First off, I'm going to be intentionally vague about the details so as to avoid giving any spoilers. Now to the meat of the matter:
The script & overall concept have outstanding potential! I strongly feel that this could be a top-grossing motion picture IF the production had a far bigger budget (this film was clearly functioning with a VERY minimal budget), some serious rewrites in the script & was recast.
HOWEVER, although the Winchester angle seems from a marketing perspective to be a draw, in this case it becomes a detriment. There are blatant flaws in the fact-checking (watch & figure 'em out), plus it's staggeringly obvious that Winchester Mansion was nowhere near the location where this was filmed. This location bore absolutely no resemblance to the famed manse, excepting the bookshelf wallpaper in the daughter's bedroom (why yes, I have visited the actual Winchester mansion! Many, many, many times). The film would've done well to perhaps include the Sarah Winchester reference as a parallel to the newly proposed antagonist, not place Winchester in the primary roll. No need to fact-check or build spot-on sets when you make the rules out of your own lovely mind! Example: a family moves in as caretakers of an old, historic mansion whose eccentric former owner had a legendary "attack of the crazies" and was "kinda like that Winchester rifle lady with that huge, weird haunted house that's on TV all time."
Okay, so perhaps my explanation was obtuse, but if I keep attempting to explain, I'll just end up rewriting the script here. Nobody wants that. Trust me. Nobody.
Bottom line: watch this film with an eye toward its potential & you'll see its beauty, it's depth of emotion, it's true creep factor (very Shayamalan-esque). If you watch it at face value & expect to be thrilled, your expectations will not be met. At all. Like, none.
I sure wouldn't mind getting this film & my ideas into the hands of an influential filmmaker. Box office gold, baby! Bring mommy 'dem shekels, baby!
The script & overall concept have outstanding potential! I strongly feel that this could be a top-grossing motion picture IF the production had a far bigger budget (this film was clearly functioning with a VERY minimal budget), some serious rewrites in the script & was recast.
HOWEVER, although the Winchester angle seems from a marketing perspective to be a draw, in this case it becomes a detriment. There are blatant flaws in the fact-checking (watch & figure 'em out), plus it's staggeringly obvious that Winchester Mansion was nowhere near the location where this was filmed. This location bore absolutely no resemblance to the famed manse, excepting the bookshelf wallpaper in the daughter's bedroom (why yes, I have visited the actual Winchester mansion! Many, many, many times). The film would've done well to perhaps include the Sarah Winchester reference as a parallel to the newly proposed antagonist, not place Winchester in the primary roll. No need to fact-check or build spot-on sets when you make the rules out of your own lovely mind! Example: a family moves in as caretakers of an old, historic mansion whose eccentric former owner had a legendary "attack of the crazies" and was "kinda like that Winchester rifle lady with that huge, weird haunted house that's on TV all time."
Okay, so perhaps my explanation was obtuse, but if I keep attempting to explain, I'll just end up rewriting the script here. Nobody wants that. Trust me. Nobody.
Bottom line: watch this film with an eye toward its potential & you'll see its beauty, it's depth of emotion, it's true creep factor (very Shayamalan-esque). If you watch it at face value & expect to be thrilled, your expectations will not be met. At all. Like, none.
I sure wouldn't mind getting this film & my ideas into the hands of an influential filmmaker. Box office gold, baby! Bring mommy 'dem shekels, baby!
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