The Place For The Latest Movie Reviews
Cast: Jean Louise O' Sullivan, Zachary Fletcher and Ryan Dunn
Agnes Rickover (Jean Louise O’Sullivan, Valley Peaks, Bullrun) visited the Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride looking for some Halloween fear and fun. Instead, she witnessed a tragedy: the fiery death of her best friend Lily making her dramatic debut on the Hayride. After a year spent obsessing over the horrible accident, Agnes takes a job at The Haunted Hayride, hoping to face her trauma and to exorcise her demons. She thinks this could be an investigative opportunity as well, and when her new co-workers end up victims of mysterious accidents, she knows it is. With her new sidekick Clyde, Agnes must figure out whom – or what – is behind all of this mayhem before more people die.
I love a good haunted house film so I was excited to sit down and watch this one. The story is pretty simple, it focuses on Agnes, a young lady who visits Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride for some fun with her friends. But instead of it being a good time she instead witnesses the death of one of her close friends when something goes horribly wrong with one of the attractions. A year later Anges still is not the same, She cannot stop thinking about what happened to the point where it has taken over her whole life. She cannot hold a job and her father is always on her back to get her life back in order. After getting fired from a local pizza shop her father gets her a job at the Bates Motel hoping that it will finally get her to face the past so she can move on with her life but instead of it being therapy others begin dying in mysterious ways as well, now it is up to Agnes to figure out who or what is behind it all.
"The Bates Haunting" definitely has a lot going for it. There is some very nice kills and a good amount of gore in the film but there is also a bit of comedy and plenty of mystery that keeps you interested the entire time. I am not going to sit here and write about what happens in the film because what is already written above is more than enough to know before seeing the film. Dubbed by the Director as “Scream meets Scooby Doo,” which gives you a little idea of what you are in for. Personally I do not like comparing films to others because I would like to think each stands on its own but who am I to question the person that directed the film? Still I have to say the film stood on its own and I would not compare it to any other film but that is just my opinion.
"The Bates Haunting" is not perfect, it does have it flaws but over-all it was a pretty enjoyable flick for several reasons. First off the cast did a great job in the film, I am not going to point out any one actor here because that would not be fair to all the other actors who did a great job playing their roles as well. I can tell you that the late Ryan Dunn has a cameo spot in the film. ,p>Production the film looks great, I think it really benefited from being shot in rural Pennsylvania, at Arasapha Farm’s original Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride: one of America’s top Halloween attractions. Plus the effects are all well done and like I mentioned before there is a good amount of gore as well. A film like this is meant to be fun but what makes this one a bit better than most is that there is a good amount of mystery and it does get you thinking as well. I enjoyed this and I recommend to all fans of horror, available digitally now and on DVD in December so be sure to check it out.
Released by Uncork'd Entertainment
*** 1/2 Out Of *****