Friday, October 05, 2012

Open House

(2010) **1/2

A couple amidst a divorce is selling their home. Unbeknownst to them, a couple who viewed the home earlier during an open house, is still lurking in the shadows. Lila and David are twisted incestuous twins who take pleasure in murder. Once they kill off the residents, they stay and play house for awhile, luring victims in, seducing them then killing them. Once the bodies start to stink, they move on to the next place. Lila, clearly the balls behind the operation is a cold-hearted killing machine. David reluctantly follows along like a good dog most of the time but this time it’s different. David becomes enamored with Alice, the house's resident. He hides her in a crawl space and brings her out when Lila is running errands. He’s told Alice that if Lila discovers her she will kill her so she plays along doing what she is told. Alice does her best to manipulate David into betraying Lila but time is of the essence here since the bodies are beginning to rot and it’s almost time to move on.

Not a bad flick and a fairly decent plot but it just didn’t have any flair to it. Tricia Helfer who plays Lila is quite unlikable. I guess it’s the nature of the beast but the role is so stereotypical predator vixen that it just becomes a bore. David is flat and devoid of personality which is actually right for his character but unfortunately that leaves Lila and Alice to carry the scenes, neither of which do a stellar job at it. I believe this film is riding the coattails of Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer of True Blood fame who are both top billed in it. Paquin appears for about 30 seconds before she is offed while Moyer lasts a full five minutes or so. Unless you’re looking to bulk up on numbers this Horrorthon I’d advise putting this one on the back burner.

5 comments:

Octopunk said...

Bummer for Tricial Helfer (aka THE blonde hottie from the new Battlestar Galactica).

Leaving the house for a new one when the bodies start smelling sounds like a good business model. Much better than my current one... but I've said too much.

50PageMcGee said...

i was going to say - any casting director who saw the first season and a half of battlestar is going to typecast tricia helfer as a domineering bitch.

the plot reminds me a little of Stepfather. move into new place, be happy, kill people that live there. except in the case of Open House steps 2 and 3 happen in reverse order.

Johnny Sweatpants said...

Do incestuous opposite twins? I'm afraid to search for it.

DKC said...

Steer clear...check!

I think you owe it to all of us to do that search and then get back to us, JSP.

AC said...

meh. i think **1/2 may be my least favorite rating to watch.

Malevolent

 2018  ***1/2 It's 1986 for some reason, and a team of paranormal investigators are making a big name for themselves all over Scotland. ...