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The Telling

  • Video
  • 2009
  • R
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
3.3/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
Christina Rosenberg, Holly Madison, Bridget Marquardt, and Sara Jean Underwood in The Telling (2009)
Official Trailer
Play trailer1:40
1 Video
42 Photos
HorrorMysteryThriller

For their final task as sorority pledges, three girls must tell the scariest story they know. Once they finish, the votes are in. But has someone taken murder to heart?For their final task as sorority pledges, three girls must tell the scariest story they know. Once they finish, the votes are in. But has someone taken murder to heart?For their final task as sorority pledges, three girls must tell the scariest story they know. Once they finish, the votes are in. But has someone taken murder to heart?

  • Directors
    • Nicholas Carpenter
    • Harry Grigsby
  • Writer
    • Joe Lessard
  • Stars
    • Holly Madison
    • Christina Rosenberg
    • Nicole Zeoli
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    3.3/10
    1.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Nicholas Carpenter
      • Harry Grigsby
    • Writer
      • Joe Lessard
    • Stars
      • Holly Madison
      • Christina Rosenberg
      • Nicole Zeoli
    • 15User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    The Telling
    Trailer 1:40
    The Telling

    Photos41

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    Top cast65

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    Holly Madison
    Holly Madison
    • Stephanie (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    Christina Rosenberg
    Christina Rosenberg
    • Amber (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    • (as Lola La Belle)
    Nicole Zeoli
    • Roxy (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    Najarra Townsend
    Najarra Townsend
    • Brianna (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    Angela Nicholas
    Angela Nicholas
    • Brianna's Mom (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    Wesley Stiller
    • Greg (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    Alyssa Price
    • Megan (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    Sara Jean Underwood
    Sara Jean Underwood
    • Tracey (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    Christina Iannuzzi
    • Brittney (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    Jessica Rizo
    • Tiffany (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    Ashley Noel
    Ashley Noel
    • Brandi (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    Jean Louise O'Sullivan
    • Haley (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    • (as Jean-Louise O'Sullivan)
    Stephanie Sanborn
    • Phoebe (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    James MacPherson
    • Officer Embers
    Jessica Noboa
    • Tonya (segment "Sorority Sisters")
    Rebekah Kochan
    Rebekah Kochan
    • Lily (segment "DollFace")
    Ryan Freeman
    Ryan Freeman
    • Tommy (segment "DollFace")
    Kimshelley Lessard
    • Sarah (segment "DollFace")
    • (as Kimshelley Garner)
    • Directors
      • Nicholas Carpenter
      • Harry Grigsby
    • Writer
      • Joe Lessard
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews15

    3.31.7K
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    Featured reviews

    3sunniva_reilly

    Retelling a cliché

    I did not have very high hopes for this film. A horror movie from the Playboy mansion? I think most people probably suspect that Playboy bunnies do not make great actresses, and indeed they do not. They are great at posing and pouting, but pretending to laugh, is sadly beyond their reach (though this might be due to having been pawed at by a 127 year old Hugh Hefner, as that would stop most people from even cracking a smile).

    So if you disregard the acting, which ranges from poor to abysmal, you will have heard the stories again and again since childhood. In fact, most Halloween specials have told these stories, and often told them better. So here goes: To gain membership in a Sorority populated by plastic women in their late 20ies and early (?) 30ies (who, at least at one point, are amusingly Borg-like), three pledges must tell a scary story each. Seem familiar yet?

    The first story involves an evil doll, the second a creepy castle in Transsylvania and in the third, three babysitters (ok, they're not actually babysitters, but they might as well be to make the cliché complete) get creepy phone calls.

    This is far from the worst film I've seen (that honour still belongs to Unearthed), and sadly, it is not so-bad-it's-good either. Overall, I think it deserves a 3/10, because it did manage to hold my attention till the end and because it did give me a chuckle or two. However, it must be said, it is not even remotely scary. Nor is it sexy. Apparently, there is 1 blink-and-you'll-miss-it topless scene, but I blinked, so I missed it.
    1boynascar

    With all that "Talent" ...

