The Popkorn Junkie :: Boogeyman

      Do you remember the good old days of horror films when one character could end up spawning an entire franchise worth of films? Whether it was Freddy Krueger, Jason Vorhees, or Pinhead, a large chunk of the past twenty five years has been littered with their faces, their weapons, and their victims. It has been a long time since we've been given a decent franchise movie monster. In all actuality, Pinhead was probably the very last one, unless you consider the costume in "Scream" to have a life of its own. For years now, I have been eagerly awaiting a new creature to come along and give me something to look forward to. "Boogeyman" is the first film in a long, long while to demonstrate enough potential to create a sequel, and possibly a franchise. And, though the film tackles a myth so old and recycled that the whole notion seems laughable, the talented cast and crew manage to do what "Darkness Falls" did -- to turn a character of almost whimsical proportions into a living, breathing nightmare.

      At the beginning of the film, we see a young boy in his bed, experiencing the same kinds of night time hallucinations we all experienced as children -- clothes taking on the shape of a person, closet doors coming open on their own, and the sinking feeling that we were being watched and were about to be eaten. His father comes in to check on him and pacifies his son by checking under the bed, behind the doors, and in the closet. You can only guess what happens next. Flash forward fifteen years and we not find Tim (Barry Watson) at college, planning to spend his Thanksgiving weekend at his girlfriend's (Tory Mussett) parents house. He is still obviously traumatized by his childhood, for we see that his apartment has no closets, with a bed on the floor, and even a see through refrigerator. His weekend is turned upside down, however, when a sudden and unexpected death takes him back to his boyhood home, a place to which he swore he would never return. While there, he reunites with an old friend, Kate (Emily Deschanel), and befriends a young girl named Franny (Skye McCole Bartusiak). Tim comes to believe that, if he stays in the house and faces his fears, the Boogeyman will leave him alone forever. I will not divulge any more plot information.

      Like the intensely terrifying "The Grudge", this film was produced by Ghost House Pictures, which is the production company belonging to "Evil Dead" director and horror legend Sam Raimi. He is too busy directing blockbusters like "Spider-man" to fool with a minor horror film like this, but he still manages to leave his impression on the films he produces. The entire feel of "Boogeyman" is very surreal, and it even feels like Elm Street, at times, with the gutted houses and the continual breeze. Director Stephen Kay also used sharp, high speed editing techniques and twisted camera angles to show us things we would not normally see, also giving us extra cause to feel safe, even when we are about to be struck with something unexpected and frightening. And, like most horror films these days, "Boogeyman" relies on the traditional 'jump' scares -- things like a cat jumping down in front of a character or a quit editing technique that changes scenery so quickly that it literally booms. In many ways, this film uses the same methods as "Darkness Falls" did to produce the maximum number of scares possible. This film, however, has a better story.

      The last time we saw Barry Watson on screen, he was dragging it up with Harlan Williams in the miserable comedy "Sorority Boys", which was like "Legally Blonde" meets "Animal House". It was a waste of time and did little for his resume. How he managed to get lured into the horror genre is beyond me, but he is a welcome member. In addition to his striking good looks, Watson also manages to nail every single emotional target. When he is scared, we believe he is scared. When he is upset, we can understand why. He plays Tim as a young man who is trying desperately to believe that what he saw was not real, when he knows deep down inside that it has been the most real thing in his life. The ending left me wondering what he would do with himself, having devoted such a large chunk of his life to this myth and to his past. Can he have a future? When a horror film is able to make you care about a character like that, it has woven its spell and accomplished its task. Oh, and don't forget to keep your eyes peeled for Xena herself, Lucy Lawless, who is almost unrecognizable as Tim's mother -- the Warrior Princess returns.

      When most critics over praise horror films, they are usually directed by M. Night Shyamalan. This film will probably receive more flack from critics than anything else, because most critics judge horror films with the same standards as they would use to judge a drama or a comedy, and you cannot do that. A horror film is unique because it can have those same clichés and constants that all other horror films have, but still be wholly original and entirely terrifying. I cannot say that "Boogeyman" was as frightening as "The Grudge", because that film was on a whole different level of horror, but I can say that this was still a very tense picture, with some truly jump worthy scares and an intriguing plot. Not to mention, the ending does leave the possibility for a sequel, though it would seem unlikely that Barry Watson would star. "Boogeyman" restored my faith in the old horror movies like Sam Raimi and George Romero use to make, the ones with simple pacing, constant scares, and in your face horror. That is just what I wanted.

-- Billy Ray ( 3 1/2 out of 4 pops )

Talk about this film with other Popkorn Junkies

Other Junkie's opinions.....

None yet.