Four successful old judges, members of the Chowder Society, share a shocking and 50-year-old secret. When one of Edward Wanderley’s twin sons dies in a freak accident, the group begins to see a pattern of increasing terror events.
I can’t believe so many people are criticizing this movie. It seems most people disagree comparing it to the book, which seems unfair because I found this great stable movie. I haven’t read it yet so this is an honest review of what I’ve seen.
I first saw this movie when I was a kid and then it scared me. I just could not then and now never forget the cold and clammy images of ghostly girls in dark wedding gowns< /a> slowly walking towards husband David Wanderley , alone in a dilapidated, abandoned mansion with a broken leg. Terrible! With this view, I found it a little less scary, but it is still effective, in my opinion.
The story felt less complicated in this show, but still engaging and compelling. It’s basically a fantasy of revenge against the four men who accidentally caused his death decades ago. While I loved the main premise, there were a few unspoken questions and/or plot holes. How does the spirit take tangible physical form? Why did he wait fifty years to seek revenge? Why should two sons of one follow the old man? If you can just accept these without worrying about such issues, you will probably enjoy the movie a lot more. It didn’t bother me too much because I actually went up too much for what I saw.
I think the real gem is the film’s atmosphere. It is set in New England in and around winter as the sky is very gray and dull and the air. very windy and cold, with a few inches of snow on the ground. This seems to set the tone for the entire movie because it exudes the same eerie feeling as the weather outside. The chowder company also adds to the mood, because it’s a group of old people who tell scary stories around the fire. And John Houseman is almost like their leader; He had a similar role in the original “The Fog”, so it felt familiar and comforting to see him in this role again. The music also adds something to the atmosphere.
The action is very good in my opinion. This movie has four great veteran actors for the main characters. Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and John Houseman are all treated in the same movie. Some blame Craig Wasson, the younger actor of this male group, who played Don/David Wanderley. While I don’t think it’s in the same league as the other actors and actresses in this film, I think it holds its own sufficiently. Everyone else’s cast is pretty good here considering they’re all old mime actors.
But the gorgeous Alice Krige, a not-so-veteran actress, came across anyway in her role as Eva Galli/Alma Moble (expired). His role here is probably the best in this movie. She pulls off everything sophisticated, a little sassy, playful, serious, menacing and downright creepy, all in the same movie. Oh, did I mention that it has a few nude scenes? It slipped my mind for a while! Simply gorgeous!
There is no blood or gore here, just a few corpse/bone SFX that serve their purpose. Alice Krige is creepy here in a shady kind of way, but it’s enough to send a chill down your spine – it certainly did to me. No, it was naked! 🙂
This movie is a good old ghost story, plain and simple. Superstition has several moments, some blunt and in the face, others more subtle, but terrifying. One such scene is the bathroom scene (you’ll get it when you see it). I recommend this movie to all horror fans.
