It looks like I will get my 8 posts in after all. This will make my 8th post on the month, which makes me a very happy camper. For this year, I decided to do something a little different. I will be doing a review on a movie I got on DVD from Netflix, an instant watch movie I can find on Netflix, a movie I have at home (which is what I have normally been doing up until this year), and an instant watch movie I can find on Amazon Prime. I decided to throw in the Amazon Prime movie because I pay for it but barely actually use it. I figure I can hopefully get more use out of it this way. I added Preston Castle (2014), which seems to be known as A Haunting At Preston Castle now, over a year ago, so let's see what I thought of it.
Liz (Mackenzie Firgens) is home from college after breaking up with her boyfriend there. She has been spending her days so far in her bedroom crying at times. Her mother tries to get her to go out and Liz tells her that she has plans with Ashley (Heather Tocquigny). Liz gets together with Ashley and after talking for a little bit, Ashley tells Liz that she set up a meeting with Danny (Jake White), Liz's ex-boyfriend from high school. Liz acts like this is a big mistake, but quickly warms up to the idea. They all meet up and things go well between the two exes. Before long, they end up on the road driving towards Preston Castle. This used to be a reform school where it is said people were murdered and at least one was covered up. It begins as a dare, staying in this haunted place at night, but they soon learn that the stories about the place are all too real.
Preston Castle was co-written by Peter Bailey and Martin Rosenberg, who also directed. This is a movie that was filmed at the location the movie is about. There actually is a Preston Castle that really was a reform school at one point. It has been the subject of an episode of Ghost Adventures at one point. The writers even go as far as taking some of the histories and including it in their own film. At one point, Danny tells the girls about Anna Corbin, the head housekeeper at the time. She was murdered there but the person that did was never brought to justice. That much is true, but the story from there is made up. Danny goes on to say that a kid named Bobby was blamed for the murder and the other boys beat Bobby to death, which was covered up. It is the ghost of Bobby that the three run into. Of course, this isn't the first time a movie has claimed to be inspired by true events and then changed the events ever so slightly to fit its own plot. Sometimes I don't mind that, sometimes I do. In this case, I didn't see a big deal since they didn't change things too much.
As for the movie itself, I wasn't all that impressed by it. I liked that we got to know our three main characters a little bit before things go bad. It wasn't much, but it was enough for this kind of movie. Things start off well enough, but it seems to jump forward a bit too much at times. Liz and Ashley barely hang out before Danny joins them. The three barely hang out before heading off to Preston Castle. I'm assuming they have known each other for a while and all, but it felt to me that the plot was advancing rather quickly. Once at Preston Castle, no it isn't an actual castle but it is called that all the same, they explore while Danny tells them the scary stories about the place. The ghost is something that is shown to us once in a great while, but I think it only showed itself to the group (just Liz actually) once, that I know of anyway. Instead of seeing the ghost, the group just hears moans, growls, hisses, and sees things move...mostly doors. Normally I like the low-end scare stuff, like doors slamming shut on their own, but it just wasn't working for me in Preston Castle. I think that was because of the ghost more than anything.
I didn't care for the characters all that much. Ashley was fine for the most part. I did get a little tired of hearing whine while she is walking around lost, but outside of that, I liked her. I liked Liz and Danny at first but about halfway through the film, I decided I didn't like them so much after all. After a certain point, Liz is no longer a fun person and starts to demand Danny do this or that. I thought it was obvious that Danny didn't like that, he could have shown it better than just standing there not saying anything. Their friend is lost and they stand there arguing if they should leave or stay in place or if Danny should go look for Ashley. Nice friends.
Preston Castle isn't really a gory movie. There are a couple of places that things get a little bit on the gory side, bad scratches and bit marks, but I don't think anyone into gore effects will be all that impressed by this movie. The ghost looked okay. We don't get to see him all that much though and quickly when we do. The acting was fine. I rather liked the acting by the three main leads, even if I didn't always care for their characters. Heather Tocquigny ended up being my favorite of the three.
I did rather like how the ghost seemed to be content with screwing with the three leads before doing worse to them. I thought the characters running around trying to find a way out went on for too long, but it was still something that I liked. There is also a bit of a found footage as well. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes we see what the characters are filming, which is usually just them speaking into the camera. I think what killed Preston Castle for me was the logic of the film. The friends argue instead of trying to help their friend. They conclude there is a ghost based on a video that doesn't show anything ghostly and this video won't play at first for some mysterious stupid reason. Add that the pacing can feel a little slow at times and things just don't work all that well. It is hardly the worst ever film and I will likely watch it again someday, but I won't be in any big hurry to do so. Preston Castle might be worth checking out if it does sound like an interesting film for you or you just like someone that is in the film. Either way, give it a look if you should come across it. Preston Castle can be found on Amazon Prime under the other title that I gave.
