Looking like some freshman film student's first project (aided with advice from a senior film student friend), this underground film has moments of shear headache inducing silence then a sudden switch to where the film comes alive. A cast of amateurs do their best to stay serious, showing their lack of acting skills, but as a result, the film never strays into a series of unintentional laughs. It's another saga of complete strangers making a bet to spend the night in an alleged haunted house where they are confronted by restless spirits longing to be free from wandering the halls where a brutal massacre took place. Atmospheric photography makes up for the excruciating low budget, and every now and then there are some genuine thrilling and frightening moments. It takes quite a bit of patience and determination to get through it, but 3/4 of the way through, I realized how glad I was to be able to stick with it. Would I rush to recommend this to friends? No. But I don't think I'd risk losing them as friends if they did watch it. Would I watch this again? Maybe in a few years just to see some of the technical elements I missed and experience some frights I didn't catch onto the first time around.
Review of Ghosts of Hanley House
Ghosts of Hanley House
(1968)
Eerie sounds from the past liven up this $1.98 horror film.
13 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers