Sightings: Heartland Ghost (2002) (TV)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Brian Trenchard-Smith

Writer (WGA):

Phil Penningroth (written by)

Release Date:

27 October 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

The crew of a reality-TV show about the paranormal visits a small Kansas town to investigate a house that may be haunted. |

Plot Keywords:

Interracial | Cell Phone | Scar | Haunted House | Female Nudity

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Beau Bridges	...	Derek
Nia Long	...	Lou
Miguel Ferrer	...	Allen
Gabriel Olds	...	Jeff
Thea Gill	...	Pam
Matthew Currie Holmes	...	Nolan
Rachel Hayward	...	Jamie
Trevor Roberts	...	Arnold
Jennifer Sterling	...	Donna
Andy Maton	...	Roger
Lori Ravensborg	...	Jules Berens
Stephen Hair	...	Manager
Hazel McCauley	...	Sarah
Omar Forrest	...	Lincoln (as Omar Forrest)
Randy Birch	...	J.T. Ginnis

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality and brief violence.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:13 | UK:12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

High River, Alberta, Canada

Company:

Ann Daniel Productions

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the hallway when the candles are lighting, it is painfully obvious that they just filmed candles being blown out and then ran the tape in reverse.

Movie Connections:

References Ghost Busters (1984)

Enjoyable Haunted House Flick

I like haunted house stories and this is a fun one to watch. The plot centers on whether or not the haunting is real and, thankfully, it spares us the typical screaming, gore, and fake monsters that are NOT scary. All that latex is just a reminder that I am watching a movie and quite rudely inserts the filmmaker between the film and me. Despite the positive aspects of the film, though, there is a flash of breasts which is pointless and perfunctory.

Nevertheless, this is a well-acted movie--underacted, if anything, which is a rarity within this genre and quite refreshing to see. Beau Bridges is a credit to any cast; he is so comfortable with his craft he appears not to be acting. His agreeable manner and blue-collar charm make him seem as though he is a beloved and much-missed family member. Likewise, Miguel Ferrer is a welcome talent who can sleepwalk through this part, which is far beneath his extensive ability. The character is sketchy and doesn't always adhere to the expected behavior of its personality or background. However, the character's inconsistencies are not due to the complexity of character we all have, but rather a lack of complexity.

This is not a frightening movie and not altogether memorable, but if you want to just kick back and watch a satisfying movie, this is a good one to watch.