Following along the lines of recent Horror movie releases with pregnant protagonists such as Visions (2015) and Devil’s Due (2014), comes The House on Pine Street. Initially released on February 28th, 2015 via E3W Productions and Terror Films, filming took place in Independence, Missouri, USA. It only took nineteen days to film The House on Pine Street, and Co-Director Austin Keeling played the dark figure seen in the movie. Now in early 2016 the film will get digital release for a broader audience to indulge in.
- Still from The House on Pine Street
Co-written by Natalie Jones, making her feature film debut, Aaron Keeling (Match Work 2009, Modern Ruins 2010), and Austin Keeling (I.Q. 2009, Something More 2011) The House on Pine Street was also directed by the Keeling brothers. A large majority of the film takes place within the house on Pine Street, which was built in 1840. The cast and crew resided in the house while filming took place, and interestingly enough, unusual events happened while they were there. The film relies a great deal on what happens outside of the camera frame, keeping the spook factor related to good old fashioned scares.
The events of the movie are set in modern times, and told by an observational point of view. At the beginning of the story, young pregnant wife Jennifer (Emily Goss: Pound the Pavement 2014, Honey Pie 2014) and her husband Luke (Taylor Bottles: Tattoo Nightmares 2014, Trust Fund 2016) move back to Jennifer’s home town from Chicago. Both of their lives have been uprooted to enable Jennifer to have an easy, stress-free pregnancy. It is suggested that prior to them moving, an incident occurred with Jennifer and the pregnancy, which affected her mental stability.
- Still from The House on Pine Street
Jennifer is less than pleased about moving back, and further that her mother Meredith (Cathy Barnett: Raising Jeffrey Dahmer 2006) will be able to actively manipulate their lives. From the moment they step in the door, Meredith in deed takes control and organises a homecoming party. Jennifer feels uncomfortable in their new house, and begins to suspect the house is haunted. An unseen figure starts becoming intimate and physical with Jennifer, alarming her. During the housewarming party, Jennifer meets one of her mother’s friends, Walter (Jim Korinke in his debut film), a chiropractor with psychic tendencies. She questions him about the house, and he infers there is an entity there.
As Jennifer’s pregnancy progresses, so does the supernatural activity in the house. Initially willing to listen and be empathetic, Luke’s patience soon runs thin. Meredith is equally unwilling to entertain Jennifer’s suspicions. A visit from Jennifer’s best friend, Lauren (Natalie Pellegrini: Sharknado 2013, Mega Shark vs. Mecha Shark 2014), seems to calm things down and makes sense for her, but the entity becomes more insistent.The only problem is, only Jennifer experiences it. Jennifer’s state of mind unravels, her friends and family believe she may have lost her mind. On her own, Jennifer must prove there is in fact something evil in her house before it destroys her and her family.
- Still from The House on Pine Street
The House on Pine Street offers a rarely seen flashback to Horror films of old that offer jump out of your seat scares, opposed to blood and gore. Its quiet intelligence helps drive the story along, right up to the surprise ending. Some viewers may find it too slow-moving in parts, and a little cliched. The story does not provide anything new in terms of characters, plot, or surprises, but it does deliver what it promises. It is well-acted, and the dialogue is realistic. The cinematography by Juan Sebastian Baron (Opening Night 2014, Monty Comes Back 2016) highlights the creepy atmosphere and keeps pace with the action scenes. The special effects are minimal, but efficient. A good watch for the afternoon, CrypticRock gives The House on Pine Street 3 out of 5 stars.
){kind=link}
No comment