2 out of 5 This place would be fun to visit
Liz (Mackenzie Firgens) is home from college after breaking up with her boyfriend there. She has been spending her days so far in her bedroom crying at times. Her mother tries to get her to go out and Liz tells her that she has plans with Ashley (Heather Tocquigny). Liz gets together with Ashley and after talking for a little bit, Ashley tells Liz that she set up a meeting with Danny (Jake White), Liz's ex-boyfriend from high school. Liz acts like this is a big mistake, but quickly warms up to the idea. They all meet up and things go well between the two exes. Before long, they end up on the road driving towards Preston Castle. This used to be a reform school where it is said people were murdered and at least one was covered up. It begins as a dare, staying in this haunted place at night, but they soon learn that the stories about the place are all too real.
Preston Castle was co-written by Peter Bailey and Martin Rosenberg, who also directed. This is a movie that was filmed at the location the movie is about. There actually is a Preston Castle that really was a reform school at one point. It has been the subject of an episode of Ghost Adventures at one point. The writers even go as far as taking some of the histories and including it in their own film. At one point, Danny tells the girls about Anna Corbin, the head housekeeper at the time. She was murdered there but the person that did was never brought to justice. That much is true, but the story from there is made up. Danny goes on to say that a kid named Bobby was blamed for the murder and the other boys beat Bobby to death, which was covered up. It is the ghost of Bobby that the three run into. Of course, this isn't the first time a movie has claimed to be inspired by true events and then changed the events ever so slightly to fit its own plot. Sometimes I don't mind that, sometimes I do. In this case, I didn't see a big deal since they didn't change things too much.
As for the movie itself, I wasn't all that impressed by it. I liked that we got to know our three main characters a little bit before things go bad. It wasn't much, but it was enough for this kind of movie. Things start off well enough, but it seems to jump forward a bit too much at times. Liz and Ashley barely hang out before Danny joins them. The three barely hang out before heading off to Preston Castle. I'm assuming they have known each other for a while and all, but it felt to me that the plot was advancing rather quickly. Once at Preston Castle, no it isn't an actual castle but it is called that all the same, they explore while Danny tells them the scary stories about the place. The ghost is something that is shown to us once in a great while, but I think it only showed itself to the group (just Liz actually) once, that I know of anyway. Instead of seeing the ghost, the group just hears moans, growls, hisses, and sees things move...mostly doors. Normally I like the low-end scare stuff, like doors slamming shut on their own, but it just wasn't working for me in Preston Castle. I think that was because of the ghost more than anything.
I didn't care for the characters all that much. Ashley was fine for the most part. I did get a little tired of hearing whine while she is walking around lost, but outside of that, I liked her. I liked Liz and Danny at first but about halfway through the film, I decided I didn't like them so much after all. After a certain point, Liz is no longer a fun person and starts to demand Danny do this or that. I thought it was obvious that Danny didn't like that, he could have shown it better than just standing there not saying anything. Their friend is lost and they stand there arguing if they should leave or stay in place or if Danny should go look for Ashley. Nice friends.
Preston Castle isn't really a gory movie. There are a couple of places that things get a little bit on the gory side, bad scratches and bit marks, but I don't think anyone into gore effects will be all that impressed by this movie. The ghost looked okay. We don't get to see him all that much though and quickly when we do. The acting was fine. I rather liked the acting by the three main leads, even if I didn't always care for their characters. Heather Tocquigny ended up being my favorite of the three.
I did rather like how the ghost seemed to be content with screwing with the three leads before doing worse to them. I thought the characters running around trying to find a way out went on for too long, but it was still something that I liked. There is also a bit of a found footage as well. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes we see what the characters are filming, which is usually just them speaking into the camera. I think what killed Preston Castle for me was the logic of the film. The friends argue instead of trying to help their friend. They conclude there is a ghost based on a video that doesn't show anything ghostly and this video won't play at first for some mysterious stupid reason. Add that the pacing can feel a little slow at times and things just don't work all that well. It is hardly the worst ever film and I will likely watch it again someday, but I won't be in any big hurry to do so. Preston Castle might be worth checking out if it does sound like an interesting film for you or you just like someone that is in the film. Either way, give it a look if you should come across it. Preston Castle can be found on Amazon Prime under the other title that I gave.
2 out of 5 This place would be fun to visit
