La Prison Hantée

There is nothing like an old prison to add to the creepiness of a horror film, especially if there is some old murders that are at the root of the horror.

Looking at this from just a detective thriller, it is very interesting as Michael Paré looks into a couple of suicides related to the prison. He hooks up with the prison psychiatrist (Jenny McShane) to investigate.

Lots of creepiness and excitement for those that like Ring-type horror.

Always love a chance to see Danny Trejo.

They had to add that irritating rap during the credits! Biggest disappointment: Just who in the world runs out of a shower screaming at the sight of the ghost and takes the time to put on a bathrobe? You have to be kidding me!

There are a couple of things this horror flick has going for it.

Firstly, the story. I have to admit I liked the way they tied Blackgate Prison into the Roanoke disappearances though it could have been a tad bit stronger and crisper - just like the spirit of the dead warden's daughter... The writers, Scott Aronson, William Butler, Angus Houvouras, and Aaron Strongoni add a few twists to this revenge tale.

Secondly, the acting. This is above par, even Ja Rule does a decent portrayal of his character, Terrence Dufresne. The strongest of the cast are Michael Pare, Jenny McShane, Kelly Stables, Tom Sizemore, and Danny Trejo. Since these are all major characters in the film they add both depth and strength.

Unfortunately, neither of these issues could save this film. The major drawback is the direction. William Butler, who directed, does try to add atmosphere and tension but he can't pull it off. The pace is also pretty steady and for this type of story, it doesn't work. It required a more rollercoaster-like form. Faster for the action, slower for the tension, and steady for the rest. Give the audience a ride. It's this tempo and unoriginality in the camera work that makes it more than a little boring at times. Regrettably, even the special effects are so lacklustre they damage the movie. These have to be the worst ghosts-come-spirits ever to be filmed. With a little imagination and ingenuity, this could have been so much better.

I wouldn't recommend anybody buying this film, though if it makes it onto a terrestrial, cable, satellite, or streaming channel and there's nothing else on then go ahead and give it a watch. I would even recommend checking out my Absolute Horror list-come-chart to see where this film places as well as checking out some other films to try.

While opening the abandoned south wing of the Blackgate Prison to receive three hundred new inmates, one security guard and one prisoner enters in the furnace room. In the evening, the guard commits suicide and later the inmate is found dead in his cell in weird circumstances. Detective Michael Turner (Michael Paré) investigates the suicide case and he notes that the guard had just lost two fingers. He drives to the prison, where he discloses an uncanny event in the furnace room.

"Furnace" is a lame movie with an awful screenplay that does not develop well the characters or the situations, which are absolutely disconnected, senseless and without explanation. The conclusion is terrible, with many people dying (security guards, coroner, prisoners etc.) and the only action is sealing again the wing of the prison without any further consequence. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "A Fornalha" ("The Furnace")

My boyfriend and I rented this yesterday. I loved it! Him not as much as me but overall the film was very scary and dark. The little girl in the film who had been burned badly was really hard to look at though the make up was so painfully created and realistic! I don't know many of the actors but over was scared to death! I highly recommend.

The story stakes place in a dilapidated old prison where the ghost of a murdered young girl wanders the hall in search of her killer. Its not until the ending that you realize that her killer is the last person you expected. It's a pretty twisted premise so I don't recommend it for the kiddies!

I can't understand why this is considered "unrated". There was no significant gore, no graphic nudity, no torture....nothing but the typical "R" rated schlock that continues to be churned out by amateur horror filmmakers. Other than about five seconds of the usual boring fake sex footage with the two main characters, there is nothing even really "R" rated in this film. In fact it is a very slow-moving, poorly acted, poorly scripted, tangled mess. The plot is very thin and predictable, the camera work terrible, and it's not the least bit scary. The prison setting (especially the closed-off section) does provide a bit of eerieness, but is otherwise ruined by the above-mentioned flaws. Just another unforgettable movie to throw on the scrap-heap of bad low-budget horror films. 2 stars