Paperhouse (1989)

Not sure what to think

I absolutely love the premise of this movie. A little girl's drawings come to life in her dreams. What happens when she forgets to include something in her drawing? What happens when she adds something? What if she makes someone look too angry in a drawing? Will they be angry in her dreams? What if she needs to erase something to reverse a mistake? Will the drawing let her? Will there be consequences? What a wonderfully original and very clever premise for a movie.

However...

I have to say my husband and I were disappointed. I had read so many reviews of this movie over the years and grew very intrigued to see this film. It resides on many "best ever" lists from top reviewers and it is highly acclaimed by critics and fans. So perhaps I expected too much? I thought it would be scarier and given so many great reviews, I expected it to be more entertaining. But it dragged in some places, wasn't that scary, and some of the acting was incredibly bad. But overall, it was such a clever idea for a movie, I couldn't help but continue to watch it. You simply can't turn away.

It's a very strange movie... one of those movies most people will either love or hate and that makes it very hard to recommend it to others. Overall, I think the movie itself was overrated, but the clever plot concept wasn't. And that's what saved the movie for me in the end. If someone would only remake this... because the storyline had more potential and today's actors and special effects could make it amazing.

It is hard to find this movie in a rental store, so I was forced to buy it to see it. If you have the opportunity to rent it instead, I recommend you do so before adding it to your collection. For most people, I think it's one of those movies you just HAVE to see, but only once. November 25, 2006

Do not read MS Roberts' review.

If you have not watched this movie yet, do not read the review written by M.S. Roberts below. It is full of spoilers and gives no warning. These kind of reviews are careless and, in this case, can ruin certain elements of a movie. Paperhouse is an excellent little fantasy/horror film that most certainly is not for children. Think of it as one of Grimm's fairy tales treated the adult way. July 29, 2006

It's the best, but not all will love it.

Before Paperhouse I didn't bother to even rate the films that would came out Australia, and New Zealand.
Paperhouse is a horror movie, but it isn't gory or bloody,
and most people who into horror films, would rather watch a bad horror movie with blood and monsters, than watch a good movie with no blood or evil creatures.
For that reason horror fans don't always like Paperhouse the first time they see it.
Also the film is directed in a certain way, and leave questions.
For example, the lead character of Anna, who is played Charlotte Burke, passes out in school, and she keeps passing out throughout the entire movie:
she simply falls right over, and it is never explained why.
Some people are turned off by the things that were left unexplained in this movie: while others liked PAPERHOUSE the first time they saw it.
I have watched Paperhouse several times, over and over again trying to figure out just what I liked about it:
but those who hated never watch it again, it's just that kind of movie.
It's not like BLADE 2, where you watch it because there is nothing else on: You'll either like it, or you hate it, and there is no middle.
If you hate it, you'll never watch it again:
but if you liked it, you'll watch it over and over until you love it.
It's that kind of movie, and that's "PAPERHOUSE," that's what it is.
Most of us only want to know if a movie is cool good,
no matter what it's about:
we'll approve a badly received movie if it wasn't as bad as were told.
And PAPERHOUSE? The acting in paperhouse is played ordinary,
and their actions portray the lives of real people,
like the kind of people you and I meet every day:
that isn't done very often in the movies.
Not everyone will love the film for that: all people are different.
Some of us would rather see stylized blood and guts,
than a good horror movie, and that's just how it is.
A horror fan will either hate PAPERHOUSE for being orignal,
or they will love PAPERHOUSE for being original.
If you hate it for it's originality, you'll never bother with it again: if you liked it, you'll watch it over and over again,
untill ya loved it.
~ I'M CHAGAS. June 15, 2006

Odd but strangely watchable

I agree that this is not the best film in the world but it is still not as bad as some people are making out.

It is quite atmospheric in its own way and the little girl played by the unknown Charlotte Burke portrays the lonely Anna with surprising depth. You can tell she is lonely and unhappy, her father is away and she is not well so she spends a lot of time in bed, whiling away the hours by drawing.

Anna soon finds herself dreaming about the house she has drawn, and in the house is a boy who she becomes friends with. In her bid to help her dream friend she adds things to her drawing but in doing so endangers not only him but herself.

Their only hope is to get away from the house but the house is surrounded by sinister stones that are moving toward the house and its captive occupants and in desperation Anna draws a helicopter to come and rescue them and it is here we are realise that Anna's dreams have their basis in reality and only her father can save her just as only she can save her friend in the paper house... March 26, 2006

Paper (that belongs in the bin) House

From the director, Bernard Rose, I was expecting another great film after seeing the magnificent achievement of Candyman. By god was I wrong. This film is, without a doubt, the biggest dissapointment I had ever come across and possibly one of the worst films I had ever seen. With a rediculous plot and, oh my god, the acting was absolutely dreadful I almost turned it off half way through. But I couldnt judge something I havent seen fully. I have noticed some may think that this is one of those films that is not for the fans of violence and gore which is absolutely right. But neither is this for fans of the psychological themes with no violence. I agree completely that horror needs no violence whatsoever to be a success. Take the Blair Witch for instance. But not even violence could save this garbage. If your looking for the successful psychological horror out there, check out Session 9.
March 10, 2006

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