Hell House llc Origins: Carmichael Manor (2023)

I've taken a few days away from n the movies after going to see the final films in the Hampton Roads 48 Hour Short Film contest.  There were actually a few that could make cool features.  But, now time to get back at it.  Today,  I did kick back and watch something interesting the 2023 entry Hell House llc Origins: Carmichael Manor.

Plot: A group of cold case investigators stay at the Carmichael Manor. After four nights, the group was never heard from again. What is discovered on their footage is even more disturbing than anything found on the Hell House tapes.

When I saw this was coming out,  I wasn't sure what to expect.  I really liked the first one,  but the two sequels left a lot to be desired and did not match the overall promise of the first one.  Fortunately, this one is so much better than this two entries.  This one definitely delivers where this cime up short with an interesting story,  some tensiom and atmosphere, and a few decent scares.  Of course,  the characters and performances are uneven and there were some head scratching moments,  but it was a lot better than the other sequels. It may not be as good as the original,  but this one does a good job of building into the lore and keeping it entertaining. 

Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018)

I took a couple of days off from the blog to attend a few movies and take part in a couple of horror trivia contests. I love horror trivia, but I will admit, the questions that these people are asking are getting harder and more difficult to answer. Who knew how crazy the Polish movie poster for Alien looked like the Spaghetti Monster. In preparation for the next installment of this series, I revisited the Hell House LLC franchise, with Part 2, the Abaddon Hotel being my next entry.

Plot: It's been eight years since the opening night tragedy of Hell House, LLC and still many unanswered questions remain. Thanks to an anonymous tip, investigative journalist Jessica Fox is convinced that key evidence is hidden inside the abandoned Abaddon Hotel-evidence that will shed light on the hotel's mysteries.

Like with many sequels, this movie doesn't quite live up to the baseline established by the original. In fact, while not terrible, it misses the mark in a ton of ways. The performances are uneven, the characters are not as interesting, and the overall storyline is not as nuanced or effective as the original. Yes, there are some moments where things work and they make it interesting, but the performances of the cast do not come close to what was experienced in the original film. That is definitely something that hold this film back and prevents it from matching the feel and quality of the original. Not a terrible movie, but one that could have been so much more with a different cast. 

Hell House LLC (2015)

Last night after a couple of episodes of season two of Salem, I decided that I wanted to see something based in a different style. After searching my streaming services, I settled on the 2015 entry Hell House LLC.

Plot/ Five years after an unexplained malfunction causes the death of 15 tour-goers and staff on the opening night of a Halloween haunted house tour, a documentary crew travels back to the scene of the tragedy to find out what really happened.

When I saw this one on Amazon Prime it seemed like something different and the premise seemed interesting, so I gave it a shot. I am glad that I did, as this was one of the better found-footage/mockumentaries that I have seen in some time. This one stands out in that overcrowded genre featuring some solid performances, a strong and interesting storyline that mixes the found footage and documentary styles seamlessly, decent pacing, and enough added scared to make it feel right and not forced. Of course, it is not a perfect flick having a few dialog hiccups and the tension never seems to reach its full potential, but those issues are easy to overlook. In the end, this was definitely one of the best movies to come out in the genre and a movie that must be seen. If you have not watched it yet, give it a shot.