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The wife, Violet, seems rather peculiar from the start to Caroline, being quite snippy and enforcing some rules which seem a little harsh but she tolerates it and the longer she stays in the house, the more she notices, such as the fact that her key she's given, that she's been told opens ... Read review
Steeped in rain, humidity, and eerie bayou atmosphere,The Skeleton Keyis an entertaining ... more
supernatural thriller that makes excellent use of its Louisiana locations. New Orleans and the rural environs of Terrebonne Parish are crucial in setting up the cr...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Steeped in rain, humidity, and eerie bayou atmosphere,The Skeleton Keyis an entertaining ... more
supernatural thriller that makes excellent use of its Louisiana locations. New Orleans and the rural environs of Terrebonne Parish are crucial in setting up the cr...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: refer to website
It can open any door. From the writer of The Ring (Ehren Kruger) and the director of ... more
K-PAX (Iain Softley) comes the supernatural thriller The Skeleton Key. Set largely in the dark atmospheric backwoods just outside of New Orleans The Skeleton Key s...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
From the writer of 'The Ring' (Ehren Kruger), comes this tense supernatural thriller with ... more
a chilling twist. Caroline (Kate Hudson), a young hospice nurse is hired to care for the ailing husband of an elderly woman in the couple's home, a foreboding and...
Teenage superspy Alex Rider is enlisted by the national security services again - this ... more
time for a routine reconnaissance mission at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. But before long Alex finds himself caught up in a terrifying chain of events that leads from the Chinese Triad gangs in London to an undercover assignment in Cuba. Alex begins to make chilling links between suspicious deaths an illegal nuclear weapons deal and the plans of his host Russian General Sarov for the future of the world... To read the first chapter of Skeleton Key please click here
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
Production Year: 2000 - Horror - Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Carmen Electra, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, James Van Der Beek, Keenen Ivory Wayans
Advantages: Interesting story, decent performances, good length Disadvantages: You may need to be fairly open minded to really be 'taken in' by it
...Caroline answers an ad in the local paper for a couple and ends up looking after an old man called Ben Deveraux who suffered a stroke recently, at the couples rather creepy old house in the woodlands in New Orleans.
The wife, Violet, seems rather peculiar from the start to Caroline, being quite snippy and enforcing some rules which seem a little harsh but she tolerates it and the longer she stays in the house, the more she notices, such ... ...told opens every door in the house, doesn't appear to open one particular door in the attic. She vows to discover whats on the other side of this old door and soon the old houses secrets are laid bare, which puts her in danger. What secrets does the house hold? what will happen to her? you'll have to watch the movie to find out, of course!.
- Thoughts and Opinions -
This movie is quite good I think, although you'll ... more
- Credits -
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397101/fullcredits
- Story -
A hospice nurse called Caroline answers an ad in the local paper for a couple and ends up looking after an old man called Ben Deveraux who suffered a stroke recently, at the couples rather creepy old house in the woodlands in New Orleans.
The wife, Violet, seems rather peculiar from the start to Caroline, being quite snippy and enforcing some rules which seem a little harsh but she tolerates it and the longer she stays in the house, the more she notices, such as the fact that her key she's given, that she's been told opens every door in the house, doesn't appear to open one particular door in the attic. She vows to discover whats on the other side of this old door and soon the old houses secrets are laid bare, which puts her in danger. What secrets does the house hold? what will happen to her? you'll have to watch the movie to find out, of course!.
- Thoughts and Opinions -
This movie is quite good I think, although you'll have to be rather open minded towards supernatural, occult type things and such like, to really 'believe' it.
Kate does quite well in this role, becoming gradually more concerned and and consumed by what she discovers, along with the viewer and it does become really quite atmospheric and spooky as little by little we start to realise what has happened and what certain things mean. Its hard to say too much without giving away too much obviously but little by little, the mystery starts to be unravelled.
I would say that this movie is less outright scary and more spooky/sinister really, personally I didn't find it very scary but thats not to say that I think its a bad movie and it didn't have any effect on me and certainly if you watch it at night with the lights off, it is pretty creepy, just it doesn't feature much in the way of blood and gore or very heavy violence as such, which was a relief for me since thats what puts me off, I can't handle horror movies that are too visually graphic in that sense. Instead I suppose I could say that its more similar to movies, in feel, to What Lies Beneath or even The Blair Witch Project. The shocks don't come as often as perhaps they do in The Blair Witch Project but there again in a sense thats perhaps a good thing as when they do, their more likely to take you by surprise!.
