American Poltergeist

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Under the Radar

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If you are in search of a new movie that you can love for how horrible it is (aka a "so-bad-it's-good" film), look no further than Netflix (Canada, anyway). Locate 'American Poltergeist', press play, and allow its horribleness to wash over you. What makes it even better is that it's meant to be a horror movie, thus accidentally making it a horror comedy - my favourite subgenre!

Our story follows a group of absolute no-name celebrity twenty-somethings who are looking for a place to stay as a group for the Summer semester. They soon find themselves in a famous murder house of sorts, which is an interesting enough twist to this. But it's THAT "under the radar" enough that I'm gonna decide to classify it as a (sort of) spoiler. However, that twist is followed by another that just makes things extra coincidental and terrible. The overall premise ends up being fairly predictable, and it absolutely insults the legacy of a famous real-life murder case. Oh yeah, this movie's also "based on a true story" as far as the plot allows it to be.

But listen, I'll be damned if I didn't have a great time with this movie all the same. The acting is just God awful here, the final twist is brutal, and the climax is laughable, dishing out just about every horror climax cliche you can think of. But the acting, oh man, the acting. I was kinda laughing my way though this, almost sadistically, because even when a character becomes a victim it's always completely off-screen, and some of the screaming faces can be equated with the faces Dads make to their babies when trying to entertain them.

So, here I sit with one of those mixed reviews. I was thoroughly entertained by this, but for all the wrong reasons. I really would put it up there with titles as rough as 'Troll 2', 'The Room' or even 'Manos: The Hands of Fate'. It's just so wonderfully bad.

And so, I wrap up "Ghost Month" with this short review, not saying much about it because I want to spread this movie around like it's the plague. It starts with you, my audience. Please, tune into this movie on Netflix, or find it by any other means,  have yourself a horrific laugh, and spread the word - there's another "so bad it's good" film lying somewhere in the shadow of its 4% Rotten Tomato audience rating, and NO critic meter. Even IMDb gave it a 2.2/10. Putting that into perspective, 'The Room' has a 3.7. Give it a chance, especially as a horror fan, you WON'T be disappointed. Or maybe you will, but like, in a good way.

1/5

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