... As Arrhur and his family gradually encounter the terrible denizens of the house, they are reliant on the support of a psychic and a spiritualist to keep them alive – but who will be the thirteenth ghost?
The Thirteen Ghosts is a remake of a cult 1960 horror film and retains most of ... Read review
A by-the-numbers haunted house movie, albeit one with some neat twists, a couple of good ... more
performances and impressive design work,Thirteen Ghostsis a remake of the 1960 original by exploitation superstar William Castle. When ghost-hunter Cyrus (F Murray...
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A by-the-numbers haunted house movie, albeit one with some neat twists, a couple of good ... more
performances and impressive design work,Thirteen Ghostsis a remake of the 1960 original by exploitation superstar William Castle. When ghost-hunter Cyrus (F Murray...
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When a family inherits a spectacular old house from an eccentric uncle (Academy Award ... more
Winner F. Murray Abraham - Best Actor, Amadeus, 1984) they know nothing of its own dangerous agenda.Trapped in their new home by shifting walls, a father and daughter...
The family may have moved in but the ghosts aren't moving out in this special-effects ... more
spectacular update of William Castle's classic 1960s shocker! When the Kriticos family inherits a spectacular old house from an eccentric uncle (F. Murray Abraham) t...
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Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:Temporarily out of stock - This item will be dispatched as soon as it arrives - We cannot guarantee Christmas delivery...
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: The ghosts are good.... Disadvantages: ....but the humans stink
...ghost?
The Thirteen Ghosts is a remake of a cult 1960 horror film and retains most of the key plot elements of the original film. In places, it is very reminiscent of the film House on Haunted Hill, which should come as no real surprise as the same man, Robb White, wrote both films. There are certain key similarities between the two films – ghosts, haunted houses, eccentric characters and unwitting victims who become imprisoned ... .../>
As a horror film, Thirteen Ghosts is only partly successful. At the outset, there is quite a lot of gore and nastiness – I was initially quite surprised that the film had only attracted a 15 certificate. (There is a particularly satisfying sequence involving a lawyer and a pair of glass doors.) However, once events moved to the house there was less violence and the film concentrated more on the mystery and intrigue of the collection of ... more
Cyrus Kriticos has a passion for collecting something rather unusual – ghosts. Aided by a young psychic, Kriticos carefully seeks out the restful spirits in the place that they died, where he captures them in a specially designed cell, before returning them to a bizarre spectral collection chamber in his enormous mansion. Whilst collecting the twelfth ghost for his collection, Cyrus is killed and his entire estate is subsequently inherited by his nephew.
When Cyrus’s nephew Arthur originally visits the house with his children and nanny, the scale and beauty of its design immediately transfix the group. All the walls are fabricated from glass, with curious Latin inscriptions, and all the rooms of the house are furnished to a supremely high standard. The house holds all of the items collected by Cyrus during his life, and Arthur can scarcely believe his luck.
But there is more to this house than meets the eye. Unbeknown to Arthur and his family, the basement of the house conceals a dark secret – the collection of ghosts accumulated by Cyrus during his life. Whilst Arthur’s family explore the strange house, Cyrus’s solicitor collects his retainer from one of the basement rooms – and unwittingly activates a mechanism within the house that puts the whole family in danger. It transpires that the house is in actual fact one giant machine – and once the machine has kicked in, nothing can stop the house from releasing its ghostly prisoners one by one. As Arrhur and his family gradually encounter the terrible denizens of the house, they are reliant on the support of a psychic and a spiritualist to keep them alive – but who will be the thirteenth ghost?
The Thirteen Ghosts is a remake of a cult 1960 horror film and retains most of the key plot elements of the original film. In places, it is very reminiscent of the film House on Haunted Hill, which should come as no real surprise as the same man, Robb White, wrote both films. There are certain key similarities between the two films – ghosts, haunted houses, eccentric characters and unwitting victims who become imprisoned in the houses. This is quite an unusual film, although I have to say not entirely successful.
