A Haunting in Salem
Encyclopedia
A Haunting in Salem is a 2011 3D
horror
film directed by Shane Van Dyke
and starring Bill Oberst Jr
., Courtney Abbiati and Jenna Stone.
of 1692.
reviewer spoke toward the film's DVD release, writing that the film was a "mixed bag", in that "Nothing is particularly good (there is certainly nothing that would be considered great) and much is quite bad." The reviewer took isue with the acting, offering that even the simplest lines felt hammed up, with the cast giving performances at a level with community theater. He also found flaw with Shane Van Dyke
's directing, in that while his use of "shock tactics and very predictable setups for the scares can be forgiven", the director never connected with his audience. The reviewer did have positive response for actress Jenna Stone, and that the "cheesy" and "carnival spook house" type monsters did not have much actual screen time or were seen from a distance. The reviewer's summation included that the combination of bad acting and cheap special effects gave the film a "very 'let’s-get-a-camera-and-make-a-movie' home grown feel that doesn’t exactly hurt the final product", in that the combination contributed to a "cheesy charm".
Consumer Reports
wrote that the film "peaks early" and the "loses steam", and that while its use of 3D "isn’t gimmicky", "it’s most effective at conveying the creepiness of the house where most of the action is located."
Rock102online gave a positive review saying, "A Haunting In Salem bills itself as a spine-tingling, haunted chiller in the tradition of The Amityville Horror and The Shining and, much like those classics, it succeeded in delivering numerous jumps and scares that kept me thinking about them long after the final credits rolled. Bill Oberst, Jr. was very convincing as a damaged man who becomes the new sheriff of Salem and inadvertently moves his family into a cursed house filled with vengeful ghosts."
Horrortalk also gave a positive review saying, "A Haunting in Salem is nowhere near the bottom of their catalog of The Asylum's offerings" and praise the direction of Shane Van Dyke to give the film short time to hit its stride as a quality genre piece. The website gave the film an overall of 3 star rating out of five.
offered that the anamorphic transfer is sharp, bright and clear, but as the film was originally shot in 3D, this results in a "flat feel to it which gives it a very low budget look".
Three-dimensional space
Three-dimensional space is a geometric 3-parameters model of the physical universe in which we live. These three dimensions are commonly called length, width, and depth , although any three directions can be chosen, provided that they do not lie in the same plane.In physics and mathematics, a...
horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
film directed by Shane Van Dyke
Shane Van Dyke
Shane Van Dyke is an American television and film actor, best known for playing Dr. Alex Smith on the television series Diagnosis: Murder on CBS Television.-Background:...
and starring Bill Oberst Jr
Bill Oberst Jr.
Bill Oberst Jr. is an American actor of German descent. His career includes projects in film, television, and one-man-show theater performances. He is best known for his portrayal of icon and humorist Lewis Grizzard, performed in theatrical tours across the southern United...
., Courtney Abbiati and Jenna Stone.
Synopsis
The new town sheriff (Bill Oberst Jr) moves into a large creepy old house with his family. It seems that in the town of Salem there’s a special house for the sheriff to live in gratis. Unfortunately it’s haunted by witches that have a strong craving for sheriff’s blood.Cast
- Bill Oberst Jr.Bill Oberst Jr.Bill Oberst Jr. is an American actor of German descent. His career includes projects in film, television, and one-man-show theater performances. He is best known for his portrayal of icon and humorist Lewis Grizzard, performed in theatrical tours across the southern United...
as Wayne - Courtney Abbiati as Carrie
- Jenna Stone as Ali
- Carey Van Dyke as Mike
- Josh Roman as Kyle
- Gerald Webb as Mayor Collins
Production
A Haunting in Salem was filmed in a 200-year-old mansion in Pasadena, CA. The movie was done old school with very few special effects, and used as its premise, the Salem witch trialsSalem witch trials
The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before county court trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Middlesex in colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693...
of 1692.
Critical response
KTLAKTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
reviewer spoke toward the film's DVD release, writing that the film was a "mixed bag", in that "Nothing is particularly good (there is certainly nothing that would be considered great) and much is quite bad." The reviewer took isue with the acting, offering that even the simplest lines felt hammed up, with the cast giving performances at a level with community theater. He also found flaw with Shane Van Dyke
Shane Van Dyke
Shane Van Dyke is an American television and film actor, best known for playing Dr. Alex Smith on the television series Diagnosis: Murder on CBS Television.-Background:...
's directing, in that while his use of "shock tactics and very predictable setups for the scares can be forgiven", the director never connected with his audience. The reviewer did have positive response for actress Jenna Stone, and that the "cheesy" and "carnival spook house" type monsters did not have much actual screen time or were seen from a distance. The reviewer's summation included that the combination of bad acting and cheap special effects gave the film a "very 'let’s-get-a-camera-and-make-a-movie' home grown feel that doesn’t exactly hurt the final product", in that the combination contributed to a "cheesy charm".
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...
wrote that the film "peaks early" and the "loses steam", and that while its use of 3D "isn’t gimmicky", "it’s most effective at conveying the creepiness of the house where most of the action is located."
Rock102online gave a positive review saying, "A Haunting In Salem bills itself as a spine-tingling, haunted chiller in the tradition of The Amityville Horror and The Shining and, much like those classics, it succeeded in delivering numerous jumps and scares that kept me thinking about them long after the final credits rolled. Bill Oberst, Jr. was very convincing as a damaged man who becomes the new sheriff of Salem and inadvertently moves his family into a cursed house filled with vengeful ghosts."
Horrortalk also gave a positive review saying, "A Haunting in Salem is nowhere near the bottom of their catalog of The Asylum's offerings" and praise the direction of Shane Van Dyke to give the film short time to hit its stride as a quality genre piece. The website gave the film an overall of 3 star rating out of five.
DVD
The DVD and Blu-ray was released on October 4, 2011. It features 6-minute behind the scenes effort that went into making the film, and a gag reel. KTLAKTLA
KTLA, virtual channel 5, is a television station in Los Angeles, California, USA. Owned by the Tribune Company, KTLA is an affiliate of the CW Television Network. KTLA's studios are on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, and its transmitter is located atop Mount Wilson...
offered that the anamorphic transfer is sharp, bright and clear, but as the film was originally shot in 3D, this results in a "flat feel to it which gives it a very low budget look".