Paranormal Island (2014)

'Paranormal Island' didn't have a bad idea. Not a novel one, but it sounded creepy and cool and deserved execution that would match that. Lance Henriksen has been in a lot of bad films but, regardless of how well he's used or not, he can be one of the least bad assets of them. Sadly, 'Paranormal Island's' interesting idea was executed pretty poorly and the problems are apparent straightaway, this is not one of those promising opening sequence films unfortunately. The asset that comes off least badly is the acting, which on the most part considering the material is not bad. That is with the exceptions of agreed Ben Elliott and Tony Valle, both downright awful in disastrously written (in every sense of the word, elaborating would be pointless as one wouldn't know where to begin) roles, especially Valle.Briana Evigan in particular is an agreeable lead and Henriksen does his best with far too little to do, there is a demeanour about him that makes him interesting to watch. While the characters were not particularly interesting ones, they aren't annoying either or do things that makes one frustrated by them. The scenery has some nice atmosphere.However, the production values, scenery apart, don't impress. The special effects are especially pathetic, have not in a while seen cheaper-looking paranormal effects, and any promise that the opening scene could have had is completely ruined by being shot in so amateurish a way it makes one physically ill. The photography and editing in general are not good, but not to the same extent as with the opening. The music at best is forgettable, not exactly intrusive or obvious as such but it adds very little to what's going on and is pretty dull. Dull is the best way to describe the story (especially in the middle which grinds to a halt), with nothing tense, suspenseful, surprising or scary. It's also very silly, sometimes to a ridiculous degree, doesn't always make sense with too many things left vague and nothing unsettles or surprises. The dialogue is awkward and tends to ramble and the pace and characters are even more lifeless often than the villain. For all the actors' best efforts, the characters are underdeveloped and bland.Overall, pretty poor. 3/10 Bethany Cox

This wasn't going to be anything more than your everyday garden-variety horror film, especially after you read the blurb. Three college students take jobs at the club on the man-made island to earn a little cash, however, Mike has heard the rumours of strange ghostly happenings on the Island and sees a chance to get some extra credit for his forensics course. This is the first of many holes in the story - Mike is doing a forensics course with an inclination for disproving the paranormal... Since when, and in what world, has the plea of the "The Ghost Killed Them!!!" or "The Devil Possessed Me!!!" ever been a truthful, credible, and winning defence. Then later in the film, he claims this job is a "Normal Job" - Yeah Right!These bad lines actually go to show how good the acting abilities of the cast are as the leads are quite believable in their portrayals... and they never appear to be on the verge of laughing their heads off with some of their lines. I was actually hoping the film would be better than it was since Briana Evigan, who play's Ivy, was staring. Unfortunately, not so much if you're a bloke, I think she may have been chosen for the part because she looks great in a skimpy bikini. However, her acting skills, along with Randy Wayne as Mike, Lance Henriksen as Carl, and Sarah Karges as Lori, help to keep this from being too bad.There is just as much good as there is bad in the film. I liked the fact that even though you've seen similar movies they chose not to give you your stereotypical teenagers. These guys don't stay behind on purpose they are accidentally left behind after closing - too many films would have had them hiding away waiting for everyone to leave. Then writer and director Marty Murrey does the obvious and gives you the ghost of Ivy's baby sister, who was drowned on the lake with their parents, and she helps them try to escape - you know this is coming as soon as the accident is mentioned.Then there's the abysmal acting of Ben Elliott, playing Jerry, who is so wooden his second job is as a sideboard. Worst still is Tony Valle as the DJ, Andy; this guy needed some serious direction for his character as he seems to be all over the place.Though, by far, the worst thing about the film is the caretaker's ghostly apparition. The special effects are pitiful. I can't believe that in this day and age they couldn't have found someone to do a better job on the tight budget. Most six-year-olds are quite decent with CGI, maybe one of the crew's kids could've come up with something. Also, why did they bother at all since the spectral image of Ivy's sister was just a normal little girl in grey? Also, the opening scene that takes place in the past is badly shot using sepia and a heavy vignette focus; all that was missing was the cinema lines and noise effects.If you're new to horror films and are wanting to break yourself in easy then you could give this a shot. If you're a fan of horror then you're going to watch this even if I warn you against it because Lance Henriksen stars. Just be aware that it does slow down to a near stop around the midpoint, but it does pick up again, though it never quite reaches nerve tingling excitement.

Paranormal Island (2014)Three college students have taken up posts as summer staff at a bar. The bar in question happens to be in the middle of nowhere - standard horror film scenario - Blarney Island, off the coast of Grass Lake, Illinois. The only access to their employment is by boat both to and from the location. The threesome are aware of that staying at the island after hours is a bad idea but do so anyway partaking in a few drinks after their shift has ended. Why is it a bad idea? Well they now have no means of transport back to the mainland and the island is rumoured to be haunted by a malevolent spirit known as The Caretaker.The Caretaker is the spirit of the island's previous owner who had decided that losing a game of poker was good enough reason to commit suicide. For whatever reason said ghost feels he has grounds on which to kill off those that remain behind on the island apparently for revenge. This idea doesn't seem ideologically sound to me but then we are talking about someone who took losing a card game rather too much to heart.One of the students Mike (Randy Wayne) is looking to obtain a degree in forensic science with a heavy leaning to his real interest of the paranormal and debunking it. Mike sees this situation as an opportunity to do so however he and his friends, Lori (Sarah Karges) and Henry (Ben Elliot), find out the hard way that on Blarney Island that the paranormal activity is not only real but kills too.Paranormal Island has an interesting, if familiar, premise but is rather one note in its execution. There's no tension or surprises and consequently no scares either. What is refreshing in writer/director Marty Murray's is that the young cast are likable rather than irritating and their performances are agreeable. Where Murray loses the ball is in the plot details some of which are vague. Why, for example, is The Caretaker (the film's original better title) killing off folks that have no connection to him?Big on set-up but lacking much in the way of a pay off Paranormal Island wastes Sorority Row's Briana Evigan - so good tiger horror flick Burning Bright (2010) - to be the point that she actually seems she would rather be somewhere else. You will too as everything quickly becomes flaccid soon after our threesome start work at the island. It's a shame as there seemed to be so much potential upfront.Check out more of my reviews at www.mybloodyreviews.com

I didn't have high expectations of this movie and yet it was even poorer than expected. The so-called paranormal island is a place in a middle of some lake where people gather to drink and party. But after midnight bad things start to happen and people go missing. This is supposedly due to the presence of the "caretaker" a ghost of a man who committed suicide in 1927 after he lost his bar to a competitor in a poker game on the same island. The funniest and also saddest thing and the first noticeable error is the fact that the guy who lost and then committed suicide actually had the winning hand (a flush) and he lost to a straight held by the guy who beat him. If you are writing a movie or a story how difficult is it to do some basic research on poker-hand rankings on the Internet and at least get that right. Fast forward to 2014 and a bunch of friends are going there to work as bartenders and waitresses as the island has basically become a party-goers paradise. One of the friends is trying to disprove the existence of the paranormal for his thesis by filming the lack of any paranormal activity. Predictably, they end up on the island after midnight and are soon being chased by something even though they were warned to leave as soon as their shift was done. Overall this film has poor acting, a terrible story, bad effects and a weak music score. It doesn't make much sense and who ever wrote it couldn't even research something as basic or simple as poker hand rankings. As such it deserves no better than 1/10. Just awful.