I am generally not a fan of supernatural-horror movies as there appears to be very little room for originality in them. However, the plot in House of Temptation, while derivative of a few films (Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, Rosemary's Baby, many movies involving a haunted house) had enough in the way of new material to keep me interested.
The main problem with the movie, however, is the production. It feels quite cheap, like a home movie. This is mainly due to much being done on hand-held cameras. While the first person POV has worked on a few films (Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield being the best examples) it is not really necessary here. I can understand why the director used it: it's cheaper and easier and when you're a director/producer starting out, budget is a key factor. A few scenes with hand-held would have been fine, but it was overdone. This also seemed to get in the way of the plot, as the writer then had to write the script to incorporate the viewer.
The performances weren't that great, though none were atrocious (except maybe Michael Navarra...). Jena Hunt was the best of the lot: quite intense and convincing. Rest were a bit wooden at times, though seemed to get better as the movie progressed.
While not a great movie, a decent effort by producer-director Doc Zee, considering his obvious budgetary constraints.
The main problem with the movie, however, is the production. It feels quite cheap, like a home movie. This is mainly due to much being done on hand-held cameras. While the first person POV has worked on a few films (Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield being the best examples) it is not really necessary here. I can understand why the director used it: it's cheaper and easier and when you're a director/producer starting out, budget is a key factor. A few scenes with hand-held would have been fine, but it was overdone. This also seemed to get in the way of the plot, as the writer then had to write the script to incorporate the viewer.
The performances weren't that great, though none were atrocious (except maybe Michael Navarra...). Jena Hunt was the best of the lot: quite intense and convincing. Rest were a bit wooden at times, though seemed to get better as the movie progressed.
While not a great movie, a decent effort by producer-director Doc Zee, considering his obvious budgetary constraints.