An American Ghost Story

AN AMERICAN GHOST STORY

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Coming to DVD from director Derek Cole and Breaking Glass Pictures comes the cautionary tale when you are dealing with AN AMERICAN GHOST STORY.

This film tells the story of Paul (Stephen Twardokus); a writer who rents a home that is the scene of a murder. Moving in as well is girlfriend Stella (Liesel Kopp) who is up for an adventure – or is she?

Decorating certain places in the house, as it was when the family murder/suicide took place, it doesn’t take long before something happens. The first victim is girlfriend Stella who checks out as fast as she checked in!

Paul continues researching trying to contact others who have lived in the home. One person who does speak to him is Sue (Wendy Haines), someone else who is looking for validation for happenings in the house.

Now Paul must take it day by day to discover what is in the house, how he can communicate with it and what happens when you get exactly what you ask for!

FINAL WORD:  Twardokus as Paul gets a chance to shake things up in this role. As the writer of the film playing a writer I give points for the irony. Having the story unfold slowly is so nerve wracking but brings the viewer into a height reserved only for that patient and purest scary movie freak. Watching in broad daylight, Twardokus STILL managed to freak me out. That is not easy to do so well done sir!

Haines as Sue has the definitive look of someone who has been totally creeped out. The gaunt look of someone living in fear was awesome and believable. If she told me to get out of a house I’d definitely go!

Kopp as Stella kind of jumped ship early in the game. I actually yelled at the screen, ‘suck it up girl – that’s your MAN in there!’ much to the enjoyment of the neighbors passing by.

Other cast include Jon Gale as Skip, Cain Clifton as Sam, Maureen McElroy as Anna and Shane Cole as Sheet.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give AN AMERICAN HORROR STORY three and a half tubs of popcorn out of five. Okay, lets get real here. There is an AMITYVILLE HORROR/POLTERGEIST feel going on here but get past it immediately!

This is a film made with an extremely small budget – I mean a $10,000 budget so there are a few things missing here that one would find in a Hollywood production. That being said this film made me jump three times thank you very much and take THAT Hollywood!

Knowing the budget actually does make the viewer appreciate what the writer and director accomplished. Twardokus wrote the script and I’m all about portraying the role himself absolutely. Who better to know the character? Turning the directing duties over to Cole is smart.

Turn out the lights and sit back for some fingernail biting fun.

In the end – some things are better left alone!