The Tomb (2009)

After somewhat enjoying the Fangoria Frightfest entry Dark House, I decided to go back to the well while looking for something to help pass some time as I was waiting for signs of the rapture. My selection was 2009s retelling of the Edgar Allan Poe classic Ligeia in The Tomb.

Plot/ Successful writer and scholar Jonathan Merrick falls under the spell of the irresistible, bewitchingly beautiful Ligeia. She's fighting a fatal illness and she will stop at nothing to defeat death, her one true enemy. She steals other people's souls and on her quest to immortality she tricks Jonathan into supporting her work, breaking him apart from his fiancé Rowena and pulling him into her dark, mysterious world. They settle down in an old manor by the Black Sea where Ligeia's everlasting presence slowly drives Jonathan to madness.

Any time a movie attempts to capture Poe’s greatness, they usually struggle. It seems like an impossibility to recreate the dread and heavy atmosphere that was always a calling card. This flick is no different. While there were some nice locations, decent effects and some solid art direction, there is not much left after that. The acting is uneven, there is no character development, the plot is riddled with holes and the pacing is way too slow. In the end, if you are awake in the middle of the night and are looking for something to help you pass time, this one is for you. If not, stay clear.

Dark House (2009)

  

When searching for a movie last night, I was excited to see that Showtime had added some new flicks. My choice for the evening was one of the entries in the Fangoria Frightfest, 2009s Dark House starring horror icon Jeffrey Combs.

Plot/ A troupe of actors hired for a haunted house attraction soon find that they are working in a true house of horror.

Being the first flick from the Fangoria Frightfest, I had no idea what to expect. What I found was straight mindless B-Movie horror using cliché storylines and special effects to create scares and atmosphere. Yes, this movie had its flaws, uneven (some over-the-top) acting, some bad CGI and some terrible dialogue. However, there was something about the cliché story that I actually enjoyed, not to mention a solid amount of gore and decent effects (not CGI). Sure, this is not a great flick by any means, but it is an entertaining romp that has some pretty good moments much like the remakes of House on Haunted Hill and Thirteen Ghosts. If you liked those, this one is definitely for you!