The main concept of both the original and the remake is that the family is unable to see their spectral guests without the aid of specially designed glasses, rather like 3-D glasses. This is an entertaining premise, as it provides plenty of opportunities for spooky, jumpy moments as the various family members switch from wearing glasses to not – and subsequently being able and not able to see the inhabitants of the basement. Where this works particularly well is in the way in which the film plays on the idea that there are ghosts all around us, and that we cannot see them. Without the glasses, the house looks normal, and very appealing to Arthur and his family. By donning their spectacles, the family is opened up to a whole new environment and this certainly plays on your inner fears. This is made more effective by the fact that the family members are still susceptible to attacks from the ghosts regardless of whether they are wearing glasses or not – so one of them may be physically attacked, without the others being able to see the assailant. It’s all very creepy, and with the touches of modern special effects, it is all very convincing too.
It transpires that each of the ghosts that has been imprisoned by Cyrus has been very carefully selected as part of a greater plan, but for me, this was one of the least successful ideas in the film and I’m not sure that the plot device was properly considered. Each of the ghosts is very different, having been killed in a very different way, but although we get some idea of how the person died, we really don’t learn enough about the individual ghosts. The twelve spectres are all suitably ghoulish, most notably a character called The Jackal, who was a notorious killer and died horrifically with a cage around his head. Other ghosts are never really explained - there is a child who appears to have been murdered with an arrow through his head, but all of the characters seemed particularly frightened of this ghost in particular and we were never really told why. There was also something very contrived about the whole arrangement. The specifications for the ghosts were taken from an old book of spells, but the twelve ghosts selected were all far too conveniently identical to their literary counterpart. I could never quite believe that Cyrus was lucky enough to find the exact twelve ghosts that he required for his plan. Visually, the ghosts are extremely effective though – they are all quite horrific and greatly varied.
As a horror film, Thirteen Ghosts is only partly successful. At the outset, there is quite a lot of gore and nastiness – I was initially quite surprised that the film had only attracted a 15 certificate. (There is a particularly satisfying sequence involving a lawyer and a pair of glass doors.) However, once events moved to the house there was less violence and the film concentrated more on the mystery and intrigue of the collection of ghosts. When Arthur and his family find themselves locked in the house, I did rather wonder what they were going to do with the characters as it did occur to me that there were relatively few characters to terrorise. Although Arthur’s young son disappears early on in the film, the viewer knows that he will not be harmed, because it is a simple rule of horror movies that children are always ok. This is probably one of my main criticisms of the film. Although there are some significant twists in the plot, once events in the house take off, the writer seems to have taken very few chances and I thought there were a lot of missed opportunities. For me, the appeal of horror movies is the opportunity to break with convention and shock the viewer. In The Thirteen Ghosts, you quickly become familiar with the ghosts and they therefore soon lose some of their menace. The film ultimately descends into Jurassic Park territory, with plenty of thrills and spills, but no balls.
One of the film’s greatest assets is the set piece used for Cyrus’s mansion. The building really is quite magnificent and you certainly share the awe of the characters as they wander round exploring. I loved the use of glass, because this added to the effect of the spooky spectacles. By having all the rooms fabricated from glass, the director has suggested that it is easy to see everything, when of course the glass actually reveals nothing. There is also something inherently sinister about a prison, where all the cells are made of glass and you can see the inmates – albeit spectral ones in this case.
It is certainly the ghosts who steal the show in this film, as the other (human) characters are far less appealing. The psychic is rather irritatingly played by Matthew Lillard, who can currently be seen as Shaggy in the Scooby-Doo movie. Lillard is mouthy, and generally very irritating, with a constant barrage of rapid dialogue and although this could be explained by his youth, I found him very unconvincing. Cyrus Kriticos is portrayed in a typically gothic fashion by F Murray Abraham, complete with cloak, cane and dark pointy beard. The only character I really liked was the nanny, Maggie, who had some good lines and provided a few much-needed comedy moments.
If I were to suggest how I would have liked this film to play, I think I would have concentrated a lot more on the individual ghosts. In true Jurassic Park fashion, as the ghosts are released one by one in the house, they gradually become nastier and more dangerous, and I thought this idea could have been used to much greater effect. I would also have taken more risks – having a young child in the movie dumbs down the overall nastiness and I think I would have injected a few more characters, if only to have them subsequently picked off by the ghosts.
