4.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Marlon Wayans stars in this comedy that spoofs the 'found footage' horror genre. Over the moon that his girlfriend Keisha (Essence Atkins) has decided to move in with him, Malcolm (Wayans) takes the opportunity to record the event for posterity. The couple, however, soon find themselves beset by a phantom spirit that makes its presence felt in some distinctly un-phantom like ways. With his sex life plummeting, Malcolm decides to enlist the help of a clutch of paranormal healers, including a gay psychic (Nick Swardson) and a recently released ex-con exorcist (Cedric the Entertainer).
Starring: Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins, Marlene Forte, David Koechner, Dave SheridanComedy | 100% |
Horror | 73% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
UV digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 0.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 0.5 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
What's worse than a bad found-footage horror movie? A bad found-footage horror movie spoof. What could possibly be worse than that, you ask? A bad Wayans Brothers found-footage horror movie spoof. Still worse than that? A cinematic abomination like A Haunted House, which falls into all the previous categories and somehow tacks one more to the list: rock bottom disaster. Believe it or not, it wasn't so long ago that the name Wayans carried a fair bit of clout. But that was before Shawn and Marlon forged inexplicably profitable careers on besmirching the family name. Before Scary Movie 2 or Scary Movie 3. Before White Chicks, Scary Movie 4, Little Man, Dance Flick or, lest we forget, forever dooming future filmmakers to repeat such ill-begotten history... the unholy, unwatchable terror that is Scary MoVie. *Shiver* Then there's A Haunted House, easily one of the most mind-numbing, unoriginal films credited to one of the two youngest Wayans brothers; an uncomfortably uncertain comedy-hybrid so uninspired and unfunny it bypasses horrible and goes straight to unbelievably, unspeakably awful.
If nothing else, A Haunted House takes its found-footage heritage seriously, falling in step with the grainy, at-times low-res shaky cam aesthetic of the Paranormal Activity movies. Universal's subsequent 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer is commendably true to its source, perilous and unsightly as it can be. Macroblocking, noise, aliasing, crush and ringing are often out in force, particularly when the lights go down and darkness presses in. Detail and delineation dip and dive accordingly, with decent edge definition and capably resolved textures by day and waning clarity by night. Color, contrast and skintones follow suit, although none of it seems off base, unnaturally saturated or all that distracting given the filmmakers' visual intentions. It's a fully functional presentation, flawed as the photography may be, and there aren't any serious issues of note; at least none that can be pinned squarely on the studio's efforts.
Without a doubt, the highlight of the disc is Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which clings to the film's found-footage sound design without sacrificing atmosphere or power. Dialogue, although often chained to whatever interior acoustics and handheld camera mics any given scene entails, is clear and intelligible, and the busier sequences' various ambient and directional effects fall in line with the deceptively orchestrated true-to-life nature of the soundfield. LFE output is always firm, and ferocious whenever necessary, and the rear speakers keep themselves busy, especially as the spirit haunting Malcolm and Kisha grows bolder and more brazen. The mix rarely abandons its found-footage sleight of hand, though, so don't come to A Haunted House expecting an overtly polished, precision crafted sonic experience. It wouldn't suit the film if it were.
A barely there wisp of a featurette -- "How to Survive a Paranormal Presence" (HD, 2 minutes) -- is the only extra the Blu-ray edition of A Haunted House has on tap.
A Haunted House falls into "how did this even get made?" territory. It's yet another painful horror comedy from a Wayans that turned a substantial profit at the box office -- it cost three-million and cleared forty -- meaning A Haunted House 2 is most certainly inbound. God help us all. For the Wayans fans hiding among you, Universal's Blu-ray release will be a satisfying one thanks to its solid video presentation and strong DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. Of course, a two-minute extra hardly constitutes a supplemental package, so be sure you enjoy the film itself before investing any hard-earned cash.
2014
Unrated
2013
1941
2001
Unrated & Uncensored
2006
2013
2013
2013
Scary Movie 3.5 | Unrated
2003
2019
40th Anniversary Edition
1974
2000
1986
2004
2016
Collector's Edition
1988
2001
1987
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1984
1992