Skip to main content

Halloween Day By Day: Hell House LLC 2: The Abaddon Hotel

I stumbled across the original Hell House LLC on Shudder earlier this year and found it a surprisingly effective and creepy little found-footage movie. Yes, that subgenera is alive and well and, I assume, is never going to go away.

But when done well, as is the case with Hell House LLC, the format works. Writer/Director Stephen Cognetti crafted some fine analog scares and created a frightening -- and plausible -- back story that was the basis of the film.

He takes things up a notch with this sequel,  expanding on the history of the hotel and the mythology around it. He also takes the format one step further, turning this from found footage into an actual -- kinda, sorta -- mockumentary. Does this make for a more entertaining and scary ride? Or was he too ambitious? Stick with me!

It's a little of both actually. I really enjoyed the expanded mythology and how, by the movie's end, we know exactly what is up with this hotel and its ghastly inhabitants. And I really dug how Cognetti "compiled other footage" of people's ghostly encounters there. At times this felt like one of those ghost-hunter specials on the History Channel or something.

But . . . not all the performances are strong enough to make me believe I was watching the real deal. At times I was pulled out of the experience because some of the acting just wasn't strong enough. For me, watching a movie is all about the overall experience, so this weakened some of the scares and suspense.

I still had fun with this one, and believe Cognetti has himself a nice little horror franchise here as long as he takes extra care of it. Like the first, I doubt I'll see it again, so it rates a Bad, but I'll still watch more Hell House LLC movies if they appear.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

#CocktailHour: Slushtail

  Summer approaches, inspiring thoughts of sunshine, backyard parties, and having a tip and sip with friends.  With that in mind, I bring you this week sunny beverage. To make a slushtail, mix a can of frozen orange juice, a can of frozen lemonade (or limeade), a can of pineapple juice, a couple cups of black tea (or English Breakfast), and two cups of bourbon- such as Southern Comfort, in a pitcher.  When it's all nicely mixed, put it in the freezer until it's a nice slushy consistency. Scoop the slush into a cocktail glass, and pour in some Sprite or 7-Up.  Add a little umbrella for some frivolous fun, and a straw. Voila!  Ready to enjoy. This is a very refreshing drink.  The fruit juices, Sprite, and bourbon- when chilled makes for a great punch-like drink.  The bourbon doesn't overwhelm juices.   In fact, they are all nicely balanced in terms of flavors.  The sourness of the citrus fruits contrasts well with the slightly sweeter Southern Comfort.  It was refreshing enou

Unlock your fate with The Puzzle

When my dad wasn't working, building stuff or being my dad, he was making puzzles. It was a guaranteed way for him to unwind. So it was with great interest that I sat down to watch Italian filmmaker Davide Melini's award-winning short The Puzzle. You see, the mother in the five-minute film likes to relax with puzzles just like my dad. Unfortunately, her good-for-nothing son keeps harassing her for money. Losing herself in her favourite passtime, the mother soon discovers that completing this puzzle might unlock a nightmare. The Puzzle has been an official selection at more European film festivals than you can shake a stick at, and was voted Third Best Italian Film at the Rome International Film Festival in 2008. Having watched it, I'm not surprised. It's a tight little film that hits you hard in the final few seconds. You can tell Melini cut his teeth as an assistant director for legendary Italian filmmaker Dario Argento. But enough chit chat on my part. See if yo

The Animated Addict: "The Adventures of Tintin" (2011)

If you're a 40 + white dude, like myself, you may remember a comic series called " The Adventures of Tintin ".  I know I remember them.  This series, dating back to 1929, got turned into a animated feature film by Steven Spielberg in 2011. After buying a model of ship called The Unicorn, teenaged journalist Tintin finds himself on adventure that will take him from the high seas, to the low deserts, and from the distant past to the present.  With his trusty dog, Snowy, by his side, Tintin uncovers a story connecting two men across the centuries.. . The story is really quite good.  It's well crafted, and high paced- with just enough slow moments to build and develop the world and the characters.  This is the sort of adventure story you'd find in the old serials of the 1930's and '40's.  In fact, it felt like it was the sort of tale that you'd find Indiana Jones undertaking.  I found myself swept up, and swept along as our hero swung from one e