NEW Paxton/healy - Innkeepers (Blu-ray)

While I appreciated the generally positive reception Ti West's "The Innkeepers" received upon its theatrical run, I fear it may have been oversold as a fright fest. This is a small, but very appealing, piece set in a haunted New England inn that scores more from its human interactions than it does from its supernatural leanings. And that's just fine. If you're anticipating big scares and lots of horror mayhem, though, this may not be the film for you. Its charms are far more subtle and unexpected. In truth, I quite loved this movie. It has modest goals and, by keeping things intimate, succeeds quite admirably in feeling fresh and real. West keeps the effects to a minimum and allows the movie to come alive in the hands of his engaging cast. It's a wise decision as the screenplay is tart and funny and the actors are committed and enthusiastic.

Sara Paxton and Pat Healy play hotel clerks spending one last weekend in the historic The Yankee Pedlar Inn before it closes down for good. The rooms are mostly vacant, so the pair of amateur ghost hunters plan to use the opportunity to get physical recordings of its alleged haunting. Most of the film relies on the easy chemistry and camaraderie of Healy and Paxton and they play off each other well. Seriously, I laughed constantly throughout the film--especially due to Paxton's deft performance. Only three rooms have occupants for all or part of the weekend. They contend with a mysterious man with history in the hotel, a wayward wife and her child, and a fading actress (and spiritualist). As the hours progress, Paxton seems to be getting closer to uncovering real spirits. What begins as a lark may be headed for a more serious conclusion.

I wasn't particularly familiar with or a fan of Sara Paxton (her resume is populated by such fare as Shark Night 3-D and Lifetime Network's Blue Eyed Butcher), but this is a star making turn. She is so likable and so funny, I was more than willing to go on this adventure with her. Healy is also quite effective. Kelly McGillis (Top Gun, Witness) has one of her best roles in years as the actress. I loved every scene she and Paxton shared. The film ratchets up the tension as it pushes forward, but never attempts to overcomplicate or over-explain things. In the end, it may all be a bit vague in mythology. But truthfully, I didn't care. I so liked the cast and the movie had been so entertaining, I went with the ending even if it seemed a bit tidy (or maybe messy, I'm not sure). Again, this isn't about big scares or horrifying moments. It is largely about what is unseen and how real people react in creepy settings. "The Innkeepers" isn't revolutionary, perhaps, but it is funny and engaging. And I've become a huge Paxton fan! KGHarris, 4/12.

Ti West's follow up to his spooky 80s throwback House of the Devil is a return to a more basic and CGI-less haunted house story and is all the more refreshing for it. Tale of the final days of a supposedly haunted New England hotel is a fun and sometimes downright scary horror chiller that will please those horror fans that can still appreciate the days when effects were done live and scares were generated by the director and his camera, not digital FX artists. West once again takes his time to slowly build the atmosphere as he presents us with the story of the remaining employees of the old Yankee Pedlar Hotel, Claire and Luke (Sara Paxton and Pat Healy) as they decide to do a little paranormal investigating to gain evidence of the hotel's haunting before it closes. It gives nothing away to say that they may not like what they find. Ti West starts the film out with a light tone as we get to know these two slackers with an interest in the paranormal and as the story progresses, the tone slowly gets darker until, as with House, West unleashes his supernatural horrors during the intense final act. Some of today's impatient horror fans might not appreciate the slow burn but, it worked in House of the Devil as it does with Innkeepers, because, when we finally get to the good stuff, it is all the more effective since we haven't been bludgeoned with it from the start. West gives us a few red herrings and some spooky stuff along the way to wet the appetite and thus we are primed and ready when the real scares start. It also doesn't hurt that we like Claire and Luke and obviously are afraid for them when they fail to heed a psychic guest's (Kelly McGillis) warnings about leaving well enough alone. A really fun, spooky ghost flick that proves once again that Ti West is a legitimate filmmaking talent who's work deserves to be noticed.

Quaint, enchanting, cute - these aren't words normally associated with films about a haunting, but they are more than apt for describing The Innkeepers. If you're wondering if this can even be considered a horror movie, I can assure you that it does earn its horror chops when all is said and done (although I think the trailer oversells the scare factor). What I took away from the movie, though, was a rather poignant sense of melancholy. You aren't going to find many horror films that run you through such a gamut of emotions as this one. It's an unconventional but really impressive piece of work from writer/director Ti West.

The setting is the historic Yankee Pedlar Inn, on the final weekend before it closes its doors forever. With only one floor open and three rooms booked, young Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) are all the only employees left to see the inn through its final days and hours. Their focus, however, is in trying to prove that the venerable old hotel is indeed haunted - supposedly by the ghost of Madeline O'Malley, a young bride who reportedly hanged herself when her lover abandoned her on her wedding day. Luke has created a web site about sightings of the ghost, but it is Claire who seems fixated on making contact with Madeline before the inn closes its doors forever. Claire is quite a character - young, unfocused, highly excitable, and just incredibly cute. She definitely doesn't seem to have the temperament of a ghost hunter, as several comical scenes early on make clear. Personally, I found her infatuating, and I thought Sara Paxton's portrayal of her was almost magical. Kelly McGillis also turns in a strong performance as actress turned new age healer Leanne Rease-Jones, a character who comes to play a crucial and prophetic part in the story.

The Innkeepers is devilishly hard to describe. In a way, much of the story is predictable, yet at the same time it's also rather shocking in the end. The writing is subtly brilliant. The significance of some lines early in the movie only hit you later on, even after the film is over. It sounds stupid for me to describe the story as both conventional and unconventional, but I think that is a true statement. Those who like their scares blatant and numerous probably won't like the film, as it's really not a scarefest. The Innkeepers is a ghost story in the traditional sense, full of subtle nuance and dare I say intellect, playing out in a little world where the characters are more important than the events that befall them. I loved it.