The Innkeepers Directed by: Ti West Starring: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis Rating: R Release Date: February 3, 2012
TRAILER SCORE: 9/10
Thoughts by TSR: If the name Ti West sounds familiar to you, it may have been his initial praise for his horror homage, The House of the Devil. It sounds like West is back at it again with The Innkeepers.
For those that know me, it's no surprise that I'm this pumped about a horror film. Seriously, the only one who might be able to rival my love of horror is McLaughlin over here. But the real pleasure in The Innkeepers trailer is that the movie stays true to form. Rather than a bloody slasher reboot or a psychological horror, West is sticking to his roots by making a good old-fashioned ghost story.
Part of it feels a little like 1408 from the staff's perspective, but that might not be such a bad thing. I mean, sure, it might seem a little tired to some, but after watching my fair share of horror garbage, it's nice to see a contemporary director who has an appreciation for the simple scares.
The only thing that makes me a little uneasy is the ghosts themselves. I'm always a fan of "less is more" when it comes to my horror movies (take a page from The Others or The Changeling) and The Innkeepers may have fell into that trap of overly glossy ghosts. I don't imagine it's enough to take too much away from the movie, but I'm not in love with the look of the ghosts. Still, if The Innkeepers other two minutes of terror are any indication, I might have trouble waiting til February for this one.