'The Innkeepers'

'The Innkeepers' (R) (3 1/2 STARS)

Written and Directed by Ti West
Actors: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Kelly McGillis, George Riddle, Lena Dunham, Alison Bartlett

"Halloween", "Rosemary's Baby", "Carrie", "Psycho", the 1974 version of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". These are some of my favorite horror movies of all time. They had one thing in common and that was character development, patience, story telling skills, charisma, character and minimal gore. Even many would be surprised to remember that Tobe Hooper's "Chainsaw Massacre" and John Carpenter's "Halloween" actually are not that gory. In 2009 director Ti West made my favorite horror movie of the last two decades "House of the Devil". It was a flawless throwback to the movies I mentioned above and a perfect recreation of an early 80's horror movie that was better than any horror movie that came out in the 80's. I say all this becuase I have gotten heat for my 4 star review of the wonderful "House of the Devil".

Horror buffs who have seen House should agree on my statements and if you have not seen it and grew up in the 80's a huge smile will spread on your face and stay there throughout as you watch it. Now Ti West has made one of the best ghost stories of the last few decades that is such a huge step up from those horrible Japanese ghost movies and their weak American remakes that have popped up in the last ten years. "The Innkeepers" does take it's time, moves slow and is not as great as "House of the Devil" but it is a lot of goofy fun, actually has a great amount of good scares and will make you smile. I loved it because it takes it's time to develop some good, likable characters and tells a story instead of bludgeoning us to death.

It has what all good ghost stories should have and that is that contagious spirit of huddling around a campfire and having someone telling you a ghost story as your eyes pop out of your head. "The Innkeepers" has a no name cast with a return of an 80's actress in Kelly McGillis (Top Gun). It is set in a dilapidated hotel that is about to be closed down for good. There are two young workers that are working there on the last week. They are Claire and Luke and they love telling and exploring ghost stories and urban legends. There are only a few people staying at the Inn this one night and one is an old TV actress who is now a medium played by McGillis. There is also an old and creepy man who comes in to check in the same room he stayed at when he was a young man even after the Innkeepers tell him the floor the room is on is now closed.

Not much happens in the first 45 minutes and I mean nothing as in the instant gratification gore and scares horror movie goers expect now. Though it is funny to me that the "Paranormal Activity" movies are the same way but they are more popular and people don't mind. The "Saw", "Hostel" crap is now over and movie goers want a story and "The Innkeepers" has a fun one. There is also the classic horror basement in this hotel but it is the best use of a basement in a horror thriller since the 2000 masterpiece "Zodiac".

The first 45 minutes were fun to me and kept my intereste because Sarah and Luke have so much passion, energy, goofiness and are such well written characters. The movie does a great job setting up the story, the atmosphere and finally we care about the characters. Sara Paxton and Pat Healy are great in their roles and McGillis is very good and makes a triumphant return.

After setting up the solid story the movie finishes the job like an effective horror movie should. It starts to get spookier, scarier and more fun as the movie comes to it's sensible horror movie ending. I jumped a few times and as everyone makes a visit to the basement I actually got goosebumps. I know what I like and the horror genre is a hard genre to crack and I know I really like this movie and want to see it again. Ti West has done such an incredible job with "House of the Devil" and this movie that I think he will become a major future force in horror movie making. He doesn't belittle the genre with extreme gore, doesn't objectify women and doesn't hammer us with dumb stuff that all the latest horror movies have given us. Wait till he gets his hands on a big budget horror movie, I can't wait!

P.S. Don't get me wrong, I like gory horror movies also and "The Re-Animator" and the 1982 version of "The Thing" are also two of favorite horror movies. I am actually talking about the slasher movie genre that has gotten so incredibly horrible lately and that is not the type of movie "The Innkeepers" and "House of the Devil" are. Amen!