I personally loved this movie. i'd put in a subcategory i'm working on that doesn't really exist yet that i call New Age horror, and i'm compiling a little list of movies that i'd categorize under New Age Horror because it's probably my favorite aesthetic in a horror movie. the list mostly consists of films from the 80s and 90s but there are a few recent ones like It Follows, and there's stuff from the 70s as well. pretty much the qualification for New Age horror is the soundtrack has to mostly be new age music. and one might say this film mostly has a smooth jazz style soundtrack, and you're not wrong. but fun little new age fact. in the late 7os/early 80s there was a little record label called Windham Hill which was more or less the first new age record label, or at least the biggest new age record label. now in those days new age (and even these days of your record store has a new age section like mine does...shout out to bullmoose) you'll notice a lot of soft jazz among the new age albums. that's because windham hill mostly put out music considered soft jazz, which was sorta lumped into the new age category. so the New Age genre has a range of Enya all the way to Pat Metheny. so when people think of New Age they normally think of Enya and more relaxing/spiritual/celtic type stuff but soft jazz also is a close close relative to New Age. there was another new age label called Natasha which kinda went neck and neck with Windham Hill...pretty much of you were a big soft jazz/new age artist you were probably on one of the two. Narmada had a little bit more of some hard smooth jazz artists, my favorite being the album across Currents by Richard Souther, which is my favorite smooth jazz album of all time. the soundtrack to Open House very much resembles the sounds of Cross Currents, which is a new age jazz album, and so i'd lump Open Housr into the new age horror category. ok.
so, here's why i think that this especially works for this film. the kills mostly take place in stylish houses in the Cali area that are for sale. another key thing about new age horror is it should follow a particular aesthetic visual, and the contemporary houses that are being utilized for the kills certainly make this one of the strongest contenders for a new age slasher. it really nails the aesthetic perfectly. the music compliments it nicely cause ultimately what you're hearing is muzak that you sort of attribute to such things like real estate and liberal talk radio.
the other part of this movie revolves around a talk radio show host, a therapist, who is wrapped up in all of this, along with his real estate agent girlfriend. i really like these two characters. they're fairly well acted. adrienne barbeau especially was a delight in this films. i really appreciated the two leafs' relationship, and we should strive for a similar relationship with our significant others.
some of the kills were pretty awesome. i think the movie does sort of reach a little bit of a slow point once you are an hr into the movie. it certainly was flawed in that regard. the ending was...okay. i'd say it was solid for the kinda movie it is. it wasn't shocking, there wasn't any twists (which more less, thank god. cause sometimes those twists can really ruin a movie) it wasn't particularly smartly done, one might argue it was stupidly done. i'd say it was lukewarm, good enough, "i'll take it". i think if you do not appreciate the new age horror genre, you will probably hate this movie. i personally love this movie. i'd say that realistically, with all that has been said in this review, it's really an 8. but in my heart this movie is a 10 cause i just loved the music, the style, just everything aesthetically about this movie. i am also really into contemporary architecture and really appreciate it in a horror movie.
if your curious about what else i would consider new age horror. here's a little list: The Guardian The Unborn Death Spa Safe(not really horror but it is about a cult) Body Melt The Nest The Day Time Ended Body Count Demons 2
those are ones that i've seen where i've made note of the scores and the imagery. there's a lot more that i've watched before i started taking note of it. The Guardian is especially interesting because it's a William Friedkinfklm in features music by Brian Eno and a Roger Eno. but if that sounds cool definitely check out Open House. i saw it on youtube. check out these other movies. if you have any other new age horror recommendations let me know. i don't know if there's a way to do that on here but whatever
so, here's why i think that this especially works for this film. the kills mostly take place in stylish houses in the Cali area that are for sale. another key thing about new age horror is it should follow a particular aesthetic visual, and the contemporary houses that are being utilized for the kills certainly make this one of the strongest contenders for a new age slasher. it really nails the aesthetic perfectly. the music compliments it nicely cause ultimately what you're hearing is muzak that you sort of attribute to such things like real estate and liberal talk radio.
the other part of this movie revolves around a talk radio show host, a therapist, who is wrapped up in all of this, along with his real estate agent girlfriend. i really like these two characters. they're fairly well acted. adrienne barbeau especially was a delight in this films. i really appreciated the two leafs' relationship, and we should strive for a similar relationship with our significant others.
some of the kills were pretty awesome. i think the movie does sort of reach a little bit of a slow point once you are an hr into the movie. it certainly was flawed in that regard. the ending was...okay. i'd say it was solid for the kinda movie it is. it wasn't shocking, there wasn't any twists (which more less, thank god. cause sometimes those twists can really ruin a movie) it wasn't particularly smartly done, one might argue it was stupidly done. i'd say it was lukewarm, good enough, "i'll take it". i think if you do not appreciate the new age horror genre, you will probably hate this movie. i personally love this movie. i'd say that realistically, with all that has been said in this review, it's really an 8. but in my heart this movie is a 10 cause i just loved the music, the style, just everything aesthetically about this movie. i am also really into contemporary architecture and really appreciate it in a horror movie.
if your curious about what else i would consider new age horror. here's a little list: The Guardian The Unborn Death Spa Safe(not really horror but it is about a cult) Body Melt The Nest The Day Time Ended Body Count Demons 2
those are ones that i've seen where i've made note of the scores and the imagery. there's a lot more that i've watched before i started taking note of it. The Guardian is especially interesting because it's a William Friedkinfklm in features music by Brian Eno and a Roger Eno. but if that sounds cool definitely check out Open House. i saw it on youtube. check out these other movies. if you have any other new age horror recommendations let me know. i don't know if there's a way to do that on here but whatever