanie sees a little girl. Mel speaks to her and finds that her name is Julie. Soon Melanie has visions and daydreams about the children and the accident, her mother believes that she is on drugs while Melanie tries to discover the truth about what happened in the fatal accident. This is a very good film to watch RECOMMENDED!.
Grimy greasy kid stuff ("wash your hands after viewing").
martylee13045burlsink34229 December 2012
Warning: Spoilers
The DVD packaging sells this as a scary little ghost story...and that is what this starts out as before jumping the (haunted??) railroad tracks and dissolving into a brutally graphic slasher pic / "Saw" torture porn flick (if you think watching a little girl getting her lips sewn shut by another little girl (in graphic closeup) is scary or watchable then you might get a rise out of this...anyone looking for intelligent coherent storytelling should avoid it at all cost.
Ludicrous and very sad "performances" from once lukewarm (in 1987) names Sally Kirkland and Lou Diamond Phillips are final coffin nails in this turkey...with Kirkland's deep fried (and totally anachronistic)accent and ridiculously hammy emoting being proof positive of how much she deserved to lose Best Actress to Cher.
All in all..a depressing misfire and a sad cheat.
Ludicrous and very sad "performances" from once lukewarm (in 1987) names Sally Kirkland and Lou Diamond Phillips are final coffin nails in this turkey...with Kirkland's deep fried (and totally anachronistic)accent and ridiculously hammy emoting being proof positive of how much she deserved to lose Best Actress to Cher.
All in all..a depressing misfire and a sad cheat.
Gets Five of My Ten Fingerprints
EyeDunno29 August 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I was immediately put off by the opening titles which looked like something done on a cheap home computer. Shortly thereafter, the film starts with a flashback to 1957, and yet the train shown heading towards the school bus is clearly modern - it could have been filmed without showing the actual design of the locomotive. And then the acting begins. The main character Melanie (Leah Pipes) is reunited with her father, who acts like ... an actor selling himself as a doting father. But through all the early put-offs, I watched the whole film.
If this had a $1M budget, much of the money must have gone to the most well-known actors, cos it just seemed like the film needed more money for better production. When you lose viewers' ability to believe in what you're showing, it can be an uphill struggle to win back the audience. And, it didn't need so much special effects, but perhaps better cinematography and lighting. The little girl that Melanie routinely encounters could have been filmed with some kind of eerie lighting based on the fact that she's been dead (not spoilers, part of the film plot). Yet we're left guessing whether Melanie actually knows she IS dead in the first third of the movie.
The story is simply hurt by some less-than-good film-making. The plot itself kept me curious enough to keep watching the next scene, even after the death of one character, whose acting made me roll my eyes. Melanie and her sister are better than most... their mother made me want to strangle her myself, so she is effective as a rude mother - until she simply goes overboard with her actions later in the film.
Yet for the film's underachievement, it still has some moments in which my neck hair stood up. The screenwriter hurt a promising story just enough to call it average, yet still watchable and entertaining enough, and even though I actually didn't mind the core reasons why things happened, I groaned at the very end of the film, which made me want to throw buttered popcorn at my HDTV. I'm just glad I didn't have any at the time.
If this had a $1M budget, much of the money must have gone to the most well-known actors, cos it just seemed like the film needed more money for better production. When you lose viewers' ability to believe in what you're showing, it can be an uphill struggle to win back the audience. And, it didn't need so much special effects, but perhaps better cinematography and lighting. The little girl that Melanie routinely encounters could have been filmed with some kind of eerie lighting based on the fact that she's been dead (not spoilers, part of the film plot). Yet we're left guessing whether Melanie actually knows she IS dead in the first third of the movie.
The story is simply hurt by some less-than-good film-making. The plot itself kept me curious enough to keep watching the next scene, even after the death of one character, whose acting made me roll my eyes. Melanie and her sister are better than most... their mother made me want to strangle her myself, so she is effective as a rude mother - until she simply goes overboard with her actions later in the film.
