Sometimes, a movie comes along at just the right time, that not only entertains you, but reminds you WHY you do what you do. For me, that movie was "Son of Ghostman"
Denny is unemployed, just got dumped, and is in danger of losing his house. A chance drunken videotape, sends him on the road to a new life. Unfortunately, he has to deal with an old rival, and the fact that he needs to keep his quest secret from the woman he's attracted to...
There have been times over the past few years, where I've wondered why I continue reviewing horror movies. I have wondered if anyone would actually miss this blog... to the point where I've contemplated closing things down, and being... "normal".
Then I was approached by @SonOfGhostman on Twitter to view and review their movie. I liked the trailer they sent first. It intrigued me since it wasn't so much a horror film, as much as it dealt with some of the unsung icons of the industry- Horror Movie Show Hosts.
"Son of Ghostman" isn't a fancy film- but it is a smart one. The story is on a more personal level- it's an ordinary person stepping into an extraordinary life... quite by accident. I felt a real connection to the plot as a reviewer who WANTS to produce their own podcast and web series one day. The humour is gentle, and natural, coming from the characters themselves, and the slightly silly situation they find themselves in. The story doesn't slap you upside the head with it's message- though there is a scene just before the end where the moral is stated. Up to the end, it seeps into you slowly. I found myself smiling, laughing, and losing tract of the time as I watched it.
The characters are unique, interesting, engaging, likable, and relatable- even though the events taking around them would seem quite absurd to "normal" people. I couldn't help but enjoy Denny's growth as a person over the course of the movie. His relationships with his friend Carlo, brother, rival Rick, his ex, Claire and her nephew have echos that I think most people could feel in their own relationships. Him, and all of the other characters are believable and bring a lot of charm and wit to the movie.
I'm going to have to say that the acting was pretty good in a subtly goofy way at times. There is a nice balance of straight, and silly. The actors worked off each other wonderfully- both visually, and character-wise. You could really feel the chemistry between them- especially between Devin Ordoyne as Denny, and Angela Gulner as Claire. The scene where they dance together was a wonderful example of this chemistry. Marlon Correva as Carlo was charming, witty, and made you believe that Carlo and Denny had been close friends for years. Zack- Claire's nephew, was played perfectly by Matthew Boehm. He brought intellegence, and a nice sarcastic touch to the character. I also want to give props to Kurt Edward Larson in the role of Rick, the rival. I quite enjoyed his over the top acting in the "Count Dracool" persona, and the more snarky performance as Rick.
There are some wonderful pieces of camera work in this film, which highlights the potential that first time director Larson displays. There are a nice variety of angles, movements, and lighting. My personal favorite for use of lighting was the above mentioned scene where Denny and Claire dance. I'm eager to see what else he does in the future, and interested to see his growth as a film maker.
Earlier, I mentioned that this film came at a time when I was wondering why I do this blog- and why I continue. watching "Son of Ghostman" helped to solidify in my mind- and my heart why. I do it because I love horror movies, and I want to share that passion with those around me. I write about older horror movies especially because I want to keep their spirit behind them alive- and possibly get people to fall in love with them as well. I do this because I wan to entertain people... and maybe even inspire them to do the same thing.
That just added a level of enjoyment to the movie on a very personal level for me. But even without that aspect of things, I would still enjoy "Son of Ghostman," and recommend it to others. If I owned it (which I hope to soon, actually), I would have absolutely no problem popping open a bag of cheesy poofs, curling up under my warm blankets, and watching it again. I'm placing it solidly into The Good.
Denny is unemployed, just got dumped, and is in danger of losing his house. A chance drunken videotape, sends him on the road to a new life. Unfortunately, he has to deal with an old rival, and the fact that he needs to keep his quest secret from the woman he's attracted to...
There have been times over the past few years, where I've wondered why I continue reviewing horror movies. I have wondered if anyone would actually miss this blog... to the point where I've contemplated closing things down, and being... "normal".
Then I was approached by @SonOfGhostman on Twitter to view and review their movie. I liked the trailer they sent first. It intrigued me since it wasn't so much a horror film, as much as it dealt with some of the unsung icons of the industry- Horror Movie Show Hosts.
"Son of Ghostman" isn't a fancy film- but it is a smart one. The story is on a more personal level- it's an ordinary person stepping into an extraordinary life... quite by accident. I felt a real connection to the plot as a reviewer who WANTS to produce their own podcast and web series one day. The humour is gentle, and natural, coming from the characters themselves, and the slightly silly situation they find themselves in. The story doesn't slap you upside the head with it's message- though there is a scene just before the end where the moral is stated. Up to the end, it seeps into you slowly. I found myself smiling, laughing, and losing tract of the time as I watched it.
The characters are unique, interesting, engaging, likable, and relatable- even though the events taking around them would seem quite absurd to "normal" people. I couldn't help but enjoy Denny's growth as a person over the course of the movie. His relationships with his friend Carlo, brother, rival Rick, his ex, Claire and her nephew have echos that I think most people could feel in their own relationships. Him, and all of the other characters are believable and bring a lot of charm and wit to the movie.
I'm going to have to say that the acting was pretty good in a subtly goofy way at times. There is a nice balance of straight, and silly. The actors worked off each other wonderfully- both visually, and character-wise. You could really feel the chemistry between them- especially between Devin Ordoyne as Denny, and Angela Gulner as Claire. The scene where they dance together was a wonderful example of this chemistry. Marlon Correva as Carlo was charming, witty, and made you believe that Carlo and Denny had been close friends for years. Zack- Claire's nephew, was played perfectly by Matthew Boehm. He brought intellegence, and a nice sarcastic touch to the character. I also want to give props to Kurt Edward Larson in the role of Rick, the rival. I quite enjoyed his over the top acting in the "Count Dracool" persona, and the more snarky performance as Rick.
There are some wonderful pieces of camera work in this film, which highlights the potential that first time director Larson displays. There are a nice variety of angles, movements, and lighting. My personal favorite for use of lighting was the above mentioned scene where Denny and Claire dance. I'm eager to see what else he does in the future, and interested to see his growth as a film maker.
Earlier, I mentioned that this film came at a time when I was wondering why I do this blog- and why I continue. watching "Son of Ghostman" helped to solidify in my mind- and my heart why. I do it because I love horror movies, and I want to share that passion with those around me. I write about older horror movies especially because I want to keep their spirit behind them alive- and possibly get people to fall in love with them as well. I do this because I wan to entertain people... and maybe even inspire them to do the same thing.
That just added a level of enjoyment to the movie on a very personal level for me. But even without that aspect of things, I would still enjoy "Son of Ghostman," and recommend it to others. If I owned it (which I hope to soon, actually), I would have absolutely no problem popping open a bag of cheesy poofs, curling up under my warm blankets, and watching it again. I'm placing it solidly into The Good.
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