Director – David Ryan Keith (Attack of the Herbals, Redwood Massacre)
Starring – Michael Koltes (They Walk Among Us), Paul Flannery, and Steve Weston (My Brother’s Keeper)
Release Date – 2016
Rating – 4/5
Tagline – “Better to be dead”
Early in 2015 I came in contact with filmmaker David Ryan Keith who was the man responsible for the horror comedy Attack of the Herbals. The film received mixed reviews but David let me check it out and I really enjoyed it. Most of you know how I feel about horror comedies or black comedies so I really enjoyed myself with it. David also let me check out his new slasherThe Redwood Massacre. I really enjoyed that one. It was bloody and well written. I love a slasher that plays with the cliches and stereotypes of the films that made them so popular.
After some silence from David he returned with a new supernatural flick Ghosts of Darkness. It looked like another fun film so I waited patiently for the release of the film. A few nights ago David asked me to check out the film. Thanks David for allowing Horror Society and myself to check out the film.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows two paranormal investigators, one who proves ghosts and demons exist and another who debunks it, who are asked to stay in a haunted house to end the home’s horrible history. The two will be paid handsomely if they survive the three nights.
The two reluctantly agree to the proposal and set out to prepare for the nights to come. There is some animosity between the two men due to one being a psychic medium and the other a debunker of such things. The two start to work together when things turn dark and the discover there is something evil in the house…and it’s not ghosts. **Spoiler Alert**
Attack of the Herbals hits me with some comedy and a Troma like story while The Redwood Massacre was a more brutal slasher that hit all the right marks so I was very curious to see where David would take me next. Ghosts of Darkness was unlike anything he has made before. The film was very stylish and had one hell of a cast.
The acting in this one is phenomenal. The entire cast is great but the film’s two stars shine bright in this one. Paul Flannery and Michael Koltes is brilliant together. The two work so well with each other and their on screen chemistry is outstanding. Koltes is brilliant in his role and plays the film’s domineering lead. However, my favorite performance came from Paul Flannery. His character came alive screen. He was the film’s comic relief but his character was more than that. He character had a personality all it’s own. I absolutely loved it and I hope I get to see Flannery reprise the role again in the near future.
The story for this one is very House on Haunted Hill inspired but with a twist. Having a paranormal investigator and a paranormal debunker staying in a supposedly haunted house was a stroke of comedic genius. Sadly, the humor was not fully capitalized on. We get some scenes of humor here and there but nothing that really stands out. What really sets this one apart from the others is the characters and the twist we get. The film is not your typical ghost story.
Finally, if you want blood then you got it. The film opens with a blood scene and goes on from there. We get some great practical effects and some questionable visual effects. The practical effects look great but the few scenes we get with CGI it is very noticeable. The CGI doesn’t look bad but you can pick it out of the scene. Overall, Ghosts of Darkness is a supernatural adventure that will give you chills. The film has an amazing cast and one hell of a story. If you miss this one you are truly missing out.
