SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Jerrie It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Radu Stan All over the Internet I've seen countless awards for this movie, a lot of positive reviews about it and this is completely baffling for me, going as far as to make me think that I've seen a different movie. I can't understand how is this production so praised, when almost every tense moment was nothing if not predictable, when the acting of most of the actors was not only visibly uninspired, but also irritating (I could barely stand the scenes where Jennifer's mother was featured). Besides this, I cannot cope with the fact that I have watched a ghost movie WITH NO ACTUAL GHOST featured in it. Also, the ending, with the "energy" explanation is so far-fetched and rushed, I felt it ruined the already bad impression I've had. The death of her husband was completely unnecessary, it felt misplaced, not to mention the almost full recovery of Jennifer from it in a matter of days. The plot in its entirety was a generic haunted house story, with no original aspects save for the actors, basically I felt as if I was watching another episode of "A Haunting", although I am inclined to appreciate the show a lot more for ACTUALLY FEATURING GHOSTS in it. I tend to believe the movie was biased for being successfully funded through Kickstarter. Other than that, there is a single way to describe this production : Unconvincing and generic.

rooee If it's gonna be dumb at least make it fun. That's surely the unwritten rule of horror. But this bland and generic haunted house indie makes the fatal error of trying to keep a straight face throughout, however predictable the events and however skin-crawling the dialogue. It's restrained in its deployment of violence – but also, sadly, in terms of enjoyment.Jennifer (Emily Goss) and Luke (Taylor Bottles) move into a big crumbling house in a sleepy Kansas suburb. She's seven months pregnant and reluctant. He urges her to give the place a go. They're soon visited by Jennifer's overbearing mother, Meredith (Cathy Barnett), whose presence seems to trigger memories in Jennifer of a previous breakdown. So when the house starts taunting 'n' haunting, the assumption is that Jennifer is simply on the turn again. Most of the horror (and accompanying tedium) emerges from the fear of not being believed, and the threat to mother and child.It's a familiar setup: giving a chance to an instantly creepy house; one partner who's nervous and one who's patient; the forbidden room; the secret past; the strange staring neighbours. I was surprised when no one finds a box of old video tapes and newspaper cuttings. The 'Better Movie Checklist' looms large: The Omen (creepy child); Poltergeist (tossed furniture and a visiting psychic); The Shining (ambiguous twins); The Haunting (a chilling case of mistaken identity).But more than anything there's the presence of Rosemary's Baby: motherhood anxiety seeps into the very fabric of the film; particularly its best scenes, between Jennifer and her scheming, possessive mother. There's a moment when Jennifer goes to her mum's house for solace, and they seem to slip back into roles that have existed since Jennifer's childhood. There's enough eerie tension here to suggest the story may be turning towards an intriguing third act. But that junction is promptly passed by.The overarching problem is, the cinematic influences are great but where's the USP? The drama is rote, the plot is plodding, and the scares are imaginative only on a micro level: mouse traps triggered by an unknown force, or boxes inexplicably moving of their own accord. Like many a horror movie without an identity, it starts well enough, with some intriguing, subtle spookings. But alas, it becomes quickly clear, through formulaic plot beats and zombified dialogue ("There's no such thing as ghosts"), that this is a movie lacking a unique personality.Speaking of which, Goss and Bottles put in a pair of performances which are adequate at best. Having far more fun are Barnett as the mother and Jim Korinke as the possibly-psychic Walter. The latter gets the best piece of bad dialogue: a WTF climactic speech about the forces of energy (or something) which is presumably meant to tie everything up, but which is so rambling and bizarre that you have to wonder if the actor himself knew what he was on about.The photography has a pallid appearance, all autumn hues and naturalistic lighting, which only serves to highlight the unconvincing characters and jars with the laughable events. When Jennifer is being tossed around by the poltergeist, a different score would have made it comedy gold. But instead we get by-the-numbers ambient doom music connoting something much more horrifying than what we're actually seeing.Remarkably, at the end I was left unsure as to whether a key character was meant to have died. The reactions of the other characters just seemed incongruent. I'm not sure if this was unforgivably poor writing and editing or whether I'd simply stopped caring by then. Either way it does nothing to endorse this very uninteresting and uninspired film.

Dawn Keetley The House on Pine Street is a genuinely creepy film that hearkens back to a more suspenseful tradition. There's no gore and very few jump scares, but it definitely made me intensely uneasy. It's a slow (in a good way) portrait of a woman whose state of mind is cast in doubt from beginning to end. Jenny (compellingly played by Emily Goss) is demonstrably not happy about being back in her Kansas hometown, living near her mother, away from her life in Chicago, and, most importantly, being pregnant. The film keeps you wondering arguably to the end about whether what's happening to Jenny is supernatural or psychological. A previous reviewer is definitely on point about the similarity of The House on Pine Street to Robert Wise's 1963 film The Haunting (and the Shirley Jackson novel on which the film was based). It also reminded me of Rosemary's Baby.

heymundy I was very fortunate enough to catch a viewing of this movie at the 2015 Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose.The result of recent graduates from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the University of Kansas, "The House On Pine Street" (THOPS) tells the story of Jennifer (Emily Goss), who is seven months pregnant, and her husband Luke (Taylor Bottles). They both leave their hometown in Chicago in favor of a rental in Kansas, where Jennifer soon begins to experience paranormal activities. Of course, she is the only one to witness these strange occurrences, which adds a strain to her marriage and further complicates an already broken relationship with her mother, Meredith (Cathy Barnett). As Jennifer struggles to figure out what is going on, both in the house and with herself, she encounters creepy twins, odd neighbors and house guests, and scary doors. Yes, these doors are scary.The production of THOPS is very eerie, which makes it a great addition to the library of horror films. Everything from the cinematography and lighting to the sound bites and music used all blends together perfectly for an engaging and startling experience. The actors all shine brightly (Barnett does an excellent job playing a seemingly villainous mother while Bottles portrayal of a husband that doesn't quite understand his wife's crazy antics is spot-on), but the true star of it all is Emily Goss. Goss gives a captivating and haunting performance as the main star of the show, and handles the spotlight with ease. Since I had an opportunity to speak with her briefly after the screening, I was very impressed with how "normal" Goss appeared to be, which made me appreciate even more how perfectly she was able to get into character for the role of Jennifer.What I really enjoyed most about THOPS was its realistic portrayal of what would happen to someone encountering these paranormal activities. So many films have done the same thing over and over, but THOPS doesn't follow that typical formula … which I unfortunately can't really further elaborate on, since I intend for this review to be spoiler-free. Sorry to be a tease! For a film that was mostly self-funded and crafted by a group of talented young adults all under the age of 25, the result is truly remarkable. You can see it in the film's execution that everything the team has learned from their respective schools have been applied, to giving its audience the best possible viewing experience.I believe this is the first feature film debut from the Keeling Brothers, and I'm sure it is only the beginning of a great future for the duo, as well as the actors (most notably Emily Goss) and the rest of the crew and staff. I highly recommend you check out THOPS in the event it plays at a theater near you. It is a very enjoyable experience, and when you remember that everyone who worked on the film are all recent college graduates, it will hopefully inspire you to do something just as great with your life! Also, if you're like me, be forewarned – you may never look at doors or babies playing with Lego blocks the same again!