Yet for the film's underachievement, it still has some moments in which my neck hair stood up. The screenwriter hurt a promising story just enough to call it average, yet still watchable and entertaining enough, and even though I actually didn't mind the core reasons why things happened, I groaned at the very end of the film, which made me want to throw buttered popcorn at my HDTV. I'm just glad I didn't have any at the time.
ruined by bad SFX
joelhedge20 June 2009
Horror movies shot on video were once a genre for the scrappy independents. I now believe that part of horror history to be over. This was not shot like a horror film. It uses shaky camera motions and cutaways instead of real technique or any inspired moves. The fast motion shots are very obviously sped-up footage. The lighting does nothing but expose the flaws of the production. They look wacky and gimmicky. The horror SFX are lacking in believability. The good performances and a good script were wasted. I looked up the production company so I would be sure not to watch any more of their films. The Movie Channel should have found a find better cheaply-made horror film than "Fingerprints."
Fingerprints
Scarecrow-882 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of those American films modeled after the Asian ghost girl genre where a young woman, with a troubled past, is guided by a spirit towards a startling truth buried under a myth for sometime.
FINGERPRINTS concerns Melanie(Leah Pipes), a teenager returning to her parents after a stint of rehab on a mountain retreat and nearly dying of a drug overdose(..she also watched as her boyfriend lay dead on a gurney inside an ambulance). Melanie's mother, hard-hearted and fed-up, doesn't trust her and father obeys his wife's command. Pretty blond Crystal(Kristin Cavallari), Melanie's sister, stands beside her despite how the parents always question whether or not drug use has returned. When Melanie begins seeing a little girl, Julie, around rail-road tracks near a train station to be torn down, her life becomes progressively worse. Confiding in her counselor(Lou Diamond Philips), Melanie feels betrayed when he informs her mom of an incident where she saw writing in blood scaling up a rope in gym class. Other incidents concerning Julie cause Melanie to pursue the truth behind what actually happened to a school bus of children who went missing never to be seen again. Mary(Sally Kirkland), Julie's sister, and town drunk, Keeler(Geoffrey Lewis), once the mayor before the incident with the missing children ruined his reputation and life, both have secrets regarding the past Melanie will seek answers from. It concerns Julie and Mary's train conductor father and the demolition plans for the depot that went awry. Melanie's father is part of an operation to, once and for all, wipe away the station so that the memories of those lost children can finally fade..but, someone, donning a train conductor uniform, will take matters into his/her own hands, killing teenagers, taking their bodies from the crime scene.
The title refers to a legend of the town of Emerald that if you park your car near the train tracks, ghost children will push it across, their fingerprints proof. As often as these films do, FINGERPRINTS follows a familiar formula where Melanie, determined despite the resistance against her cause, will find a way to get to the bottom of the mystery, led along the way by a dead girl wanting justice. This, in turn, has everyone wondering about Melanie's well being..she must be doing drugs again due to such erratic behavior. Of course, Melanie will be successful in her mission and the maniac, who uses a taser to electrocute victims when a razor blade or other stabbing tools won't suffice, will reveal his/her identity(..and, as usual, the preposterous scenario involving the psycho's "rise from the dead", despite a "shock to the system" that would kill most folks, will rise in an attempt to get even). Josh Henderson is Melanie's love interest, Penn. Andrew Lawrence is the sleazy jerk, Mitch, who attempts to rape Melanie. Another familiar development has Melanie on a rescue mission to save her sister as well. Leah Pipes is quite good in the lead as the heroine nobody trusts due to mistakes in the past, and the film does get pretty violent at times(..the attacks are really vicious and sadistic, the killer quite unhinged). Cavallari services the film as some nice eye candy.
