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| Available at Amazon.com |
Anna is an archaeologist in London who is doing some really in depth research on the seventeenth century black plague. Really trying to get into her work and making sure everything is as accurate as possible, Anna does some digging around and searching hoping to find that one piece of information that will make her effort well worth the trouble. What a lot of people don’t seem to realize is that if you go messing with something that was once rumored to be evil, then it probably really is and you should have just left well enough alone.
Anna has been warned on numerous occasions to steer clear of the abandoned and condemned hospital where she has been trying to research. She finds that a series of orphanages that were the primary houses of the plague were infected by the doctor who tortured and maimed his patients. Going against better judgment, she enters anyway and unleashes the evil spirits of the doctor who was rather unethical in his practices. Still desperate to find as much information as possible, Gina urges onward.
At this same time, four troubled youths who have been partying the night away end up running down a woman in their car and possibly killing her. They just so happen to be nearby the hospital so they run there and hide out hoping to evade the police and the security guard. Soon they meet up with Anna and they all realize that their night in the hospital has just begun. For some reason, they are locked in and now a mysterious cloaked figure resembling the doctor (Anna knows) is stalking them. Their lives are in grave danger, but Anna knows she must have proof of the doctor’s existence if they do make it out alive.
Good Lord almighty was this bad. Gina Phillips, you impressed me so much in Jeepers Creepers and then you go and do this? Obviously it is Justin Long’s career that has been the one to take off after that film and not yours. There is nothing to like about this film by any stretch of the imagination. That includes the rest of the actors as well. I’m not sure if it is their lack of talent or the God awful characters they were given to play which made them so bad, or maybe it is a combination of the two. I dunno.
The scares are not scary. The characters are incredibly annoying. The plot is predictable. And you can hardly see a single thing going on during the entire film because it is so dark. Then they go and give one of the cracked up drunk kids a video camera with night vision so we can see everything in that perspective time and again. Man, if that wasn’t a big pain in the butt. It’s a shame that it is so bad because for some reason I feel as if it had a lot of possibility. What that possibility is, I still don’t know.
The film is shown in 2.51:1 Anamorphic Widescreen format or 1.33:1 Full Screen format and it could use some lighting up. The lighter scenes, of which they last maybe five minutes combined, have a grey hue on them which is just bothersome. The rest of the film I’ve already told you about. I honestly could have watched the five minutes and had the same feelings for it because I couldn’t see a thing going on otherwise.
The film is heard in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and it is kind of dull as well. There are numerous occasions when everything just gets way too low and you can’t tell if there is music playing and then people sound like they are whispering. Just a big annoying case of turn up volume, turn down volume, turn up volume, turn down volume, and repeat.
Trailers – Flight Of The Living Dead, Blade: House Of Chthon, Amusement, Return To House On Haunted Hill: Unrated and Uncut, Appleseed Saga: Ex Machina, and The Brave One.
Well, this is a whole lot of nothing and nowhere near worth a purchase or even so much as a rental. Hell, it isn’t even worth using your Netflix on because it truly is that bad. See I’ve reviewed other horribleness like Grim Reaper and The Reeker, but The Sickhouse isn’t quite in the same category. This film doesn’t rank just in the “simply awful” category, but also in the “annoying as all living hell” category. I hate watching something that I can’t see or have to try and figure out what exactly I’m looking at. Hence is the case here and the reason behind my never recommending it to anyone ever. Throw in that there are thankfully no special features and the DVD might end up making a good Frisbee or skeet shooting disc.
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New Line presents The Sick House. Directed by: Curtis Radclyffe. Starring: Gina Philips, Alex Hassell, Kellie Shirley, Andrew Knott, Jack Bailey. Written by: Curtis Radclyffe, Romla Walker. Running time: 90 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Released on DVD: March 18, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
About Danny Cox
