Rose red is a curiously flat horror where a group of 'psychics' goes into said haunted house. I have not read Steven King's novel (by the way he appears in the movie as a pizza boy, unnecessary but amusing role) so I can't comment on how close this adaptation is to his novel, but my guess he had a big influence, as it is 4-hours long, but there is scarcely nothing in the story that a good 2 hour movie couldn't have told.
Now there is a new twist of the genre that it is not horny teenagers or bumbling strangers invited to the house, but a group of 'professional' psychics, who impressed me with their stunning stupidity. Hint: if the house is haunted and you know it's haunted, please don't wander around the house investigating strange noises by yourself.
The movie contains a lot of 'lost and screaming' scenes. You may ask what a 'lost and screaming' scene is - well it's where a character or two decide to separate themselves from the rest of the group for no good reasons (one character wanted to get some ice tea by herself), and see some freakish ghosts then run around the house screaming.
Each 'lost and screaming' scene takes about 10 minutes (a lot of screaming and panting etc) - and I counted it happen about 10 times during the movie, thus explaining the four hour unnecessary running time. 'Is that you?' being the most frequently spoken words.
Initially I had high hopes for this movie, I'd imagined it might be like 'Scream' in a haunted house where characters know all the tricks and trades of the genre and make smart decision. But alas, they make Tara Reid look reasonably smart.
I don't know how much it cost to make this movie, but technically the movie looks beautiful. Computer generated scenes look on par with any other theatrical horror. The haunted house looks mightily impressive, its long-arched corridors and obligatory mirror room, etc. Production designers really did their homework and ran with a ball.
I know Steven King likes a mini series because he can put more characterization but in Rose Red characters are cardboard cut-outs, clichéd and uninteresting. Only two characters stand out, though, were a wise cracking Nick by Julian Sands and a slightly overweight Emery played by Matt Ross. Consider the scene where Emery sees a couple of ghosts even before visiting the house and he tersely says 'Save the warning for someone who is not broke!' What a great line.
But mostly the rest of the cast is hopelessly boring and by the end of the movie we really know nothing much about them. The movie wastes so much time in 'lost and screaming' scenes and flashbacks to the history of Rose Red, so much so you may think it's a documentary.
First hour is intriguing but soon as the movie hits 2 hour mark, you realize that there is no rule or logic that we can possibly understand in the way the house behaves, you care what happens less and less. Good horror movies set rules and follow them, so the audience understand and value the choices the characters make, but Rose Red has no rule, only the contrived convenience of the screenplay.
Quite disappointing really - isn't it time we come up with some intelligent haunted house movies where characters say 'Maybe we should get some ice tea together.'
Now there is a new twist of the genre that it is not horny teenagers or bumbling strangers invited to the house, but a group of 'professional' psychics, who impressed me with their stunning stupidity. Hint: if the house is haunted and you know it's haunted, please don't wander around the house investigating strange noises by yourself.
The movie contains a lot of 'lost and screaming' scenes. You may ask what a 'lost and screaming' scene is - well it's where a character or two decide to separate themselves from the rest of the group for no good reasons (one character wanted to get some ice tea by herself), and see some freakish ghosts then run around the house screaming.
Each 'lost and screaming' scene takes about 10 minutes (a lot of screaming and panting etc) - and I counted it happen about 10 times during the movie, thus explaining the four hour unnecessary running time. 'Is that you?' being the most frequently spoken words.
Initially I had high hopes for this movie, I'd imagined it might be like 'Scream' in a haunted house where characters know all the tricks and trades of the genre and make smart decision. But alas, they make Tara Reid look reasonably smart.
I don't know how much it cost to make this movie, but technically the movie looks beautiful. Computer generated scenes look on par with any other theatrical horror. The haunted house looks mightily impressive, its long-arched corridors and obligatory mirror room, etc. Production designers really did their homework and ran with a ball.
I know Steven King likes a mini series because he can put more characterization but in Rose Red characters are cardboard cut-outs, clichéd and uninteresting. Only two characters stand out, though, were a wise cracking Nick by Julian Sands and a slightly overweight Emery played by Matt Ross. Consider the scene where Emery sees a couple of ghosts even before visiting the house and he tersely says 'Save the warning for someone who is not broke!' What a great line.
But mostly the rest of the cast is hopelessly boring and by the end of the movie we really know nothing much about them. The movie wastes so much time in 'lost and screaming' scenes and flashbacks to the history of Rose Red, so much so you may think it's a documentary.
First hour is intriguing but soon as the movie hits 2 hour mark, you realize that there is no rule or logic that we can possibly understand in the way the house behaves, you care what happens less and less. Good horror movies set rules and follow them, so the audience understand and value the choices the characters make, but Rose Red has no rule, only the contrived convenience of the screenplay.
Quite disappointing really - isn't it time we come up with some intelligent haunted house movies where characters say 'Maybe we should get some ice tea together.'
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