FINGERPRINTS concerns Melanie(Leah Pipes), a teenager returning to her parents after a stint of rehab on a mountain retreat and nearly dying of a drug overdose(..she also watched as her boyfriend lay dead on a gurney inside an ambulance). Melanie's mother, hard-hearted and fed-up, doesn't trust her and father obeys his wife's command. Pretty blond Crystal(Kristin Cavallari), Melanie's sister, stands beside her despite how the parents always question whether or not drug use has returned. When Melanie begins seeing a little girl, Julie, around rail-road tracks near a train station to be torn down, her life becomes progressively worse. Confiding in her counselor(Lou Diamond Philips), Melanie feels betrayed when he informs her mom of an incident where she saw writing in blood scaling up a rope in gym class. Other incidents concerning Julie cause Melanie to pursue the truth behind what actually happened to a school bus of children who went missing never to be seen again. Mary(Sally Kirkland), Julie's sister, and town drunk, Keeler(Geoffrey Lewis), once the mayor before the incident with the missing children ruined his reputation and life, both have secrets regarding the past Melanie will seek answers from. It concerns Julie and Mary's train conductor father and the demolition plans for the depot that went awry. Melanie's father is part of an operation to, once and for all, wipe away the station so that the memories of those lost children can finally fade..but, someone, donning a train conductor uniform, will take matters into his/her own hands, killing teenagers, taking their bodies from the crime scene.
The title refers to a legend of the town of Emerald that if you park your car near the train tracks, ghost children will push it across, their fingerprints proof. As often as these films do, FINGERPRINTS follows a familiar formula where Melanie, determined despite the resistance against her cause, will find a way to get to the bottom of the mystery, led along the way by a dead girl wanting justice. This, in turn, has everyone wondering about Melanie's well being..she must be doing drugs again due to such erratic behavior. Of course, Melanie will be successful in her mission and the maniac, who uses a taser to electrocute victims when a razor blade or other stabbing tools won't suffice, will reveal his/her identity(..and, as usual, the preposterous scenario involving the psycho's "rise from the dead", despite a "shock to the system" that would kill most folks, will rise in an attempt to get even). Josh Henderson is Melanie's love interest, Penn. Andrew Lawrence is the sleazy jerk, Mitch, who attempts to rape Melanie. Another familiar development has Melanie on a rescue mission to save her sister as well. Leah Pipes is quite good in the lead as the heroine nobody trusts due to mistakes in the past, and the film does get pretty violent at times(..the attacks are really vicious and sadistic, the killer quite unhinged). Cavallari services the film as some nice eye candy.
crap film
sammy9992 May 2012
Warning: Spoilers
1 is to good a bloody rating!!!! Wtf is with this film its crap and the previous comments horror is back is bull! The film is about children ghost pushing a car across a railway track! A 10 year old wouldn't even find this scary. maybe the drug references and that put it up to an 18 but no way I would recommend this film. Its a disgrace to the horror genre.please someone explain what the hell the director was thinking crap crap crap! Hated it...! There is plenty horror's that have been out after that horror's such as 1 missed call, the grudge, the eye tons better than fingerprints!! Even this stupid website makes it a more irritating film!!!
Better than Many of its Type
HansWind6 October 2014
Nifty little combination ghost story / teen slasher film. The storyline isn't unique, but it has enough twists, turns and odd angles to keep you watching.
The main characters are better fleshed out than in most films of this type while the supporting characters are functional and believable. Lou Diamond Phillips in a larger than cameo role lends some acting credence to an otherwise no name cast. Despite the lack of well known actors, the acting is a cut above the norm for the genre as is the overall writing.
The film has its highs and lows, but for the most part it delivers what fans of ghost stories are looking for, though it might not have quite enough gore for the hard core slasher fan, but it has a little too much for a pure ghost story.
Well worth the watch if you like the teen thriller, ghost story, bloody mystery genre. This film is an interesting mix that you don't often find.
The main characters are better fleshed out than in most films of this type while the supporting characters are functional and believable. Lou Diamond Phillips in a larger than cameo role lends some acting credence to an otherwise no name cast. Despite the lack of well known actors, the acting is a cut above the norm for the genre as is the overall writing.