I do recommend this film, because it is fast-paced, visually quite impressive and quite spooky. As far as scaring the pants off you though, I wouldn’t believe the hype. This film is as cliched as it is innovative but it is a significant improvement on the 1999 House on Haunted Hill and I rather enjoyed it.
Advantages: Waste of time Disadvantages: Waste of time
Imagine this horror scenario. It’s a hot summers day, and your mouth is drier than an oven made from sand. There’s an ice cream truck roughly 35 metres away from where you are standing, and you have £1.50 in your pocket – just enough for a thirst-quenching ice lolly of some description. Maybe a cider flavoured one – or a strawberry split… Anyway, rather than go directly to the ice cream truck, you throw the money into the mouth of a passing border ... ...the god of hellfire – and I bring you fire!” strip to your underclothes, dance a dainty jig, run to the ice cream truck and lick the raspberry sauce bottle in a suggestive manner and then fart out a buttercup. Only then do you retrieve your money and return to the truck, only to find that you don’t really want an ice lolly after all.
The point? TAKE THE EASY ROUTE. It works, and it’s satisfying. With this in mind, gaze upon the works of director ...
peppersinclaire 20.03.2002 (03.04.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Thirteen Ghosts (DVD)
Advantages: chill-will special effects Disadvantages: same old story
Directed by Steve Beck “Thirteen Ghosts” is obviously a loud, stupid and incomprehensible piece of work. "Thirteen Ghosts "is not based on William Castle's 1960's horror "House on Haunted Hill", but is instead an original (if you can call it that) screenplay. Steven Beck, however, did direct a remake of "House on Haunted Hill", known by the same name in 1999, prior to directing "Thirteen Ghosts"! Despite some cool visual effects, “13 ... ...get more stupid, an other flick of horror prove you wrong. It always can get worse. I guess this what the horror is for, to surprise and bore you to death at the same time, until you can’t get it enough. The movie starts from the grave of horror maestro William Castle 1960, offering the name and maybe something else. The new version however, should benefit from all the advancements in special effects and modern filmmaking technology, comparing ...
barefoot777 08.06.2004 (09.06.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Thirteen Ghosts (DVD)
Advantages: excellent effects and makeup Disadvantages: Acting and somewhat thin plot
Against my better judgement, and at the urging of my fat brother, I have today gone to see the film Thir13en Ghosts. Here follows my review (without giving too much away ;+)
Thir13en Ghosts is a Haunted House flick with a difference - aren't they all these days? The plot is that Cyrus Kriticos, adventurer, leaves his house (and its collection of ghosts) to his nephew, Arthur, who promptly attempts to move into the house with his 2 children and live-in ... ...used to horror films having less plot than a 2x2 allotment.
Cyrus is played by F Murray Abraham, hamming whilst trying not to appear like he's hamming (and almost succeeding), and in something of a cameo role. The remainder of the cast are a little unmentionable, apart from Matthew Lillard as psychic Dennis Rafkin (I'm sure we all remember Matthew from Scream), and Tony Shalhoub as the nephew Arthur (for those who know now, Tony Shalhoub was in ...
tatum69 21.03.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Thirteen Ghosts (DVD)
Advantages: Good make up Disadvantages: Crap everything else
...in the particular case of Thirteen Ghosts, all I can say is that I’m very highly delighted that I did wait until the Passover into Cheapskate Land, because this film may have looked wonderfully exciting and scary in the confines of trailer city, but spread over an entire 90 minutes, once the shock horror tactics and the unpleasant make up have had their undoubtable early impact, you’re left with an extremely shallow, far fetched and patently absurd ... ...even more horrible characteristics.
Thirteen Ghosts contains some quite neat tricks and novelties, but quickly runs out of steam and any remaining vitality. In reality, it’s just an updated, more gruesome version of the standard haunted house epic which is very badly handled. The high tech house, built on a standard design by the devil, is the real star of the show, but soon leaves you feeling quite bored. The hieroglyph bedecked glass walls and ...
dave27 09.08.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Thirteen Ghosts (DVD)
Advantages: Lots Of Frights And Plenty Of Blood And Gore! Disadvantages: None Really, Apart From The Film Should Be Longer!
