Earlier this month, I reviewed The Taking of Deborah Logan, a movie that used the found footage gimmick in the best possible way. The Houses That October Built is an example of a movie that exhibits some of the genre’s worst traits.
The movie attempts to set the stage for why everyone is constantly filming. The premise is simple; a group of friends go on a road trip, intent on finding the darkest, most horrifying haunted house of them all. Thus, they film the proceedings. Unfortunately for them, they also manage to piss off most of the people involved in the industry. When they come upon the most extreme horror group of them all–the Blue Skeletons–they are made to pay for their disrespect.
The first half of this movie is boring. The second half? Stupid. While it follows–to some extent–that the friends would record their escapades, the Blue Skeletons obsession with filming their crimes is utterly inexplicable. And the “we’re going to continue filming even thought it makes no sense to do so” cliche is in full force. It’s not that the acting is bad; it’s actually quite good. The movie just doesn’t make all that much sense, and even when it does, it isn’t all that scary. This movie stole an October night from me that I will never get back.
As horror movies–or even Halloween movies–go, this one is pretty bad. It might have been the longest 90 minutes of my life, and not in the good way.
2 Stars, and I’m being generous.
Beware The Shadows 