Haunted Ulster Live

What a treat this was to see at Frightfest in London. I remember watching Ghostwatch as a family so vividly back in the 1990s and this is definitely a love letter to that- as well as a real gem in it's own right.

All the performances were brilliant but a particular mention for Mark Claney who I did now know before but who I would love to see in more- my initial perception of the character as an Alan Partridge type figure but also my more broad ideas of 80s and 90s TV hosts were definitely subtly played with in a very good way.

I obviously enjoy horror as I was at Frightfest but I have to say I felt this film is one I'd watch and rewatch around Halloween each year with friends who are not all out horror fans- people who enjoy mysteries and elements of the paranormal (and even Derry Girls!) should also see this.

This was an absolutely fantastic watch at FrightFest, a pure delight, with great classic Irish humour and a wonderful atmosphere.

Whether you're fan of GhostWatch and want to watch a very lovingly made homage, or simply a fan of horror that doesn't take itself too seriously (until it does), this is 100% a must watch.

This is definitely a film to watch again and again and again on loop to catch all the things you've missed or was heavily foreshadowed, from the significance of the numbers on the wall, the various audio and visual distortions, everything to do with Declan in the attic, and more.

Do yourself a favour, and watch this brilliant little film.

... along the lines of The Blair Witch Project.

Now take my review from the POV of an American, not a native of Northern Ireland.

If you are an American, do your homework. Read up first about this movie on the interwebs, reviews and or articles, and fear not spoilers. This will give you the basis of understanding that is needed.

The story is actually quite spooky. And the mix of believers and skeptics is interesting. The behind the scenes interactions of on air and production staff by a local independent TV station is funny and realistic.

The "Three Witches" among the neighbors hanging out in front of the haunted house, these lassies are a gas!

Finally about the actor Siobhan Kelly who portrays Sarah, the mother of the family that live in the haunted house. She plays the parts of a person that is: a nervous interviewee; has been terrorized by the supernatural; a concerned mom; and one butting heads with the TV folks who seem to have commandeered her home. All quite well.

On Halloween night in 1998 a gimmicky news special investigates an allegedly-haunted house in Belfast. This movie is advertised as a horror comedy, which is misleading. There's no horror; it would be more accurately characterized as a paranormal mystery. There IS deadpan humor throughout, but the movie ends up taking its paranormal elements rather too seriously to qualify as a comedy. Performances are decent and the production does a nice job of re-creating a mid-1990s news special aesthetic. Unfortunately the story eventually bogs down in a morass of half-baked paranormal and pseudoscientific conceits that derail the fun and novelty of the premise.

Like Ghostwatch, Late Night With The Devil, Most Haunted (uk tv), all rolled into one + add a dash of Enfield energy and some 90's paranormal tv vibes and you're having your best spooky time. Such a fun watch, deliberately low tech and awkward, love the dated transitions, the boom mics, the silly web pages, just chef's kiss to all of it. I feel like this is Shaun of the Dead of paranormal movies. And though it has kind of a less serious tone it does get scarier and more anxiety-inducing as the film goes along. And now that I've seen how it wrapped up/what the gist was I guarantee I'll notice more on a rewatch. Really creative, great cast, going on my Best Horror of 2024 list.

Further spoiler-free reviews and such on What's Up Weirdo podcast :)