"You believe in talking snakes, God, angels...but you don't believe me."
A family finds a "boo" on their front porch...a bag of candy with a goofy poem that seems like a joke. It exhorts the reader to copy it and pass the copy on...or else. The son, Caleb (Jaden Piner), insists it's a real curse, recounting stories of those who defied the instructions and met terrible ends, but the father, James (Rob Zabrecky), a stern and inflexibly religious man who has forbidden celebration of Halloween, brusquely dismisses his son, and burns the poem. Mom Elyse (Jill Marie Jones) tries to placate everyone, while teenaged daughter Morgan (Aurora Perrineau) treats the entire episode as a big joke.
This family is obviously dysfunctional: Caleb draws gory pictures, mutilates stuffed animals and dolls, and scratches out the eyes of comic book characters, while Elyse tranquilizes herself from a well-stocked medicine cabinet, Morgan is hostile to her parent, and James tries to control everyone with his fire and brimstone. On Halloween night, he's working at a bookstore, Elyse decides to go out drinking, and Morgan sneaks out to see her boyfriend Ash, leaving Caleb all alone in the house. And then things start to get weird, with each family member subject to their own terrifying demons.
Crisp direction by Luke Jaden and sharp dialogue by Jaden and Diane Michelle distinguish BOO! The film scares the daylights out of people. It messes with your mind, while the layers of meaning rewarding multiple viewings. Fish imagery is just one set of symbols. Judicious use of sound, both musical and effects, ups the scare factor considerably. Credit where it is due to the composer, Jon Natchez, whose score creates tension from the first notes.
Detroiters will recognize plenty of iconic locales, the famous John King Books being one of them, as the film is set and was made on location, with a mostly local cast and crew. That's part of the fun of BOO!
Moral of the story: if you get a "boo," don't take any chances...just pass it on.
A family finds a "boo" on their front porch...a bag of candy with a goofy poem that seems like a joke. It exhorts the reader to copy it and pass the copy on...or else. The son, Caleb (Jaden Piner), insists it's a real curse, recounting stories of those who defied the instructions and met terrible ends, but the father, James (Rob Zabrecky), a stern and inflexibly religious man who has forbidden celebration of Halloween, brusquely dismisses his son, and burns the poem. Mom Elyse (Jill Marie Jones) tries to placate everyone, while teenaged daughter Morgan (Aurora Perrineau) treats the entire episode as a big joke.
This family is obviously dysfunctional: Caleb draws gory pictures, mutilates stuffed animals and dolls, and scratches out the eyes of comic book characters, while Elyse tranquilizes herself from a well-stocked medicine cabinet, Morgan is hostile to her parent, and James tries to control everyone with his fire and brimstone. On Halloween night, he's working at a bookstore, Elyse decides to go out drinking, and Morgan sneaks out to see her boyfriend Ash, leaving Caleb all alone in the house. And then things start to get weird, with each family member subject to their own terrifying demons.
Crisp direction by Luke Jaden and sharp dialogue by Jaden and Diane Michelle distinguish BOO! The film scares the daylights out of people. It messes with your mind, while the layers of meaning rewarding multiple viewings. Fish imagery is just one set of symbols. Judicious use of sound, both musical and effects, ups the scare factor considerably. Credit where it is due to the composer, Jon Natchez, whose score creates tension from the first notes.
Detroiters will recognize plenty of iconic locales, the famous John King Books being one of them, as the film is set and was made on location, with a mostly local cast and crew. That's part of the fun of BOO!
Moral of the story: if you get a "boo," don't take any chances...just pass it on.