Just so...so bad

A Major Disappointment

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I bought this film on a whim because I really enjoy independent films and the people that work so hard on them. I was happy that I did!Great story, believable acting, terrific special effects and above all it scared me! I think the helpless feeling this film gave me made it even scarier as the female lead is alone in the country where nobody can help her! It just got in my head thinking about it!I won't give spoilers, but basically it's about a couple that move from the city into the country and, as it is the husbands childhood home, secrets are uncovered and the wife is the victim of those secrets coming to light.Pick this up, it's fun!

The Burnt House is a surprisingly old fashioned chiller from director Adam (Cross Bearer) Ahlbrandt. Having grown up with the masterful '70s Christmas ghost stories from the BBC, I love a good spine tingler. This is well crafted supernatural horror with sprinklings of modernity to please today's genre fan. Monica Knight plays the beautiful, doe-eyed Megan who is recovering from the loss of her child with husband Joe (J.D. Brown). The two seek sanity and recovery in a quiet house, out in the quietest neck of the woods and away from the annoyances of civilisation. The house itself is like a third character; every inch seems thick with atmosphere and foreboding (although it's interesting to note that, due to various reasons, numerous locations had to double for the property). As with films of this nature, things go bump in the night after only a short amount of time. It's thanks to the calibre of the acting and the competent direction that this film stands out from the crowd. There are moments where my mind leapt to early viewings of The Shining and The Amityville Horror but this was down to the quality of the movie rather than anything negative (I'll say it again, this film is atmospheric).The Burnt House hits the ground running with a violent and bloody intro and it captured my attention throughout. There are some frightening moments and wonderfully dark imagery, thanks to Doug Sakmann's fantastic special effects and make-up. In fact, I was even creeped out even by the end credits and a slowed down song from the film as it appears for a final reprise. The music in this production is very good and credit again does to the sickeningly talented Mr. Ahlbrandt (whose responsibilities on this film are too numerous to list here). Beautiful to watch, The Burnt House is recommended viewing. The only downside to watching movies from the likes of Adam Ahlbrandt and Dustin Mills is that many of their modern counterparts can't meet the same quality standards. However, whilst other filmmakers can disappoint, it's fantastic to see these guys act as champions for the underground.

Let me start by saying this film is not for everyone. I happened to watch this movie when my friend recommended it to me by giving me his copy and telling me it was some crap I'd be into. He was right, those who are looking for typical genre fare are going to be disappointed. The film is slow and brooding, more art film than horror flick. The sound design is moody and ominous, the plot slow and ambiguous at times. But it sets a mood and does so very well. It's beautiful to watch and J.D. Brown has a stand out performance. Yes it's slow and mysterious, but it's obvious to me that was a choice the film makers made and not a mistake. It's not a film for everyone but those who like it will love it, those who don't will hate it as is obvious from the other review here on IMDb. The best part of the film takes place at the end when the lead actress is walking alone, it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. So, for those who like their horror with a bit more sophistication but still want some horrific gore, this is for you.

First I must give credit to Adam Ahlbrandt who wore almost all the hats for the crew. Now let's talk about the film. It's all abstract shots, claustrophobic close ups, fade ups and downs to blacks between almost every shot, cut always to bloody screaming faces that's way over the top. A calendar of on screen written dates and locations. Mind numbing flashbacks that are all over the place and impossible to follow. When there is an actual scene with characters engaging in dialog it is mostly arguing and bickering with actors with little to no acting ability. Let me stop here for a second and have you imagine a ball of jumbled artsy shots with black between most cuts, no story to speak of which results in an on screen LSD trip that makes little sense. Oh my God! Please give me back those minutes of watching this train wreck of a film. Why does IMDb not offer the choice of selecting negative stars?