Superstition

I found this to be a very enjoyable film, and quite unique.

The supernatural /slasher/gore mix works really well, and the pacing of the film is excellent, not a minute is wasted, there's no padding, so it doesn't outstay its welcome.

Obviously not the biggest budget, but the sequence set in 1692 looks great and really adds to the atmosphere.

I definitely recommend a viewing. I watched the Scream Factory blu ray, and when the film is well lit, it looks great, in the darker scenes, not so much. There are also a lot of speckles/flecks evident in the darker scenes, but overall the picture is good.

I was surprised by this low budget horror movie. It isn't a masterpiece, but overall it's well done - certainly better than THE AMITYVILLE HORROR. Things happen in this movie that take you by surprise - both genuine shocks, and seeing stuff you usually never see in horror movies! And there are some splatter scenes that will really take your attention. You probably won't see this on TV, (and if you do, it'll be severely cut), so do some detective work in the video stores in your area. You won't be disappointed.

What at first feels like a creatively impaired Amityville Horror rip off quickly spirals into a balls-out, splatter fest that's a lot more fun than you'd think. The story is that a house has been cured ever since a witch was executed in the lake that surrounds the property and anyone who enters has come to a bad end. A priest and his family move in and begin to experience creepy things until the vengeful witch returns to kill them all one by one.

Superstition doesn't waste any time in getting to the good stuff. The opening of the film alone features a body being torn in half by a shattered window and a teenager's head exploding in a microwave. Once the main victims move in, the witch doesn't spend her time making chairs move or opening doors - she just goes right for the jugular and starts killing people in creatively bloody ways.

In some ways, Superstition feels more like a slasher movie than a ghost story, but it's not a bad thing. It certainly makes the film stand out from similar films from the time and it mixes subgenres quite well. If you're looking for a spooky good time, Superstition will hook you up.

Don't let the generic-sounding title lull you into thinking this is a lame haunted-house movie. Although it's true that a lot of its plot elements are borrowed from other films (deadly lake, demon in the house, burned witch in Puritan times), Superstition feels remarkably genuine and is (somewhat) surprisingly good. And, unlike most cheapo horror films of the 70s and 80s (and, well, every decade), the plot is definitely not entirely predictable. There aren't really any recognizable names in the cast (Stacy Keach's dad is in it, and Lynne Carlin was in the '71 cult hit Taking Off), and the movie has a now-dated vibe to it, but the action is relentless and expertly done. Definitely worth a look for those of you who enjoy scary movies.

This movie has all of the elements that you expect from a horror film--and I mean that in the best way! All right, it's admittedly low budget, but the frequent deaths, presented with almost metronomic spacing, are inventive and entertaining. Plus, it is a delight to see a film that really does have a supernatural grounding, instead of the so-tired slasher bit.

You should definitely watch this movie when you are alone at night--watching it with friends or in the daytime gives you too much chance to let the low budget distract you from the flow...