The Skeleton Key--not too shabby...

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Remo D
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The Skeleton Key--not too shabby...

Post by Remo D »

...but not a masterpiece, either.

Some complained when they saw the PG-13, but it's appropriate enough here--we're dealing with Deep South hoodoo (that's not a typo, if you're wondering) and not flesh-eating zombies. The setup's pretty well explained in the trailer: Kate Hudson is the young hospice worker who takes the case of stroke victim (or is he?) John Hurt under the watchful, mistrustful eye of Gena Rowlands. And thanks largely to the key of the title, we start in with the "deep dark secret" business.

Seventy-five percent of the movie is achingly predictable, and once again we've got a director who insists on utilizing the KA-POW!!! noise on the soundtrack every time he wants you to jump (which is often). Not quite so much as BOOGEYMAN, but still undeniably there.

However, we do have very authentic and atmospheric sets and locations, the details of the religion in question are as fascinating as ever to the curious (like me), the central flashback is suitably horrifying, and we do work our way to quite a decent finale.

THE SKELETON KEY never hits the heights, but it's certainly an agreeable matinee at the very least.
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Post by DylanDog »

Watched this last night. I really liked it, moreso than you did by the sounds of it. Might have been a bit predictable in parts, but I thought it had it where it counted. The story was pretty tight I thought. Complex enough to hold your interest, but no loose ends or unanswered questions. And nothing that makes you feel cheated at the end. But most of all, I thought it had a great soundtrack. I might actually buy it at some point.
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Post by Latte Thunder »

I have to admit, I thought more of Skeleton Key than most of the teen friendly horrors of the past few years. I kept drifting in and out of it as my wife was watching it while I was making dinner, but I was able to keep up with the story. Without Netflix I probably wouldn't have given it a shot.
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Remo D
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Post by Remo D »

You'll notice that in reflection I went ahead and included SKELETON KEY in my "good" section for 2005. Yes, I'm personally tired of the exaggerated sound effects--but the fact that I found plenty of elements to be somewhat predictable only means that I've been watching horror films from all times and all places for nearly forty years. There's nothing so achingly predictable about this one that should cause today's audience to groan, after all--and it certainly did build to a satisfying finale. I didn't feel cheated when I left the theatre--and the DVD should be even more enjoyable without certain audience distractions...
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