As I have been quoted before I absolutely abhor remakes yet sometimes, a remake is actually worth watching. Thir13en Ghosts is one of the few remakes that is added to my must-see list (though I do recommend that you at least see 13 Ghosts (the original 1960 version by William Castle) at least once in your lifetime).
Directed by Steve Beck, Thir13en Ghosts stars Tony Shalhoub, Shannon Elizabeth, Matthew Lillard and F. Murray Abraham in this tale of a widower who inherits his eccentric Uncle’s mansion. Financially strapped, Arthur moves into the mansion with his two children and their nanny. What they don’t fully realize however, is that the mansion is not unoccupied; twelve ghosts also reside in the home and they are not happy to be trapped there. After a series of mishaps, the family becomes trapped in the house themselves and the twelve ghosts are systematically released and ready to take their revenge on the living.
The story and special effects are solid but I truly believe it is Matthew Lillard’s role that makes this film what it is. Lillard stars as Dennis Rafkin, a psychic that is also unwittingly trapped in the mansion with the family. As the events unfold he tries desperately to convince them of the dangers and to help them (and himself) escape alive.
Another plus to the movie was the attention to the ghosts: the First Born Son; the Torso; the Bound Woman; the Withered Lover; the Torn Prince; the Angry Princess; the Pilgrimess; the Great Child & the Dire Mother; the Hammer; the Jackal; the Juggernaut and the Broken Heart. If you are viewing the movie on DVD there is a special feature that gives each ghost’s back story. (Of course being the geek that I am I loved this feature and that bumps the film up just for the DVD release.)
Comments
Post a Comment