Surprised how bad this was

Rating: 2/10 (18 September 2019)

I've never been a fan of haunted-house stuff, so I wasn't expecting much here, and I wasn't surprised at the mediocrity of this film.
This is a stupid story about a couple whose older son is able to "astrally project" so that he wanders around the spiritual world while his body lies in a coma at home. The only way to free this kid is to send his father into the ether to retrieve him. Er, OK.
I gave this film two stars, rather than one, because it succeeded in producing a little tension as spooky things started to happen around the house. These occurrences are more creepy than scary and they get old fast. After a while they are downright dumb. A red-faced character that resembles a devil? I've seen scarier images in a coloring book.
A big problem with this movie is that it tries to be funny amidst all this ridiculousness and fodder. This does no more than create cognitive dissonance and irritation in the viewer.
I'd never have sought this film out, but it was screened as part of a horror-film class that I'm taking. Though presented as a good example of sound artistry, I didn't find "Insidious" compelling even on that front.
What does it say about our culture that a movie like this spawned three sequels? Now that's something to be scared about!
PS: Don't be fooled by the appearance of Barbara Hershey in this film's cast.
No one's acting in this film is particularly interesting.