Insidious

INSIDIOUS is yet another one of those Hollywood ghost stories involving a possessed child. It follows a predictable format, with minor, isolated incidents gradually giving way to larger-scale, more pronounced apparitions and events before culminating in a full-scale onslaught of evil. And it's all rather silly.

I enjoyed the first half of the movie. It's here where things are kept subtle and straightforward, with effectively creepy scare scenes and half-glimpsed figures spotted lurking in darkened rooms. So far, so good. But around the halfway mark, the film introduces a trio of paranormal investigators and things quickly descent into POLTERGEIST-style farce.

The problem with depictions of a hellish limbo or netherworld is that, in order to make something scary, you have to pretty much identify with the different fears of each viewer. Sorry, but I don't find tussles with greasy-looking hobos and Darth Maul from THE PHANTOM MENACE to be particularly frightening; in fact, there's something pantomime about the whole thing.

The actors, including the dependable Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson, do their best but at times in the latter stages they seem to struggle to keep a straight face while the ludicrous events increase in scale and speed. It's a shame that the whole thing goes to pot, because if it had been handled more sensitively (and with less sensationalism) by the team behind the SAW franchise then it could well have worked much better.

Just came back from watching an advanced screening of " Insidious " tonight with my wife, we both liked it a lot. When it comes to Horror films, there are always the same Horror formulas which film makers really can't escape when making a Horror, because there aren't much they can work with and they are limited to that same formula. So Insidous borrows many of its ideas from other Horror films, one comes to mind is 1982 film " Poltergeist ", but here we have a family of 5, Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne play the parents of 2 boys and a little baby girl. after a slow build up, a small accident occur and their older son falls into comma or so it seems !! soon after, weird things start to happen at the house and the mother suspects evil spirits are in the house !!

A simple story that as i said was done before, however, I thought it was done differently here, there was a better atmosphere and some elements of the plot stood out as being fresh that made this film unique somehow. As scares goes, this was definitely scary, there were several moments in the film that gave me goosebumps !! there were also the classic jump out of your seat moments too. Some scenes were creepy and the mixing of music and sounds were done superbly to add to the Horror. so the movie does deliver as far as scares are concerned.

Acting was superb too, all cast involved did a very good job, particularly Rose Byrne whom I'm fond of after watching her in the excellent TV show " Damages ". Patrick Wilson was also good here.

the atmosphere was creepy, the director managed to catch nice footage of the house and other elements of the film.

So in summary, get ready and grab your loved ones and go catch this movie this Friday, it entertains. very enjoyable and scary, and even though it borrows ideas from other Horror films, it never imitates, it stand out as a new and fresh take on traditional Horror !!

I've seen some of this one awhile ago I don't remember much just figured I'd get caught up before the Insidious:Red Door comes out. I appreciate a lot of James Wan projects and Leigh Whannel is phenomenal! Patrick Wilson has also been great for last couple decades he works well with Rose Byrne. The flow and terror is much better than I could've imagined I'd agree with someone else better than Paranormal Activity. I'm surprised more don't appreciate James Wan he's great at his craft since Saw he's had some great movies and some that weren't as good I'd defiantly recommend this! The terror hit the spot especially with the tip toe song that's brilliant.

Of all the genre's that Hollywood has to offer, the most tattered of the bunch is without a doubt the horror department. I am so sick of these wannabe 'so called' horror flicks that belong on late night lifetime channel. Im sick of the same old parlor tricks and scare tactics that have been used for the past 10 years. And i am even more sickened by the fact that they keep making the same crap year after year. You would figure after great horror flicks like "The Decent" and "Paranormal Activity", studios would start realizing what actually works and what audiences want to see. Hopefully in the coming years, this genre' will come back to life.

When it comes to horror movies, i think the two most crucial elements are the cinematography, and the musical score. Actually, i prefer there to be no music at all. Almost all the great horror movies never use it, because they rely on scaring the audience with disturbing images, not raised music that makes everyone jump. If i want that, I'll go to a haunted house. When i go to see a horror flick, i want it to leave a lasting impression. However, movies like this are the one exception.

This film had such amazing cinematography, that i didn't even care about those 'raised music' sequences. I rarely get creeped out at the theater, and this movie scared the crap out of me. I'm talking' sweaty palms, eyes wide open, my body sunk all the way down in my chair scared. And for those of you who have read my reviews in the past, i hardly ever say that about a horror flick. And what really sold it was the cinematography. This film is packed with tons of really creepy and disturbing images. So much in fact, that you will hate walking into your dark house alone. Yes, they do use the same scare tactics, but since everything in the movie looked so damn creepy and demented, i for once didn't want the lead female to hurry up and open the basement door and get it over with.

The storyline is pretty decent. It's not an amazing concept or genuinely creepy on it's own. But it does a decent enough of a job to keep your interest and sell what your seeing unfold on screen. And it's safe to say that this is a very different take on your typical haunted house.

Bottom Line......holy crap, i just realized that this movie is only PG-13. Is it possible for a movie to be scary as hell and only be rated PG-13? The answer is yes, and this is a prime example of that. You know when a horror movie has done it's job? It's when it scares you both in the theater, and hours later when you try to sleep at night. Tonight, i will have lots of trouble sleeping. I can easily say that this will probably be the best horror movie of the year.

The film Insidious has done something many horror movies have failed to do recently, and that is to be scary.

Insidious has a lot of really intense moments that scare, and then grab hold of you. Its not entirely made up of "make you jump" scenes, which it does have, but scenes with genuine horror.

Insidious has taken a risk with doing something original, and It works here for them. Without giving anything away the movie does not just talk about whats scary, or show the the aftermath of something going on in a room that you can only hear until its over and the door magically unlocks. Insidious shows you whats scary, and quite often reminds you whats there, and waiting in the dark.