    With all the great actors in the movie, how could it had turned out so bad ?...lol... The Only thing great about the movie is the Playboy bunnies and breast shots !... That's it... Nothing else left to say....... Pass it up unless you want to be bored to death for 80 minutes... Not only is it bad, but the direction, production, sound, and script is AWFUL at best. They stole good ideas from other movies and made them cheap. They didn't even do a good job at editing either, if they would have, the movie would have been about 5 minutes long. Guess that's why there were so many good movie references.... As at as being a "Horror" movie, not even close. The only time I was scared was when I found out my wife had noticed that I watched it, that was scary. It took my 5 days to explain why I sat thru more then 10 minutes of this crap.
    1martinsteph79

    Seriously...

    Here it goes, after I heard about our local movie store was closing I decided to go and buy movies because they were 50% - 70% off the original price. This movie was one of the many movies I bought, I really didn't have much to do today so I watched it.....it sucked! I feel really bad to say that because I really like Bridget and Holly. I'm also a huge fan of "The Girls Next Door"and that's another reason why I picked this movie up. The acting was cheesy, the production was lame and the film quality was crappy! This is a movie that is going to never be played again and just sit in my movie cabinet. Save your money and brain cells.
    1ifuseekkody

    Not so great...

    I was very excited to get this movie; however, this movie was really bad. I feel really bad to say that because I really like Bridget and Holly. They were both great. Nevertheless, the rest of the actors were very cheesy.

    There is a live and enthusiastic market for most anything associated with the The Girls Next Door. This is rightfully so even as the series winds down and each of the women go their individual ways. The series had a little something for everybody; each of the girls were charming and sexy in their individual ways; Hugh Hefner did a good job in his role in front of the camera and it would appear that he made a number of good decisions behind the camera; the whole Girls Next Door project had a fair degree of excellence as an entertainment vehicle. Just as a last observation on Girls Next Door, I will say that for those who were seeking some mild, light hearted titillation, it had its moments of genuine sexiness, delivered at a level of quality that only Playboy can do.

    Anyone agreeing with the above would like to see The Telling succeed, if for no other reason than Holly & Bridget are not only in it but apparently Bridget was involved as a producer. You have the sense from the Behind the Scenses portion that Bridget in particular put a lot of work in this video. I don't doubt that; she routinely comes across as a hard working, sincere and focused lady.

    So, what about The Telling. Let me just say that it's nice to see Bridget and Holly again; however, this video is not a top flight vehicle for them, and a number of buyers will be somewhat disappointed. As for sexual titillation, don't worry yourself about that; there essentially is none. Bridget & Holly look good, but you'll see more sex watching Fox News. As for a gripping horror story with professional acting, it's going to be pretty thin for a number of folks. Real GND fans are still going to buy this video, and if anything the end of the show Behind the Scenes 15 to 20 minutes will be the most interesting part. Bridget and Holly are both individually interviewed in this section. Bridget admits that her time as one of Hef's girlfriends as well as her residence in the Playboy mansion are winding down, and that she will be an upcoming moderator to some extent on the Travel Channel. I suspect that this will be a much more successful vehicle for her.
    2Ed-Shullivan

    HORROR-ible

    What a waste of time this so called Horror/Thriller/Mystery was. The film is about some Mean Girls sorority sisters inviting some potential new innocent and shy pledges to each tell the stuck up holier than thou sorority sisters their scariest story. Of course the new pledges were also expected to bring gifts to the stuck up sorority sisters to influence them to invite them in to their stuck up sorority.

    As each new pledge got their chance to tell the sorority sisters about their individual scariest encounter and as their scary story was re-enacted we the viewers were left wondering what the heck is their point?

    There were three (3) pledges who each told their supposedly scariest story and as hard as I tried I found myself wandering off to my fridge and/or to search IMDb for something else to watch because this film had no redeeming value or interest.

    I give the film a very poorly rated 2 out of 10 IMDb rating. I cannot recommend anyone waste their time watching this amateurish so called Horror/Thriller/Mystery film.

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    Related interests

    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      First and, as of 2023, only directorial credit for Nicholas Carpenter.
    • Crazy credits
      In the end credits: "[...] any similarity to actual persons, living, dead or undead, is purely coincidental."
    • Connections
      Referenced in The Girls Next Door: Scream Test (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Go Home Girl
      Written & Performed by Floor Thirteen

      Courtesy of C4 Records

      Under license from Floor Thirteen Music

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 14, 2009 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Повелители теней
    • Filming locations
      • Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Breakout Entertainment
      • Chuck Williams Productions
      • Prometheus Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 24m(84 min)
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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