Summer’s over and the countdown begins until my favorite holiday. Halloween is a staple holiday in the Midwest. Trees shed their orange and brown leaves, the smell of cinnamon apples, cider and bonfires linger through the air. While eerie winds rattle the windows each night. It’s time to lock your doors and let the barrage of horror films keep you awake long into the witching hour.
I went into In Memorium with reservations due to the onslaught of terribly cliché horror films as of late. For that I blame the studio system and lack of originality. It is with great pleasure I can admit that this film grabs you by the throat and never loses its grasp. The film is a creepy tale that resonates long after the house lights go up.
Dennis Wade (Erik McDowell) is a filmmaker who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and instead of an intense chemotherapy treatment and a prolonged demise, he moves into a house for his remaining months with his girlfriend Lilly (Johanna Watts). Wanting to go out in a true filmmaker’s way, he rigs the house with video cameras that are motion activated and chronicles the rest of his life. No sooner than one can say “Boo”, things begin to go bump in the night. The cameras record a spectre that haunts Dennis and Lilly.
In this day and age of multiple Rings & Final Destinations, extremely Dark Water, overpriced Hostels and bad Grudges, In Memorium transcends the genre by leaps and bounds. Written and directed by the talented Amanda Gusack (The Anniversary) with a minimal budget, she’s able to develop the characters with ease and tactful purpose. Within the first moments of Lilly and Dennis moving in, we embrace the young couple on their journey and none of their performances are forced.
Traveling back to circa 1978 when a young John Carpenter was shopping a little horror film entitled Halloween, the studios were reluctant and said that his film was “just not scary.” Going back to the drawing boards, he composed one of the most terrifying scores in cinematic history. Hitchcock encountered the same problems with Psycho 18 years before. In Memorium does not rely on a haunting score and is better off without it. Horror films in general rely too much upon their scores to build up tension and they constantly let us know well in advance when we should jump or shout at the screen. In Memorium is able to avoid this curse.
Amanda Gusack’s film is a genuinely terrifying treat. There is not really much in the vein of a gore factor throughout this film. Comparable to it’s Japanese counterparts (see: Ringu, Ju-On, Infection, Dark Water, One Missed Call, Premonition), Gusack takes the concept of a ghost story and puts a fresh spin on it. She creates a complex moral tale that becomes psychological in nature. The film breaks ground and begs the question of “What if?” Actions and reactions are questioned as well as life decisions. The characters draw from within and seek to find the causality inside the house rather than running from their fears. The only character that took me out of the film was Dennis’ brother named Frank. He steps it up a notch at the end, but his performance lacks the emotional depth of Dennis and Lilly.
The true surprise of In Memorium is the beautiful and brilliantly talented Johanna Watts. She turned in an outstanding performance. Johanna carries a passion within her eyes that holds the audience captive while delivering her lines. I have a feeling that we’ll be seeing much more of her in the future.
Hitchcock said “Cinema is not a slice of life but a piece of cake.” And for that I say; In Memorium works extremely well in this age of horror films for it’s a well crafted ghost story and character study. For a late night scare, run to see this film.
-Jack Reher
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
