Reviewed by Carol Sullivan
Genre: Horror
Released: January 1st, 2008
Rating: PG-13 for violent content, disturbing images, language, teen drinking and some thematic material
Director: Daniel Myrick
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Starring: Elisabeth Harnois, Shawn Ashmore, Tyler Hoechlin, Amanda Seyfried, Matt O'Leary, Hilarie Burton, R. Lee Ermey, Jenna Hildebrand
Studio: Endgame Entertainment
On DVD: January 1st, 2008
Features
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Audio commentary with director Daniel Myrick
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Deadly Secrets Ooze to the Surface in the Bayou
I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to be wowed by this movie rental. Nowadays, horror movies, starring the young, beautiful and otherwise unknown, seem to be a dime-a-dozen. They, more often than not, have a weak cast, a poor story line and insulting special effects. It is becoming rare and discouraging to me, as a horror fan--how often do we find a new story line that's fresh and surprising; that isn't a re-hash of something else?
Well, friends and neighbors, I was wrong and pleasantly surprised with Solstice.
While it does contain the young, beautiful and fresh cast, they were amazingly talented.
The movie starts out, as so many do, with a getaway by a group of post-high school pals. Megan (Elisabeth Harnois, whose dual roles are played rather skillfully) is haunted by dreams and visions of her dead twin Sofie, and she is suddenly seeing and dreaming things--things which her fellow partiers don't believe and blame on her grief. But, the repeated resurfacing of her dead sister's teddy-bear key chain is impossible to ignore, as are the other things that only seem to happen to her.
Now this is the only problem I had with Solstice--they didn't do their homework first! The movie is set in the damp, summer-time, Louisiana bayou. That's fine, but the characters are having nightly parties outside, scantly dressed, yet aren't slathering-on bug-repellent? And there are a few scenes with them scampering in the lakes and rivers; again, scantly dressed. Now, I was born in Georgia and I've since spent many a summer in the south. These young and well-tanned, Polo-wearing kids would have been a walking BUFFET for the mosquitoes. And the waters and swamps of the bayou are teeming with alligators and water-snakes. Maybe not a deal-breaker for most movie-goers, but I, and others, know better.
But, just when I was going to give up, chalking it up to another lousy horror movie, it got damn interesting! The special effects, and what I like to call the 'Boo-Factor,' got better and better. The creepy and well-placed music adds to the mystery and overall tension.
I hate to give away the ending; for it is a good one...so, I won't. But, what may seem like yet another cheesy horror movie, Solstice is a worth-while rental, or perhaps even a purchase.
Overall Rating: 2 1/2 |