I liked the plot of the movie in a way as it was fairly thought out, there was a proper story behind it, which became somewhat more intriguing as the movie continued, it didn't strike me as a rushed and sloppy movie in that aspect, so thats good. If your going to be overly critical then you may find things a little silly, for instance I thought the character of the towns estate lawyer, Luke Marshall, was a bit daft, given what happens towards the end. I would also point out that you do need to pay a fair bit of attention to the ins and outs of the story as it plays out because the movie has quite a twist at the end and it might not be too obvious or clear or otherwise make a great deal of sense if you don't keep track of whats going on, which is perhaps common sense but I did get a bit mixed up at times, so I thought I'd add that (I have to say over the last while, I've been getting steadily worse at concentrating on movies but I don't feel its the movies fault, its me lol its so difficult to concentrate and not keep checking the 'net and everything else at the same time, so, my bad lol).
I think as a creepy supernatural thriller, it does quite well, the story is pretty good and the main performances are fine too, plus at one hour and forty minutes long, its a good length movie too, not dragging on or ending too abruptly. The twist near the end also may well take you by surprise, so all in all its a pretty decent movie.
- Would I Recommend It? -
Yes, I'll recommend this movie as, like I've said already, its got a decent enough story and the acting is fine too. It is pretty creepy at times and does quite well as a supernatural or psychological thriller probably moreso than as a horror movie, though I've seen it classified as both. It perhaps requires a bit of open minded-ness (if such a term exists?) to be able to be properly taken in by what happens but the same can be said for pretty much any and all such movies in this genre and I liked how the story seemed to only be revealed bit by bit, with the twist at the end. It perhaps isn't totally flawless but its pretty decent all the same, so overall yes, I would recommend it.
Thanks for reading my review, I hope you found it useful and thanks for any and all r/r/c's. This review may also be posted on DooYoo UK and Lovefilm under my username which is the same name, IzzyS.
Advantages: Good Cast and Ending. Disadvantages: Slow, Boring in Parts.
...was not expecting much from the Skeleton Key when I rented it. I just thought it looked quite interesting and I do like Kate Hudson as I think she is a fun actress. My sister watched it before me and said it was enjoyable so I gave it a go and it was not half bad but there was definite room for improvement and here is why.
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The Film:
At the beginning of the film we are introduced to Caroline Ellis, a young woman who is a nurse. Caroline is ... ...key and tells her that the key will open any room in the house. Doing what we all would do in her situation Caroline takes a look around the house and naturally tries out the skeleton key on a number of doors. While roaming she comes across a door that she cannot open no matter how hard she tries. Frustrated by this she talks to Violet who tells her that the door should remain locked and she should not think about it. During her caring for Ben, Caroline ...
katygriff 24.04.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Skeleton Key (DVD)
Advantages: Good Voodoo story with a twist. Disadvantages: Not too scary for a horror.
...of Voodoo magic set in the swamplands of Louisiana............................
Caroline Ellis (Kate Hudson) is a young nurse working in a hospice caring for the elderly sick and dying, downhearted and disilusioned seeing her patients die one after another in the cold confines of the hospice, she decides to move on.
She applies for and get's a job as a live in carer / nurse in a big old isolated plantation house set in the swamplands of Louisiana.
... ...apart from Ben and Violet the elderly husband and wife who live there.
Caroline's new patient is old Ben ( John Hurt ) a stroke victim who is bed-ridden and unable to speak or take care of himself,
Violet ( Gena Rowlands ) on the otherhand is a robust strong minded old fashioned southern woman who seems a bit wary of Caroline in the begining but is quietly reasured by Luke ( Peter Sarsgaard ) the family lawyer who is a regular visitor to the house.
