The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer

"The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer" is a prequel to the Mini-Series "Rose Red" (2002). The cinematography and the art direction are excellent, depicting Seattle in 1910 and a few years after. The cast is also great with good performances. However, the story is weak and disclosed in a very slow pace. The great mystery of the disappearances of women is never explained and there is no explanation about the evil entity that torments Ellen Rimbauer. In the end, "The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer" is a huge disappointment and never satisfies fans of horror, thriller, drama and romance genres. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "O Diário de Ellen Rimbauer" ("The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer")

The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer was supposed to be the prequel to answer some of the questions about Rose Red's history from last years mini-series. Instead, it seems like Rose Red answers more questions about The Diary of Ellen Rimbauer. The story and acting were well done and pretty easy to follow. To say the least, it does keep your interest. It starts out with the building of Rose Red and how there was a nurder the day the a young and engaged Ellen Rimbauer first lays eyes on the place. The Diary of ER was entertaining, it still left a few unanswered questions and a wanting for more. My first and perhaps biggest complaint was the fact the place and the atmosphere seemed foreboding and dark, there was not as much a supernatural element to it as Rose Red. People disappeared in it, but if I recall correctly one was a famous lady who disappeared. Instead we get to see the horrors of how much a philandering, sex addicted and possibly sypohilis infected bastard John Rimbauer was and how everybody he slept with then disappeared in the house. He was basically the worst seen being in the Rose Red mansion. The movie also came up short in that it stopped before Ellen and her faithful friend from Africa also disappeared or had something happen to them in the house. There was not the horror or even suspense element that had been in Rose Red.The house's history had been made somehow less scary than what it had been in the subsequent movie that followed it. Like, I said the movie was decent, but it left you wanting more of everything. It was lacking in detail and horror. It was a decent movie about a mysterious place and the sadness suffered by a women with a sex addicted and philandering husband but little else. A little more hooror and suspense, not to mention detail would have been nice.

I haven't seen the original Rose Red yet, but I did pick up this dvd at the rental store. It was decently acted, had appropriately scary mood music, in other words everything you needed to make a good horror flick. Well apart from heart that is. It just seemed to me like they just weren't trying too hard to make this thing work. It did scare you in various places, but it was almost formulaic scariness. I'd pass on this, unless you've seen Rose Red and wanted to see it's history.

I'll possibly pick up Rose Red at the video store one of these days, or maybe not -- just wasn't compelling enough from this prequel. I'll give it a 6 out of 10.

I have certainly seen bigger budgeted movies in the genre far worse than this effort, it is competently acted, has some nice visual touches, and the director knows how to best utilise the monolithic house. That said, without genuine suspense it is hard to succeed in the genre, so without a fearful story as well it has little to no chance of making it. The crux of the matter is that the story really isn't that interesting, we have seen and read about this plot on numerous occasions, so for a TV movie to win you round it really is asking way too much. Basic ingredients are all here, creepy house, pretty wife confused, servant with big role to play, and of course the genre staple of sexual deviant husband with dark overtones. The film moves along sedately which is fine if the pay off is worth the wait, sadly it isn't here and it limps over the finish line instead of leaping over as the build up had promised.

Just below average for me, but a gentle round of applause for effort to those involved, 4/10.

This definitely qualifies as one of them. Twice as good as the mini-series, and only one-third the length! Good period detail. Suitably creepy all the way through. I give it four stars, to the original's two-and-a-quarter!