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The Innkeepers (2011)

ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,010
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Unusual in these bloodsoaked, CGI ravaged times to find a genuinely scary movie which leaves a lot (some might say a bit too much) to the viewer's imagination.
Sara Paxton is truly charming and very funny as the slacker/amateur ghosthunter working at a supposedly haunted hotel which is a couple of days away from closure.
Lots of false alarms and several flesh creeping moments plus some comedy from the staff's treatment of the remaining guests.
Ambivalent in its attitude to the supernatural to be sure but if you're not moved by the ending then you're dead inside.:)

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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5
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    I found it painfully boring. Sara Paxtons character was very likeable and had a lot of charm but by the time things started to actually happen i had lost interest. I'm all for a good slow burning horror but when a movie thats 2 hours long spends the majority of it doing nothing with it's time, it gets tiresome.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 18,108
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    I might give it a watch.
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    ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,010
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    metmoo123 wrote: »
    I found it painfully boring. Sara Paxtons character was very likeable and had a lot of charm but by the time things started to actually happen i had lost interest. I'm all for a good slow burning horror but when a movie thats 2 hours long spends the majority of it doing nothing with it's time, it gets tiresome.

    It's only 100 minutes but I admit that at times it seemed longer.
    I think the slow pace pointed up the creepier bits: I definitely felt my skin crawling at times and that is rare with most modern horror movies.
    When all the scares are in out front in all their CGI glory, somehow it has less impact, even in well-made, big budget movies, e.g. the original "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" is far creepier than the recent lavish remake.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 5
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    The scene with the bed sheet scared the holy hell out of me, and whilst the last portion of the movie was also creepy i felt a bit dissapointed that i sat through all the buildup for a blink and you'll miss it payoff. It's by no means a bad film, just a bit too dull for me.
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    ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,010
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    Ghost stories always freak me out: I was so traumatised by the original version of "The Haunting" decades ago that I've never dared to watch it again.
    Similarly by the somewhat less subtle "The Legend of Hell House": even the book had me looking over my shoulder.:eek:
    This type of movie affects me in way no gory and gruesome fx movie ever could.
    Maybe someone will cast Sara Paxton in a series as a similar offbeat amateur ghosthunter but maybe a slightly more successful one. Clara is a great character.:cool:
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 712
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    Great little movie for the first 3/4 then dreadfully let down with a terrible ending. No wonder the director has slow build ups, he can never decide what to do with ending.

    Fail.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 50
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    Awful film seemed to go on forever.
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    PJ68PJ68 Posts: 3,116
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    saw this at frightfest last year and was massively disappointed. agree sara paxton was great, it just seemed to go nowhere then suddenly BAM it was over

    his previous film the house of the devil is MUCH better, and the same structure actually
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    SillyBillyGoatSillyBillyGoat Posts: 22,266
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    Jaymb72 wrote: »
    Great little movie for the first 3/4 then dreadfully let down with a terrible ending. No wonder the director has slow build ups, he can never decide what to do with ending.

    Fail.

    Such an overused quip. It can't really be a "fail" if you enjoyed the majority. Slight contradiction.
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    ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,010
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    PJ68 wrote: »
    saw this at frightfest last year and was massively disappointed. agree sara paxton was great, it just seemed to go nowhere then suddenly BAM it was over

    his previous film the house of the devil is MUCH better, and the same structure actually

    I wondered where I'd seen Ti West's name before.
    "House of the Devil" also ended just as it was getting interesting.
    Seems to be his trademark.
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    PJ68PJ68 Posts: 3,116
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    ironjade wrote: »
    I wondered where I'd seen Ti West's name before.
    "House of the Devil" also ended just as it was getting interesting.
    Seems to be his trademark.

    it did yeah but i think HotD was massively creepy, and when it all went WTF at the end i was ****ing myself
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 712
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    Such an overused quip. It can't really be a "fail" if you enjoyed the majority. Slight contradiction.

    Yes it can be a fail because it was a massive let down at the end thus constituting a fail in my books.
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    ironjadeironjade Posts: 10,010
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    The Innkeepers got a good review from Empire's Kim Newman this month, so I'm not the only one who likes it.:)
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    CaminoCamino Posts: 13,029
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    i really enjoyed this slow burner on Film4 last night twas quite creepy especially as I was in an old hotel staying in room no 214 i didnt sleep that well but Im home now safe & ok
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    BlueEyedMrsPBlueEyedMrsP Posts: 12,178
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    I watched it a year ago and quite liked it, good chemistry between Claire and Luke. Also nice to see Kelly McGillis after so many years out of the spotlight. :)
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