moonmonday
Seance started out interesting enough, because it took the time to build up its characters and presented them as generally likable and realistic. The premise was uncomplicated and likewise believable enough, and of course the inevitable supernatural twist added more to the story.Unfortunately, while it was able to build up a little bit of suspense, when things got to the 'gets real' moment, it fell apart with a hackneyed 'last girl' last act and an inexplicable need to up the body count. It didn't really work either, because this wasn't and shouldn't have been a gore-centred film or a high body count horror. It just ended up being something that made me embarrassed for the generally good actors in it, although the blonde 'last girl' got worse as it went on. The last half-hour didn't do her -- or anyone else -- any favours, but perhaps that's because it was so bad there just wasn't anything for the actors to work with.It's a shame, because this could have been a really fantastic and not too intense haunting movie. If it had been able to keep the feel and pace of the first hour in that last half-hour, it would have been so much better. Once they decided to basically sacrifice the parrot, who really had no other reason for being in the film and was extremely conspicuous because of it, that was where it just dropped sharply downhill.Give this one a miss. It could have been so much more, but whoever wrote it needs a course in resolution.
AlabamaWorley1971
Found this on FearNet and decided to take a chance. I was pleasantly surprised by a cast who I kinda liked and thought were cute, some genuinely creepy atmosphere, actual suspense, and some real chills. Maybe you have to have the right mood & setting for this movie to work: late at night, home alone, seems to really help! It's not a hugely original movie, but what it does it does well. (Jesus, I really need a minimum of 10 lines? What a pain in the ass. Okay...) AJ Lamas is very cute and has a lot of personality. I liked our heroine Lauren and her friend Malina; Alison didn't really get a whole lot to do. I always wondered what happened to Adrian Paul. He seems to be aging nicely, and shows real menace as Spence. The little girl tries hard to be spooky without directly copying from THE RING, and she mostly succeeds. I love when she brings back the Ouija board planchette. All in all, a cheaply made movie that doesn't break new ground story-wise, but delivers a few chills satisfyingly.
Claudio Carvalho
In the Thanksgiving, five college students stay in their dormitory in the old Chelsea building alone with the security guard Syd (Jack Hunter) that locks the building for security reason. When Lauren (Kandis Erickson) tells to her roommates Melina (Tori White) and Alison (Chauntal Lewis) that their bathroom is haunted by the ghost of a little girl, they do not trust on her words. Lauren meets her neighbor of the same floor Grant (Joel Geist) and he tells that the girl was the Italian immigrant Cara Furia (Bridget Shergalis) that died when she felt down in the elevator shaft. He tells that another tragedy happened in the building with the janitor Jesse Spence (Adrian Paul). When Lauren tells the story to her friends, Alison's boyfriend Diego (A.J. Lamas) decides to hold a séance and summon the spirit of Cara Furia. However, they bring of the evil Spencer instead, and their night of fun becomes a nightmare."Séance" is a reasonable ghost story, with a creepy story that is not so bad. However, most of the characters are stupid and has the most imbecile and unreasonable attitude specially considering that they are college students. But the movie entertains and I startled a couple of times. In the end, the policeman says to Lauren that so far they had found three bodies. Wait for the credits, because they find the fourth body with a surprise. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "Quarto do Medo" ("Room of Fear")
baker_3434
I picked this up because Adrian Paul (The Highlander) was in it, and I'm glad I did. I thought the movie was scary and fun. I love horror films, but they often disappoint me because they go for gore instead of suspense and tension. But this one has a spookiness that builds right from the opening ( I hate creepy little girls) and as soon as they have that first séance it really gets scary, with Adrian and that little girl wandering around the halls. But if you're looking for loads of blood this isn't the movie for you. The characters were all fun and seemed like real students instead of 30 year-olds trying to act like teens. The acting was much, much better than most lower-budget films, especially the Diego guy. The special effects weren't the best, but it's the kind of movie where that doesn't matter so much. Just turn down the lights and enjoy the scares. Overall I give it a 7/10
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