Arcade Pictures, Strike Entertainment, Studio Canal,
Ashley Bell, Julia Garner, Spencer Treat Clark, David Jensen, Tarra Riggs, Louis Herthum, Muse Watson, Erica Michelle, Andrew Sensenig, Judd Lormand
Picking up after the last movie, Nell Sweetzer (Ashley Bell) is recovering from the events surrounding the “last exorcism”. She’s trying to put her life back in order when the horror from before finds her again sending her into an even more horrible plan.
My wife warned me about this movie. She saw it in a theater in the Philippines before it was even released in the US. But when I saw it out on DVD, I knew I had to check it out. My wife is a connoisseur of horror films, and when she hates a film, I should trust her. This was a really boring film. Ashley Bell did a really good job with what she had, but the movie left no one home when they turned the lights out. No scares, no real tension, and even worse, a horrible story. I love a good horror film as much as my wife does, but I really could not get into this movie, and I really felt like it was a total waste. It was just a bad idea, and they should have definitely put this off until they had a better script. I thought it was really bad, and if you follow me regularly you’ll see I don’t hate many movies, but this one was a waste of my time. I’m really glad I didn’t plunk down the cash to see this one in the theater. You can do better, trust me!
Mira Sorvino, Justin Kirk, Tony Curran, Shane West, Muse Watson, Deobia Oparei
The Presence is a story of a damaged woman (Mira Sorvino) who is all alone at a cabin on an island out in the middle of nowhere. However there is a ghost (Shane West) haunting the cabin. When her boyfriend shows up (Justin Kirk) it becomes clear that the woman has serious trust issues. The spirits also are affecting her and trying to send her over the edge in this creepy ghost story.
This is a strange movie. I really loved it, and I have to admit it is not really a ghost story, even though it’s about ghosts. It’s also not your typical horror story. But it is about trust and love, and good versus evil. The woman sure had some evil things happen to her which are being reinforced by and evil spirit who wants to send her into irrational madness. The scenery is spectacular, and the first half hour of the film hardly has any dialog at all. We feel the extreme loneliness by being alone in this cabin with no electric or running water. This is a very soft and slow movie, with not a great deal of scare, but it’s is almost like an excellent painting. Very beautiful and enjoyable. Mira Sorvino was really good as a tormented lady. There are only about 5 people in this whole film. But the experience is very enjoyable as it’s being disturbing.
I hate to say too much about it and spoil the effect, but it a very dark romantic story more than anything. I really enjoyed watching it. Just remember, it’s not a blood and guts slasher film, it’s an allegory about a ghost. Very well done film, and not on anyone’s radar. I really enjoyed it.
Catherine Mary Stewart, Muse Watson, Anthony Tyler Quinn, Cameron Ten Napel, Danny Cahill, Tina Eberle, Brian Shoop
Kathleen (Catherine Mary Stewart) is a restaurant owner. She is panned by the critics because she opens the restaurant on Christmas Day and makes her employees work, but she does it so that the lonely people with no place to go can have a Christmas dinner. She’s dating a divorced Dad with a daughter Lucy (Cameron Ten Napel).  Dad has to take a business trip the week before Christmas and the babysitter bails, so he asks Katleen if she can stay a couple days. On a last minute trip to the store for items to make a costume for Lucy, she nearly runs over an old gentleman. Later, after leaving the store, she is attacked by several hoods. The old man comes to her rescue, but unfortunately misses the last bus of the night. Rather than let him stay out in the cold, Kathleen asks him to spend the night. During the night the storm of the century arrives and they are snowed in with no electricity.  There is nothing to do but to keep themselves entertained, and it comes out that each of them has issues. Kathleen has abandonment issues, and Sam (Muse Watson), the old gentleman, is hoping to make things right with an estranged daughter that he left years before. Lucy misses her Mom very much and hasn’t gotten over the loss and now Dad is dating Kathleen, and she doesn’t like her.  Through the terrible storm they have no choice but to talk about their issues. When the storm is over, Lucy goes home and Sam leaves, and Kathleen has nothing to do but to face the issues she’s uncovered and make some amends.
This is a Christian movie and naturally has a Christian theme in the end. But it’s not a proselytizing film and has a strong story to tell without hitting you over the head with it. There are a few surprises, but you probably can see it coming a mile away. Still, it’s a unique story in a way, and well worth watching if you can find it.
