There's two ways you can approach this film - the first is that it's from the people who brought you the abysmal remake of The House on Haunted Hill two years ago, or you can opt to get drawn in by the way it's being advertised - rated R for a reason - blood, guts, gore, and nudity. Which ever way you go, it really doesn't matter - it all boils down to these simple tenets: bad acting, good special effects, bad script, but a good setting. It's simple: are you looking for a movie like this? If so, see it - if not, stay away.

Thir13en Ghosts seems doomed from the start - the lead actress is Shannon Elizabeth who is trying to make a name for herself now as a "serious actor" (thereby ruling out her as the nudity part of the R rating). Supporting talent? Matthew Lillard - if I never see him again in a movie, it'll be too soon. Lillard is the epitome of overacting; he can't keep it subtle, and consistently goes over-the-top. So, we put Lillard and Elizabeth together in a movie and it appears we're in for a mix of Scream and Scary Movie, but this time with a scary setting (rather than a parody). And, amazingly, the movie is scary at times - with some interesting special effects (great? no - good? yes). The whole movie centers around an unusual house, built to contain and control twelve ghosts (yes, there is a thirteenth somewhere for the title's sake), and ultimately open a portal directly to hell. It's an interesting premise and the set is even more interesting - featuring glass walls with glyphs in Latin, along with a mechanical maze of moving walls, floors, and ceilings, the whole movie revolves around the house (as did the aforementiond HOHH).

The storyline is pretty basic - Shannon and the rest of her family find out that their uncle has died and left them the house, little do they know, but he has trapped twelve ghosts inside waiting to be released upon the arrival of the new house guests. Quite predictably, the ghosts get released one by one and each are able to wreak their own terror within the house. There's not much more to the story than that - you get the requisite bad acting for a movie of this caliber, but what you don't expect is that the movie, when all is said and done, entertains.

The marketers behind Thir13en Ghosts knew the audience they were going after - and where most movies of this type would fall flat on their face, Thir13en Ghosts is able to actually have some scary moments, but unfortunately, it just doesn't add up in the end. The bad acting can't be overcome by a really cool set and as much as I wanted to like the movie, Elizabeth, Lillard, and the poor script all add up to a flop. It'll most likely entertain the teenage crowds who don't really care, but for those of you who actually care about acting and a plot, stay away from this one.

Genres: Horror, Thriller
Rated: R - For horror violence/gore, nudity and some language.
Runtime: 90 minutes
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