This is one mess of a film.  It starts with a woman walking down a road in a
wooded area, reminiscing about the past.  She takes note of the Butler home,
an estate that has a mysterious and bloody history.  We learn that the home
was left uninhabited until one Christmas eve when the owner was set ablaze
and killed.  He left the manor to his grandson, Jeffrey, on the condition
that he was not to live there.

Now, it's 20 years later, and the grandson wants to sell the house.  He
sends a lawyer (who travels with his mistress) to the small town to offer
the mayor, the sheriff, the phone operator and a mute guy (Carradine in a
small non-speaking role) $50G cash for the house.  The lawyer gives the
townsfolk the night to think about it, and goes to stay in the home with his
lover.

Oh, by the way, there also happens to be an escaped mental patient loose in
the area.  And guess where he decides to hide out?

Murders ensue, as people are lured to the house and killed in various ways.

The story is not very good, nor interesting, and it drags on at some points.
Luckily, it's not too long of a movie, but it should be even shorter.  The
end is mired in long sepia-toned flashbacks that aren't altogether
effective.  The "surprise" at the end isn't all that shocking or satisfying.

The look of the film is atrocious - very dark scenes all over, where you can
hardly see the characters, nevermind their actions.  It's shoddily put
together, with many unnecessary scenes and characters.  The bookend scenes
of the movie are filler that add no real insight or interest.  There is some
blood, but not much gore.  I guess there's some mystery, but nothing worth
caring about.  So, all in all, I'd say avoid this one.


 

Quality: 2.5  Visuals: 1.5  Intensity: 2.5 Gore: 2.0 
OVERALL RATING: 2.1