Having a fondness for the actor Seth Green, and horror flicks of any persuasion, I picked up Horror in the Attic (called The Attic Expeditions in the USA) at my local video rental shop recently.
The film follows Trevor (Andras Jones) as he wakes up from experimental brain surgery to be told that he's been in a coma for 4 years, and he's in a lunatic asylum because he killed his lover four years previously. His surgeon, Dr. Ek (Jeffrey Combs) assigns him to the "House of Love", populated with an odd assortment of patients who are trying to get better. Trevor begins to have dreams about his lover's death, some of which involve ritual magic, and a certain book. Then there's the dream about the chest in the attic... Seth Green plays Douglas, another inmate of the House of Love who appears to try and help Trevor figure out what's going on in his head, and the attic.
This is a film that desperately tries to be better than it is, but largely fails. The plot is outlandish, confusing, and circuitous. I think the director (Jeremy Kasten) decided to attempt to hide the fact the film had gone horribly awry by trying to dupe the audience into thinking that this was actually a clever film delving into the issues of reality and dreams. Nope, I'm sorry, this film just doesn't work. What is frustrating is seeing that there are some genuinely interesting ideas in the movie, but they are just not executed properly. Andras Jones is also not convincing as an actor, which doesn't help, and the campy Dr. Ek acts like the stereotypical mad scientist. Seth Green is good at playing oddball characters and puts in a competent performance. What is extremely good is the production, set, and costume design. There is a real attention to detail in that aspect of the movie - it's a pity it didn't extend to the plot.
I can only recommend this film to those of you who are horror buffs, and who don't mind watching a movie for the sake of seeing it. The film is not particularly scary either, but if you need some incentive there is some sex and nudity. However, at least I wasn't bored watching it, and that does count for something these days.
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Article comments
1 - Bill Sherman
I've enjoyed Jeffrey Combs in mad scientist roles before (he was, after all, The Reanimator!), so I'd be interested in this flick just for that alone. Sounds like good cheesy fun. . .
2 - Maura
It's certainly worth a look if you like this kind of movie, and it's not the worst. Not so much cheesy, but attempting a more psychological spin, which it doesn't quite pull off. By the way, Wendy Robie, who plays "Mom" in the People Under the Stairs, is also in the film.
And Alice Cooper turns up in a tiny cameo as a crazy patient...
3 - Andola
fuck the stupid fuck who dont see alll the good things in it... it is a graet mindblowing movie...
4 - Kvnt
'It largely fails' how so?
It's an excellent film.
I agree with Maura.
5 - Nemip
If you thought the plot was bad, I think you failed to understand what was happening.