Solstice (2007)

Directed by Daniel Myrick (THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT) the horror movie SOLSTICE follows a group of high school friends on their summer vacation at a lake house. Soon things take a turn for the worse when Meghan (Elizabeth Harnois) realizes that her dead twin sister is trying to contact her. The feature stars Shawn Ashmore (X-MEN) Tyler Hoechlin (7TH HEAVEN) Amanda Seyfried (MEAN GIRLS BIG LOVE) and R. Lee Ermey (FULL METAL JACKET SE7EN).Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: HORROR/PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER UPC: 796019809535 Manufacturer No: 80953 Product Description

A worthy addition to the genre

A more than competent supernatural thriller (a remake of the Danish film "Midsommer") that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout and have you jumping out of your skin on more than one occasion. The story maintains a fine pace, wasting no time getting down to the creepy stuff and keeping you guessing right to the very end. The story is set in the swamplands of Louisiana and involves a group of high school seniors (why do these things always involve teenagers, I wonder?) trying to come to terms with the recent death of Sophie, twin sister of one of their number (Meghan). Although it strikes me that spending the week of the summer solstice in the remote holiday home owned by Sophie and Meghan's family is probably not the best way to do that.

Unlike many films of this genre, "Solstice" manages to both build suspense and become steadily more scary without descending into the realms of complete silliness. (Well, OK, it has some moments of moderate silliness as well as a fair collection of clichés obligatory to the genre but these never really detract from the action -- although they will probably destroy your trust in Louisiana plumbing, as well as putting you off watermelons, for ever more.)

All in all, though, this is worthy addition to the genre and it would be a good idea to grab yourself a copy in time for Halloween. September 20, 2008

I WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED!!!

I wasn't expecting much when I rented this movie. I was shocked when I found myself drawn into the plot and feeling suspenseful for the characters. This was an excellent ghost story with a good twist in the plot. August 3, 2008

A simple ghost story ruined by idiot movie-makers

This movie had a very interesting story. Unfortunately, it was filmed like a crappy low-budget Canadian production. To my astonishment, this movie was filmed in the U.S., and more specifically in Louisiana, giving supposed credence to the location. However, this played like a cheap ghost story with poor actors improperly depicting Louisiana residents. R. Lee Ermy's acting was wasted on a ridiculous character. This movie had so much potential but was so disappointing. If you want to see a better version of this kind of story, go rent "What Lies Beneath". July 27, 2008

Okay movie.

I'm a huge One Tree Hill fan, so I had to buy this movie since Hilarie Burton and Elisabeth Harnois are two of the main characters. The movie is about a girl (Harnois) who's twin sister commits suicide. Trying to cope with the loss of her sister, she and friends travel to a remote house to vacation for the summer solstice. As the movie progresses, we learn more and more as to what may have caused the suicide of her sister, and it's her responsibility to solve the mystery. Others in this film include Amanda Seyfried (Mama Mia, Big Love) and Tyler Hoechlin (7th Heaven) -- both who have great performances!

The movie has some scary moments in the "boo -ahh" sense, nothing to graphic or violent. The voo-doo stuff was a bit unrealistic to me, but I am a very skeptical person to begin with. This was a good scary movie compared to others that have been released lately. It's not incredibly stupid like One Missed Call or Pulse, and it's not just about gore (think The Hills Have Eyes and Saw 1-300 (lol) ).

I love a good scary movie and I think that this defintely delivers better than most of the recent horror releases. June 27, 2008

A well-paced atmospheric supernatural thriller

Frankly, I had low expectations for this movie, just based on the synopsis. However, after watching it, I found it quite well-done. It is not a gory horror thriller, but more of an atmospheric chiller that is centred around mysterious events.

Megan [Elisabeth Harnois of Point Pleasant fame] is devastated by the loss of her twin sister Sophie, and she and her college-bound friends decide to take a break at Megan's family's vacation home out on the Louisiana bayou. Her friends are played by among others, Shawn Ashmore (X-Men series), Amanda Seyfried (Big Love) and Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill). Megan finds herself being 'haunted' by disturbing images to do with her sister's suicide and keeps finding a keyring that she thinks belonged to her late sister. Each attempt to bury it or dispose of it fails, and she finally begins to suspect that it has something to do with her sister's suicide. A guy she meets at the local grocery store [played by Tyler Hoechlin of 7th heaven] stirs her interest in Creole folklore, and on the night of the solstice, the group gets together to conjure Sophie's spirit, only they find more than they bargain for.

The acting is average on the whole, though the lead actress is quite credible as the distraught sister seeking answers. The effects are well-done - of course, there is a creepy looking entity that keeps popping up throughout the movie, but this is subtly done, and doesn't annoy the audience unlike some other horror movies. The special effects are minimal, but what effects there are subtly add to the atmosphere and enhance the unfolding plot.

I would not categorise this as a great horror movie, but it is a decently made supernatural flick that arouses one's interest - the mystery element in the storyline engages the audience and makes us curious as to what is really going on. This makes for quite an entertaining viewing experience, though the first half did drag a bit. On the whole, a decent mystery/supernatural flick.

June 16, 2008

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