Ghosts of Goldfield

11/07/2015 13:52

Film: Ghosts of Goldfield

Year: 2007

Director: Ed Winfield

Writer: Dominic Biondi

Starring: Kellan Lutz, Marnette Patterson and Mandy Amano

 

Review:

This film begins telling us that it is based on a true story. A student played by Marnette Patterson is doing her thesis on the supernatural and wants to prove that the Goldfield Hotel is haunted. The story that is told is that the owner, who is played by Chuck Zito, murdered a prostitute played by Ashly Margaret Rae.

Coming to the hotel with Patterson is Kellan Lutz, who is the camera man and while they are driving is the navigator. The vehicle belongs to Scott Whyte and he is kind of a nerd. He is also the sound guy. His girlfriend is a kleptomaniac played by Mandy Amano. Patterson’s boyfriend is played by John Bloom. He makes a lot of inappropriate jokes.

Lutz throws out that there is a shortcut. They decide to take it, but in the process Whyte’s SUV breaks down so they have to walk. On the way they come to a cemetery to do some filming. While there, Patterson believes she hears someone calling out for their missing baby.

They finally make it into town and go to the bar. Running it is Roddy Piper. He is pretty rude to them, but does finally turn the key over. He tells them that there is no where to stay close by, but Patterson contends she reserved hotel rooms. She tries the number and it doesn’t exist. They are going to stay in the Goldfield Hotel.

We get more of the story that Rae was a ‘made’ woman. Zito loved her and they had an affair. When they stopped, he still took care of her. We end up seeing that Piper’s ancestor loved her as well and they had an affair. There was a baby, but it was taken from her, presumably murdered. Zito then did something to Rae. We also see that Patterson’s grandmother worked in the hotel and she might have been involved in what happened as well.

Almost immediately in showing up, they start to get readings of a ghost. There are temperature drops as well as readings coming up on a meter. They get the lights turned on and then eat. Afterwards they go to a room and actually see Rae. They learn soon after all the footage shot up to that is now static. Whyte plays back the audio and they hear Rae asking about her baby.

At this point Patterson tells the story of what happened and Rae listens. Now she knows what happened to her baby. She is set to ensure that none of them escape her hotel. Patterson also points out that there is supposed to be 7 places on Earth that are portals to the land of the undead. This place is one of them.

Amano and Bloom stay back and drink. Something happens and Rae enters Amano’s body. She comes on to Bloom and they start to have sex. Amano then becomes Rae during it. They are soon interrupted and this is upsetting to Whyte and Patterson while Lutz sees his chance. He’s had a thing for Patterson for some time. She might like him too.

Amano and Bloom storm off to different places. Will they be found alive or become the first victims of the night? Can they get out or will they be trapped and haunt the house?

I have to say that this film is not good and it doesn’t do much to redeem itself. It is a little bit bloody, but you don’t expect that from a haunted house/ghost film. This one kind of becomes a slasher film which confused me. The ghost story itself isn’t bad, but a little bit clichéd. Patterson isn’t bad to look at though, that is a plus.

This film for one thing takes way too long to get started. We see Rae from almost the beginning and we hear her talking, but no one else does. Patterson hears her in the cemetery and Whyte does on tape. I think that is a pointless thing to have, because it isn’t build tension. That is another issue with this film is that it isn’t scary. I found myself very bored and the ending is rushed. The very end isn’t bad, but doesn’t do enough to get us there. The acting is subpar at best, even for Piper.

I would not recommend this film. This is supposedly the final installment to the Urban Legend series, but I think the idea of making this another sequel was scrapped. The back-story is good, but the story itself is boring. The acting does help and the horror is just not there. It takes too long to get going and it is boring. This haunted house with a malevolent ghost that turns into a slasher film, which is confusing in itself. I would avoid this film; it is not worth your time.

 

My Rating: 2 out of 10