What can possibly be scarier than a giant see through glass house that has a basement full of super scary ghosts? not much in my opinion!
13 Ghosts was a film originally made in 1960, but this action-packed, thrill filled remake has basically outclassed the original by miles! Directed by Steve Beck this 2001 reamake of a horror classic proves that with a crew that has a clear image of what they need to achieve anything is possible!
The Story: What ... ...tale of a wealthy ghosthunter called Cyrus Kriticos (F.Murray Abraham) , who's mission is to capture 13 of the worlds deadliest spirits to form an ancient machine known as the "Black Zodiac" which will basically unleash the gates of hell upon the Earth if it can be created.
In the beginning of the film we witness Cyrus, accompanied by a team of ghostcatchers and also his assistant, Dennis Rafkin (Matthew Lillard), who is a pyschic that can see the ...
Woodzy1991 20.04.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Thirteen Ghosts (DVD)
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Advantages: sometimes scarey Disadvantages: predictable
When i watched thirteenghosts my first thought was predictable and i could have written something similar during my dinner hour in work.
Okay there were some original scenes to it but it starts off with a familiar story line of a family inheriting the house! woo thats original, and the house is home to ,wait for it, thirteenghosts who want to be freed from their abode,[ the creepy cellar like place ]. Well where else would you expect to find them?
Some of the ghosts are really mean dead people and their intentions are not honourable. In fact they do kill some family members, but not all of them. The remaining kin discover the way to lock the door previously allowing the ghosts to escape and in return live happily ever after somewhere else!!
I hope my review hasnt put you off wasting your money on purchasing a copy of this ...
Advantages: Scary in some parts, great special FX Disadvantages: Not everyone's taste
this ship than they first thought and each member of the salvage crew is killed in a brutal, horrific way.
Well that's about it really there's not much more I can say about it, as this would give away the twist and end to the film.
Ghost Ship is brought to us by the same team as 'House on Haunted Hill' and 'ThirteenGhosts' and I can quite honestly say, having all these DVD's that 'House on Haunted Hill' is still the best of the three (so far).
The acting in Ghost Ship is nothing special either with Julianna Margulies (ER) been quite wooden at times and Gabriel Byrne (Stigmata) looking like he was forced into taking the roll. But all said and done the star of the film must be the Ship, how can the ship be the star? I hear you say. Well the sets are superbly designed with the ship decaying after been afloat for 40 years ...
When a family inherits a house from their eccentric uncle, they get much more than they bargained for. They become trapped in their new home by a powerful force that is determined to kill anyone that gets in it's way...
Directors Commentary, 12 Featurettes, The Making Of Featurette, Filmographies, Trailer
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English Italian
DVD Description
THIRTEEN GHOSTS, Steve Beck's feature debut, is the second recent remake (following THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL) of a film by 1950s and 60s camp horror king, William Castle. Arthur Kriticos (Tony Shalhoub) is a financially strapped widower struggling to raise two children, Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth) and Bobby (Alec Roberts), after losing his wife in a house fire. A stroke of apparent luck arrives when Arthur learns he has inherited a mansion from his mysterious Uncle Cyrus (F. Murray Abraham). Ecstatic, Arthur whisks the kids and nanny, Maggie (Rah Digga) off to their new home, a bizarre glass and steel structure with strange Latin inscriptions carved on the walls. The family is thrilled, until a psychic and former employee of Cyrus', Rafkin (Matthew Lillard), reveals that Arthur's departed uncle was a power hungry ghost collector who captured twelve spirits in the house. Arthur is skeptical. But when his children disappear, and Rafkin gives him a pair of special glasses that allow him to view the house's gruesome inhabitants, he believes. In Beck's special effects-laden gore-fest, the two men race against time to find the children as the house's strange internal mechanism begins sealing off the exits and freeing the angry ghosts.
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