Once you see this movie, nothing can save you from asking yourself. What the hell did I watch?

Rating: 6/10 (25 August 2014)

Sinister is one of those horror movies that some people think is bringing something new to the table of horror movie, but for me, it's just another modern horror movie that looks exactly the same like the others. I have the same feeling to this, as I did with 2010's Insidious or 2013's the Conjuring. I wouldn't hate you, if you really like the movie, but for me, this movie was just another movie, full of the same old tired clichés of red herrings and jump scares. I've waded through enough, truly terrible movies, to know, that this movie is far from the worst, but it's nothing new. I was really looking forward to a horror movie with some depth to it, like 1973's Exorcist & 1990's Jacob Ladder. Sadly, I didn't feel, I got it here. For a haunted house movie, it's no 1980's Shining. The movie really use a lot of old cheap desperate tricks for scares such as creaky floorboards, sudden loud sound effects, and old snuff like footage. Directed by Scott Derrickson, and co-written by ex-film critic, C. Robert Cargill, of spill dot com fame. The movie is about Ellison Oswalt (Ethan Hawke) whom, is true-crime writer that can't get a break. Desperate for inspiration and his next big hit, he decides to move his family into a house once own by the victims of a recent murder. Wanting to write about it, he digs clues in the house, only to find out that a strange being is still around, and haunting his family and himself. The antagonist is pretty freaky-looking and the back story is cool enough. Still, it's hard to believe that an ancient pagan Babylonian deity named Bughuul AKA Mr. Boogie (Nick King), would be in rural Pennsylvania wearing a suit and tie. It's like having Hades in Iowa wearing a white tuxedo. It doesn't make sense. The villain kinda made me laugh, cause how similar, he looks like, to heavy metal band Slipknot member Mick Thomson in his mask. In no way, can I see this guy, passing as an evil Babylonian deity. Also, why on earth, would Mr. Boogie have the kicks to allow children to make snuff films with Super-8 film, anyways? Does he keep a projector in the spiritual realm? I can understand, the way he makes them label the "Home Videos" with ironic titles, due to the variety and creativity of the murders. Hinting at least a touch of sheer sadism and possibly to goad potential victims to watch the movies and unknowingly summon him. Still, he lives in pictures. Wouldn't he use more modern technology to get his message out, more, you know like a DVD or internet or something more modern? Honestly, how many homes, still have projector? He probably be starving himself, by now, if it was the real world. The movie does try to go the uneasy voyeur feel of watching realistic looking 8MM snuff film movie, but for this film, it doesn't look right. The murders shown on tape are not explicitly graphic enough to be taken as a Rated R film. For a low-resolution, shaky Super-8 home videos from decades ago, these film are too edited. It is way too edited, even for the plot to say so. I know the film wants you to think, it's edited, by showing Ellison editing film footage by hand, and for a later plot-twist, but the Super 8 film is just way too clean. It's not like today, film. There are things; you can't do with Super 8 with burning it up, or becoming too chopped. The movie tries really hard to get that 2002's Ring, feel, but it doesn't nail it right. Its stupid gimmicks like these, that make the movie feel unrealistic, and lose its scary tone. The cast are nothing special. I'm not exactly rooting for any of them. The kids are alright, acting wise, but have way too much screen time. The whole hide and go seek series of scenes were just cheesy and go way too long. The death make up was horrible. The pacing is bit long for my taste. There are a lot of music-montages, although I quite enjoyed them, but could be cut a bit. After about half an hour, the film has a great sense of foreboding dread. It continues to carry the doom unto the credits. The film is mostly shot in the dark. I can understand that's a great use for a horror movie, but come on– there are no reason for the majority of the movie, to look that way. If you can't make daylight look scary, than you can't make horror films, very well. Another problem is the exposition. Yes, it's a horror movie, and you don't need to explain everything. Still, the son night terrors are one of the ambiguities - is he having night terrors because of Bughuul, or is it just a coincidence? It felt like lazy writing, not to explain it. He just randomly show up when they need a red herring. I wouldn't recommended watching the trailer for this film. Pretty much, every scary part of the movie is shown in the trailer. Even, the DVD cover even spoils the movie. The movie has a sequel in the works as of this writing, but I don't know, how they will follow it up with something new or flesh. Overall: The movie was alright, but it wasn't what I can call amazing. Demonstration wise, it's still one of the better horror film in recent memory.