The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer (2003) (TV)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Craig R. Baxley

Writers:

Stephen King (characters)
Ridley Pearson (novel)

Release Date:

12 May 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Now hear the ghost's story in her own words.

Plot:

Set at the turn of the century, this is the tale of Ellen Rimbauer who just received this mysterious mansion as a wedding gift from her new husband...

Plot Keywords:

Mansion | Gift | Suicide | Murder | Deliberate Cruelty

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Lisa Brenner	...	Ellen Gilcrest Rimbauer
Steven Brand	...	John Rimbauer
Kate Burton	...	Connie Posey
Tsidii Leloka	...	Sukeena (as Tsidii Le Loka)
Brad Greenquist	...	Doug Posey
Deirdre Quinn	...	Fanny
Tsai Chin	...	Madame Lu
Hans Altwies	...	Daniel
Courtney Taylor Burness	...	April Rimbauer (5 yrs) (as Courtney Burness)
Jacob Pearce Guzman	...	Adam Rimbauer (6 yrs) (as Jacob Guzman)
Karen Heaven	...	Tea Drinker #1
Betty Moyer	...	Tea Drinker #2
Kathryn Witt	...	Party Guest
Eric Keenleyside	...	Jack Finney
Tony Doupe	...	Worker #1

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexual content.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | Argentina:16 | Germany:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | USA:R | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Lakewood, Washington, USA

Company:

Greengrass Productions

Trivia:

The head butler is played by Ridley Pearson, the movie's writer.

Movie Connections:

Follows "Rose Red" (2002)

A Decent Prequel But Lacking Something.

The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer was supposed to be the prequel to answer some of the questions about Rose Red's history from last years mini-series. Instead, it seems like Rose Red answers more questions about The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer. The story and acting were well done and pretty easy to follow. To say the least, it does keep your interest. It starts out with the building of Rose Red and how there was a nurder the day the a young and engaged Ellen Rimbauer first lays eyes on the place. The Diary of ER was entertaining, it still left a few unanswered questions and a wanting for more. My first and perhaps biggest complaint was the fact the place and the atmosphere seemed foreboding and dark, there was not as much a supernatural element to it as Rose Red. People disappeared in it, but if I recall correctly one was a famous lady who disappeared. Instead we get to see the horrors of how much a philandering, sex addicted and possibly sypohilis infected bastard John Rimbauer was and how everybody he slept with then disappeared in the house. He was basically the worst seen being in the Rose Red mansion. The movie also came up short in that it stopped before Ellen and her faithful friend from Africa also disappeared or had something happen to them in the house. There was not the horror or even suspense element that had been in Rose Red.The house's history had been made somehow less scary than what it had been in the subsequent movie that followed it. Like, I said the movie was decent, but it left you wanting more of everything. It was lacking in detail and horror. It was a decent movie about a mysterious place and the sadness suffered by a women with a sex addicted and philandering husband but little else. A little more hooror and suspense, not to mention detail would have been nice.