...
smcccc 20.10.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Skeleton Key (DVD)
So, how come the beautiful daughter of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn is called Kate Hudson? The bigger mystery is why such a young talked up actress is already doing predictable horror movies that effectively being shown the backdoor in Hollywood terms as far as her A-List status goes. Although Radio Fives no-all film critic Mark Kermode nicknames her Kate Hatstand, in respect to her rather wooden acting skills on stage, the horror genre the perfect ... ...Key is by-the-numbers stuff, the presence of the likes of Peter Sarsgaard, Gena Rowlands and ‘luvey’ John Hurt giving it enough clout so mugs like me tape it, Hurt on board this particularly project to probably pay off his tax bill or something rather than add to his illustrious CV. The older established actors tend to only get offered likewise roles and this one had just enough pork on offer for an old ham like Hurt to eat up the scenery playing ...
thedevilinme 02.08.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Skeleton Key (DVD)
Advantages: Wasn't as predictable as I thought it was, lots of special features Disadvantages: Can't think of any
...originally planned on seeing at the cinema, but it was not to be. Anyway, we settled down in front of the television and put our Blockbuster rented DVD in the DVD player and it began. Now, I'm not going to give any spoilers because I think that you should all see this for yourselves as I thought it was fab and even my boyfriend thought it was good and it takes a lot to please him when it comes to films. I will however give a run down of the basic ... ...Hospice carer and the films shows her reading to an elderly dying man in the opening shot, who sadly dies soon after. When Caroline sees once more how "business-like" the Hospice is and how uncaring the staff seem to be, she looks for alternative employment. The ends up with a job in a large house in the swamp area in New Orleans where she looks after a dying man by the name of Ben (John Hurt) who recently suffered a stroke and has not got long to ...
lolly1981 03.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Skeleton Key (DVD)
Advantages: Suspense and scary scenes Disadvantages: Story is a bit lacking
...horror and suspense films, then The Skeleton Key is right up your street.
The Skeleton Key is about a hospice worker, Caroline Ellis (Kate Hudson) who decides to take a job in New Orleans, looking after stoke victim, Ben Devereaux (John Hurt), wife of Violet (Gena Rowlands), who is paralysed and unable to speak. Violet is a cold and harsh woman, who makes Caroline feel unwelcome and uneasy. When she is given a skeleton key for the house, Caroline ... ...uses his facial expression to act. Kate Hudson is good as the caring Caroline who stumbles upon a weird and bizarre situation with the Devereaux’s. The story is dramatic with lots of shocking moments and a surprising climax that won’t disappoint. This will definitely shock you and make you jump. ...
mozzie76 26.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of The Skeleton Key (DVD)
After New Orleans hospice worker Caroline answers a help wanted ad, she finds herself working as the live-in caretaker of Ben Devereaux, a stroke victim who has lost his ability to speak. Ben's wife, Violet, presents Caroline with a skeleton key to open any door in the house with the exception of one, which she claims she has never been able to open. But curiosity gets the best of her, and Caroline opens the door to find a wealth of materials representing the old house's history of hoodoo, an ancient form of folk magic.
Audio Commentary with director Iain Softley, Deleted scenes, Behind The Locked Door: Making Of THE SKELETON KEY, Exploring Voodoo Hoodoo featurette, Recipe And Ritual: Making The Perfect Gumbo featuette, Blues In The Bayou featurette, Kate Hudson's Ghost Story , Plantation Life featurette, Casting THE SKELETON KEY , John Hurt's Story, A House Called Felicity featurette, Gena's Love Spell, Trailers
Aspect Ratio
2.35 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review
A basic bayou thriller distinguished by a very self-conscious subversive streak (Entertainment Weekly, )
The performances are full-throttle, with Hudson as the most pig-headedly fearless heroine in years, making good on her ALMOST FAMOUS promise (Uncut, )
DVD Description
After New Orleans hospice worker Caroline (Kate Hudson) answers a help wanted ad, she finds herself working as the live-in caretaker of Ben Devereaux (John Hurt), a stroke victim who has lost his ability to speak. Ben's wife, Violet (Gena Rowlands), presents Caroline with a skeleton key to open any door in the house with the exception of one, which she claims she has never been able to open. But curiosity gets the best of her, and Caroline opens the door to find a wealth of materials representing the old house's history of hoodoo, an ancient form of folk magic. She soon discovers that the house harbours a dark secret one that Violet knows more about than she first admits. Breaking her string of lighthearted romantic comedies, Kate Hudson gives a performance that proves she's more than capable of playing a feisty damsel in distress. Ehren Kruger's (THE RING) script gives her some physically demanding scenes, while providing the audience with a steady string of effective jolts culminating in a SIXTH SENSE-style twist that few are likely to see coming. Louisiana's swampy, heavy atmosphere is literally a character in the film, while Gena Rowlands, at age 75, astounds once again with one of her most surprising roles.
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