Post by Joanna on Oct 9, 2013 23:18:23 GMT -5
The Haunting of Helena Justifies Your Dislike of Spooky Children All over Again
Just when you thought horror films about creepy girls with black hair had gone out of vogue, along comes The Haunting of Helena. Directors Christian Bisceglia (who also wrote the screenplay) and Ascanio Malgarini (who also served as the film’s visual effects supervisor) bring their Italian sensibilities to the horror genre. Despite the European influence on the film (which is much more bearable than the gritty gore to which American horror films have descended), Haunting still feels like a horror repeat.
After a tense divorce (which leaves her husband living with his girlfriend in Cancun), Sophia (Harriet MacMasters-Green) moves to Italy for a fresh start with her daughter Helena (Sabrina Jolie Perez). But her new apartment comes with an old wardrobe that we just know is haunted – thanks to the slow zoom in with creepy music playing. Already showing eerie prescience, Helena requests the wardrobe be placed in her bedroom (before she’s even seen it). And so her haunting begins.
The spirit in the wardrobe is a woman who was abused by her jealous husband. He pulled out all her teeth and then locked her in the wardrobe to die. Now she inhabits little Helena, looking for her lost teeth (and stealing other people’s teeth in the process). But the film actually follows Sophia’s attempts to save her daughter and uncover what is happening. By the end, it feels like the film should actually have been titled The Haunting of Sophia (although it lacks that alliteration).
The film relies heavily on visual effects; it looks like every frame has been glossed over. It’s a style that is easy on the eyes but takes away any attempts at depth that could be grasped at. Yet no matter how pretty this horror film is—if that’s the right word to describe a film of haunting images of teeth – Haunting remains deeply unimpressive.
Bonus Features. A behind-the-scenes featurette has the filmmakers discussing how amazing it was to make this horror film. There is also a trailer for the film and a short video showcasing the visual effects used in the film.
The Haunting of Helena went on sale September 17, 2013 and is not rated. Horror. Directed by Ascanio Malgarini, Christian Bisceglia. Written by Christian Bisceglia. Starring Harriet Macmasters Green, Sabrina Jolie Perez.
Source: John Keith, JustPressPlay, October 6, 2013.