Back in 1986 a movie came out called WITCHBOARD concerning
an Ouija board that released an evil spirit. It had several sequels that never
did as well as the initial release which was middling to begin with. Most talk
about Ouija boards these days runs back and forth from those who think it’s a
good way to reach spirits to others who feel that it opens a doorway to demons
posing as said spirits. I’ve always thought why invoke trouble?
Due to a lack of fresh ideas in some areas of Hollywood the
Ouija board was found trying to make a comeback with this movie. Fortunately it
didn’t do too well at the box office and the DVD release didn’t take long to
happen. Is the movie really that bad? Maybe not but it isn’t a good example of
horror either.
The film opens with two young girls playing with an Ouija
board and talking about how to use it. Fast forward to years later when one of
the girls does the unthinkable by using it while alone. Shortly after that she
walks to the top of the stairs and hangs herself from the chandelier. Disturbed
by her death the group is determined to find out what happened and why she did
this to herself.
To find out why they search her room and discover the old
Ouija board they once played with. As is usually the case is horror films, the
kids think they know more than they do and decide to gather together at their
deceased friend’s house to use the board when her parents leave to get over
their loss. Thinking they’ve reached their friend they later discover that
they’ve actually discovered a spirit that lives in the house. As they try and
find freedom for this troubled soul they are each forced to confront their
deepest fears as a malevolent force in the house attacks each of them, taking
them out one by one.
This film feels so familiar that it’s not funny. While
watching I thought I was seeing a movie from my past, actually several movies
from my past, that all used the same sort of concept and follow through. While
this version seemed to have a larger budget than some of those it felt wasted
with a movie that moves along at a snail’s pace with nary a scary moment in
sight. And most of those scary moments are telegraphed so far in advance that
the jumps you would have associated with them you experienced long ago in some
other movie.
I will give them credit for a twist in the story late into
the film. The problem is that by that time you no longer care about these
characters or what happens to them. They become those people you think of in
terms of Darwinism where you hope to thin out the herd by having the weak and
stupid killed off. That twist I mentioned comes along far too late to save this
film and it really does need saving.
After first watching the movie I thought of being kind to it
and giving it a better rating. But the longer I thought about it the more I
found the film to be one that is not only forgetful but should be forgotten.
The fact that at the end there was one of those hints at a possible sequel made
my insides twist hoping that it didn’t do well enough at the box office to
warrant one. Then again a sequel might turn out to offer a much better movie
than we find here.
If I want to watch a movie about an Ouija board I think I’ll
track down a copy of WITCHBOARD. Even if it’s a VHS copy it has to be better
than this one. With all the potential stories there are to be told this movie
was one that left me wondering why they weren’t made while this one got a green
light.
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