Ghost Team One (2013)

I was lured in by the movie cover/poster and with the enticement of this being a comedy with a supernatural twist. However, I had not heard about the movie prior to finding it and picking it up. But still, a horror comedy with a ghostly element, what is there not to like?Right, well I must start off by saying that "Ghost Team One" is as such not an overly bad movie. It just didn't turn out to be what I had expected. Sure, there are some good moments and some good enough laughs to be found here and there. But the movie as a whole just didn't turn out to be all that impressive or interesting.What worked in favor of the movie was the characters and the acting talents recruited to portray these characters. Sure, the characters were generic to the core, but there was just still something lovable and funny about them. I will say that it was Carlos Santos who carried most of the movie singlehandedly.The story in "Ghost Team One" was probably what killed the enjoyment for me, because it didn't turn out to be a rather interesting or captivating storyline. So writers Andrew Knauer and Arthur Pielli hardly gave directors Ben Peyser and Scott Rutherford all that much to work with. And that also transcended onto the acting talents, because they had little to work with in terms of a fulfilling script."Ghost Team One" is hardly an effects movie, and makes use of very few effects actually. But then again, it is not the type of movie that has to rely on special effects.Now, there were the occasional hilarious scene here and there, but they were not enough to levitate the movie out of the mediocre fast lane.I managed to sit through the entire movie, although I was pressed at times in terms of focusing on the movie and concentrating on the movie. Once you have seen "Ghost Team One" the first time, chances are slim to none that you will return to watch it again.

So this low budget feature actually impressed me a lot. Somewhat parodying, Paranormal Activity and other films that came after it, the movie gives the genre a frat boy spin to it with four dudes living in a haunted house with a ghost who seems to be attracted to sexual energy, and two of the four boys attempt to produce a documentary about it in order to impress a hot chick who seems to be oddly interested in the haunting. Put together really well, the characters were really cool and interesting. While mostly trying to be funny the movie did have some eerie ghost story moments that I loved. The three main actors on the poster had really good chemistry and played their frat boy stereotypes really well. If you are a fan of the found footage genre, than I would put this on the list.

Silly found footage paranormal spoof has two twenty-something nincompoops, who live together in a former brothel (unknown to them) that is haunted by the "demonic sexual spirit" of the Madam that ran it long ago (an Asian named Lady Azalea). Their highly unstable roommate, Chuck, on a year-long sobriety that has turned him into a profane, mad-eyed, verbally abusive prick, has become possessed by Azalea much to the horror and dismay of geeky, virginal Sergio (Carlos Santos) and obnoxious, amoral Brad (JR Villareal). Sergio is smitten with a paranormal enthusiast, Fernanda (Fernanda Romero) while Brad simply wants to shag her as he does a long line of girls that has entered their orbit. Plying themselves with mini-cameras, Ouija board, camera operator, and a desire to communicate with Azalea, the trio gets in over their head. Even worse, Fernanda has an ulterior motive behind why she is so interested in finding a spirit in the dudes' house. The non-stop dialogue of sex and duel for Fernanda's affections take center stage while the paranormal found footage effects are lacking in any thrills whatsoever. Chuck's barrage of antagonistic threats and manic facial expressions are way, way over-the-top and desperate for laughs that aren't there unless you just find the endless excess of roid rage type behavior and litany of curse words funny. Sergio is such a weakling and Brad such a louse, that any endearing qualities that might come from a team of friends in search of ghost(s) is lost in translation. The movie tries every which way and loose to gain giggles from the viewer, but it all comes off as unsuccessful due to the absence of anything really clever or witty. Watching Brad "molested" by a ghost, Chuck in a kimono and wearing kabuki makeup, and Sergio puking beer from a funnel while wearing a helmet cam might be up your alley, but I felt my time was rather wasted. Nothing creepy whatsoever is offered here but Fernanda is a babe, so perhaps that might garner a little interest. Meghan Falcone, as Brad's easy-piece, bimbo Becky, and James Babson as this "authority in the history of the brothel" (and a real sleaze) make up the remaining cast. After a while I was hoping something really bad would happen to both Brad and Chuck, but, alas, that would not be the case here...they are *that* annoying.

Okay, I like oddball, off the wall, low budget movies. I can find humor in places most people don't and I don't require drugs or alcohol to do it. For this film I just don't get it. Another reviewer compared this to Naked Gun....., wonder what roll he had in the making/producing of this movie??? Save yourself, this starts out slow and stays there for 90% of the film. Yes there are a couple funny moments and when the "climax" arrives it makes you chuckle, but that's it. You will never get this time back in your life, so seriously go buy some paint and watch it dry, you will thank me. I gave it 2 stars as I am in a generous mood today :)