The film has its highs and lows, but for the most part it delivers what fans of ghost stories are looking for, though it might not have quite enough gore for the hard core slasher fan, but it has a little too much for a pure ghost story.
Well worth the watch if you like the teen thriller, ghost story, bloody mystery genre. This film is an interesting mix that you don't often find.
Dumber than anyone , even an idiot, should expect
mindcat9 February 2009
What can I say. Silly plot, bad acting with teens that look closer to mid twenties or maybe thirty. Boy friends who start up sex on a moments notice and look way to pumped up.
A absolutely absurd plot that contains some paranormal elements and a real world slayer, or mad butcher who could never be believed.
I only ask, who watches and pays for this trash? The Mom of the main heroin acted as if she needed to be in a padded cell.
I am amazed by the absolute trash that gets produced and eventually ends up on DVD for unsuspecting viewers to laugh at.
The mad slasher part could have been done away with and perhaps given this very bad flick a better rating by moderately intelligent viewers.
A absolutely absurd plot that contains some paranormal elements and a real world slayer, or mad butcher who could never be believed.
I only ask, who watches and pays for this trash? The Mom of the main heroin acted as if she needed to be in a padded cell.
I am amazed by the absolute trash that gets produced and eventually ends up on DVD for unsuspecting viewers to laugh at.
The mad slasher part could have been done away with and perhaps given this very bad flick a better rating by moderately intelligent viewers.
Filmed in Texas & Oklahoma based on a Texas Legend
dallasrman18 August 2008
Someone commented on this being an urban legend from somewhere other than Texas. This is a good movie based on the urban legend of a little town in Texas. Where in fact in 1957 a school bus load of children were in fact killed in a train accident when the railroad crossing signs failed to opperate. All the children were killed. The film centers on a fictional Texas town of Emerald. However the real legend comes from a small town near San Antonio Texas. The Film was filmed in Oklahoma City & Gutherie as well as Texas. The high school scenes were in the historic Harding High School building in Oklahoma City. The Scenes of the older homes were filmed in the Heritage Hills neighborhood of Oklahoma City
A foolish attempt!!
sauravjoshi8531 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The movie starts on a positive note and gives you an indication of a great horror movie in making but goes awry soon. The story is flawed and director doesn't know what he want to show. Some scenes are very poorly written now who saves the number of his ex-wife with 'ex-wife'. The climax and end of the movie was also weird and confusing. This was supposed to be a horror movie which changes to serial killing as the movie progresses. To be honest this is an awful movie experience.
Good Flick
nysalesman100-13 May 2008
I really liked this movie. Mostly because I'm familiar with the urban legend. As all urban legends the same story seems to have happened in different places. Here in Long Island the same urban legend exists at a place called Mount Misery (which is not longer a railroad track but an underpass to a highway). Having experienced this legend myself at Mount Misery (came to a complete stop, put my car in neutral and was pushed up hill until I was clear of where the tracks used to be). I wonder if the neutral experiment works at the tracks in San Antonio as well.
Anyway, I liked the movie, thought is was consistent all the way through. There are some holes, but hey it's a horror flick not a documentary.
Anyway, I liked the movie, thought is was consistent all the way through. There are some holes, but hey it's a horror flick not a documentary.
Nobody will destroy our home!
lastliberal28 June 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This was a winner at the New York City Horror Film festival. The opening minute are so horrible that I had my mouth wide open as I realized along with the horrified townspeople what was going to happen.
Fast forward 50 years into the future and there is an urban legend that, if you stop your car on the train tracks, the ghosts of dead children who got splattered there, will push your car off and leave their fingerprints.
Melanie (Leah Pipes) is fresh out of drug rehab, and she sees a girl (Sydnee Harlan) on the tracks when some teens test the legend. Of course, no one believes her.
