Hallettsville (2009)

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Well, some will find this a horror flick straight out of the books. Sure, it has the typical ingredients: a group of youngsters with individual characters and problems, an abandoned house, ghostly legends, policemen that are there just to be slashed, women that are just there to scream, that kind of stuff. So hey, if you're into this, please see this movie. But be warned: the acting is off the charts horrible, the story makes no sense whatsoever, and the character development and/or description failed in every way.Since I'm not an entirely evil person, I will add some positive remarks. I liked especially the special effects inside the house. They were not innovating, but they do give you the necessary scare. Secondly, the story could be workable. I believe a better writer (and better actors) could have pulled off a much better story.3 out of 10 for the positive remarks, which are then only based on the effects. As for the whole experience: don't torture me again!

After inheriting a secluded cabin in the woods, a college student and his friends head up to the forest for a weekend retreat. Upon arriving, they start disappearing one by one due to some demons... or something. A sheriff (Gary Busey) shows up occasionally as well.Gary Busey. No, that's not enough for a review? Well, if it isn't, then I wouldn't suggest bothering with this film as it doesn't have very many other redeeming factors. It's basically just another in the dozens upon dozens of wannabe 'The Evil Dead' films without any real merit other than a few jump scares. Technically, it fails for the majority of the time but does have a few positives. For one, the cinematography isn't too bad, though it does "borrow" heavily from, again, 'The Evil Dead.' Also, the story's background isn't too shabby with the mass murder of a dozen school children by some demonically possessed schoolteacher. But, beyond that, it's nothing special at all. The direction is quite boring, the editing is fairly shoddy, the dialogue is unbearably stupid and not at all realistic from anyone I've ever met, and the acting (even Busey's) was pretty subpar. Also, the ending was just pathetically lame and tossed in for, well, I can't really think of a reason to include it to be honest. Overall, 'Hallettsville' fails in many areas and doesn't succeed enough in the rare element to make it worth any time unless you're a fairly big fan of Gary Busey.Final verdict: 3.5/10. Purely out of watchability and, well, that's about it. It's not really worth the time, unless you have a LOT of it to spare.-AP3-

Hallettsville is a rare gem that starts off well and fizzles out into a forgettable, underachieved conclusion. It's in an indie with the only name actor being Gary Busey, whose recent filmography probably won't get the attention of most viewers looking for an above average horror movies. Alas, I gave it a shot… online at Netflix, and I was pleasantly surprised. I expected a b horror movie with a predictable plot, lame acting, and lousy cinematography. But the Hallettsville has a lot of talent tucked into it's indie bundle.First time director Andrew Pozza directed and co-wrote this supernatural thriller which has a very standard plot: A group of college aged friends go to one of the kids' parents' cabin where they later reveal that 'something bad happened.' It's true what they say: it's all been done before, but it's not the story you tell, it's how you tell it, and Pozza and company do it well… for a while.The cinematography and sound design were the two things that I enjoyed the most about this film. The acting was solid as well accomplished. The dialogue was good for the most part and Busey's small role was well played and memorable. Most of the cast was solid as well and I couldn't help but notice one of them strangely resembled a young Johnny Depp. I wouldn't be surprised if his face shows up in a mainstream film one of these days.Hallettsville is full of memorable scares and jumps, but the film becomes increasingly B-movie when the killing starts and we don't really see much of anything. The ending was just lame, and what the hell is up with the book? It brought nothing to the story, it only reminded me how similar to The Evil Dead this film was and it mislead me into believing that things would be better explained when they ultimately weren't.However, this film deserves a lot of credit for the atmosphere it credited, but the third act really hurt the quality and turned my expectations belly up.

When I saw this in the theater, I was expecting to see a predictable, low budget cut horror movie. That we would just get bored with. But I was wrong. This has to be one of the most clever movies. Believe me, this was an awesome thriller. Andrew Pozza should stick to movies like this, It had a wonderful cast. Nice lines. Scary moments. Classic horror scenes that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Though not a movie that you'll rewind and want to watch again and again. Too predictable. The ending was OK could have been better.So, if you have good taste in horror movies, or are looking for something original, watch this film. Its OK for a fun weekend horror mara! 7/10