She sees bloody messages, and more apparitions. Maybe there is some mystery, but it seemed like a simple accident. But, then things are not always what they seem. Even Geoffrey Lewis doesn't know the whole story. Is the sister (Oscar-nominee Sally Kirkland) of one of the dead children involved? There is a slasher aspect to the second half of the film. Mitch (Andrew Lawrence) and Carolyn (Ashley Wyatt) are the first victims; then Doug (Lou Diamond Phillips), while Crystal (Kristin Cavallari) gets the shock of her life.
Melanie solves the mystery, but still has to go home to her horrid mother.
Fast forward 50 years into the future and there is an urban legend that, if you stop your car on the train tracks, the ghosts of dead children who got splattered there, will push your car off and leave their fingerprints.
Melanie (Leah Pipes) is fresh out of drug rehab, and she sees a girl (Sydnee Harlan) on the tracks when some teens test the legend. Of course, no one believes her.
She sees bloody messages, and more apparitions. Maybe there is some mystery, but it seemed like a simple accident. But, then things are not always what they seem. Even Geoffrey Lewis doesn't know the whole story. Is the sister (Oscar-nominee Sally Kirkland) of one of the dead children involved? There is a slasher aspect to the second half of the film. Mitch (Andrew Lawrence) and Carolyn (Ashley Wyatt) are the first victims; then Doug (Lou Diamond Phillips), while Crystal (Kristin Cavallari) gets the shock of her life.
Melanie solves the mystery, but still has to go home to her horrid mother.
Middle of the Road Horror...
terrible220 May 2011
"Fingerprints" is an all around mixed bag. Some brilliant moments of creepiness mixed with moments of complete Duh
At its heart is a ghost story. However, someone came up with the idea to make it a slasher film as well. While the paranormal elements tend to work well, the masked killer segments do not, partially to do with the fact that the killer's costume is laughable at best.
The premise is quiet simple, if not clichéd. A small town with a big secret and tragic past. Enter a castaway to learn about, and then attempt to solve the mystery. One big problem that I had was with the flashback sequences. They seemed to really cheapen the film and story. A few flashbacks would suffice, but the movie tries to hurl them at you and make things more confusing and less entertaining.
The acting is also a mixed garden salad. Plump full of ripe tomatoes and rotten prunes. I was pulled out of several scenes because of this and found it harder to concentrate on the plot. The main characters are well portrayed, particularly Leah Pipes as "Melanie" and Andrew Lawrence as 'Mitch". During the finale and reveal, things became quite rushed (budget issues?) and I was left a bit unsatisfied. However, everything is presented to you in a nice little package, so at least you understand the story.
Not bad if you're looking for a ghost story. It may even be appealing to some slasher fans. It's a middle of the road type film, not really bad, but not really good either. I guess it all depends on what you're looking for. For me, it was half and half. So on a scale of 1 to 10, I'll give it an even 5 Right smack dab in the middle.
At its heart is a ghost story. However, someone came up with the idea to make it a slasher film as well. While the paranormal elements tend to work well, the masked killer segments do not, partially to do with the fact that the killer's costume is laughable at best.
The premise is quiet simple, if not clichéd. A small town with a big secret and tragic past. Enter a castaway to learn about, and then attempt to solve the mystery. One big problem that I had was with the flashback sequences. They seemed to really cheapen the film and story. A few flashbacks would suffice, but the movie tries to hurl them at you and make things more confusing and less entertaining.
The acting is also a mixed garden salad. Plump full of ripe tomatoes and rotten prunes. I was pulled out of several scenes because of this and found it harder to concentrate on the plot. The main characters are well portrayed, particularly Leah Pipes as "Melanie" and Andrew Lawrence as 'Mitch". During the finale and reveal, things became quite rushed (budget issues?) and I was left a bit unsatisfied. However, everything is presented to you in a nice little package, so at least you understand the story.
Not bad if you're looking for a ghost story. It may even be appealing to some slasher fans. It's a middle of the road type film, not really bad, but not really good either. I guess it all depends on what you're looking for. For me, it was half and half. So on a scale of 1 to 10, I'll give it an even 5 Right smack dab in the middle.
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