The trailer for "The Apparition" contained more story than the picture it was promoting. In fact, I think the trailer for "The Apparition" is actually more of a movie than "The Apparition." A wildly incoherent effort that spends most of its running time avoiding its own plot, "The Apparition" is one of those major studio releases that's so stunningly inept, it's a wonder it ever received a theatrical release, possibly finding a more appreciative audience with the no-risk Redbox crowd, allowing those with a few bucks in their pocket and heavenly B-movie patience to sit down and decode the bungled filmmaking. Perhaps there's someone out there who could possibly explain the feature to me one day.
At some point in the 1970s, a group of paranormal researchers decided to conjure the spirit of a lost colleague by concentrating on his spiritual force, permitting him access to the real world. Decades later, parapsychology students Patrick (Tom Felton), Ben (Sebastian Stan), and Lydia (Julianna Guill) attempt to recreate the experiment, achieving success, but to an unknown extent. Years later, Ben is trying to build a life with girlfriend Kelly (Ashley Greene), creating domestic bliss in a remote housing development languishing due to poor market conditions. It's not long before the happy couple begins to discover eerie occurrences and assorted elements of rot and death in their abode, while Kelly stumbles upon Ben's secret collegiate life of spectral invitation, horrified to learn that a ghost has invaded the home with hopes to join the land of the living.
The above synopsis is more of a guess than a true summation of the plot. Truthfully, "The Apparition" has a story but feels nervous to share it with the viewer, keeping the film a highlight reel of hauntings without a drop of substance. Writer/director Todd Lincoln simply doesn't have the vision required for this "Poltergeist" rip-off, stumbling through the picture in production survival mode, failing to develop anything introduced in the script beyond whispers and stares. And boy howdy, this effort is filled with people looking at things.
While a cute couple, Ben and Kelly aren't the brightest bulbs around, spying truly hideous developments around their home (a few thwacked with a Cronenbergian urge toward mysterious cavities and fleshy fungi) without much in the way of a profound reaction. Instead of panic, they prod, finding much of "The Apparition" devoted to glacial acts of investigation, watching the couple slowly pore over the details of their doom. It feels like half of the feature is concentrated on concentration, though with Greene and Stan, maybe less interaction with Lincoln's absurdly dull dialogue is a good thing. It's hard to fault the actors entirely, who dutifully look at stuff, while Greene strips down to her underwear on numerous occasions to crack the whip on wandering attention spans. The actors are faced with nothingness and they project confusion convincingly. After all, it's hard to create characters when there's not really a movie to insert themselves into.
The entire paranormal study angle is rudely peeled out of the finished product, reduced to random visual effect shots and an atypically chatty performance from Felton, who's here to play Dr. Exposition, yet yammers on about nothing specific, lest the film actually acquire a point beyond empty scare sequences, a few cribbed entirely from other movies. Either the studio asserted its control and chopped the picture up during its long road to release (spending two years on the shelf), or Lincoln is a genuinely bad director, unable to make simple scenes work and bold horror moments pounce. Dialogue is shouted, dogs are killed, thoughts are amplified, and there's this vague business in the 1970s that feels tacked on the production. And yet "The Apparition" goes nowhere, burning through 72 minutes of screentime without a single successful scene or a clear understanding of the ghost's demands. Or maybe there's a deeper meaning and insightful spectral observance buried underneath multiple layers of dramatic constipation. It's a shame Lincoln has failed to provide a single reason to care about any of it.
The quality of the AVC encoded image (2.40:1 aspect ratio) presentation fluctuates from scene to scene in a somewhat distracting manner. Looking a touch too dark throughout, the viewing experience is best supported during daylight sequences, where the southwestern locations can really show off a range of colors and extensive depth, while skintones seem settled and fine detail is easily appreciated. Of course, this is film of low-lit rooms and obscured hauntings, finding interiors less convincing, with pockets of noise, banding, and difficult contrast levels, while some mild filtering is detected. Blacks are generally solidified, losing textures on clothing and hair. Softness pops in from time to time. While far from a disastrous viewing experience, the BD doesn't carry much dimensional power for a 2012 production, often looking flat and muted.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix is where the BD experience really comes to life, highlighting a strong low-end that provides a solid punch to the scares and acts of ghostly intimidation. Soundtrack selections and scoring also register with a pleasing broadness, featuring comfortable instrumentation and forceful surround deployment. Dialogue exchanges are crisp and well balanced, smoothly increasing and decreasing in front stage intensity as the film unfolds, while voices are satisfactorily separated. Directional activity for the frights is immersive, while atmospherics are pronounced and intriguing. The disc makes good use of home theater potential, with a clean, energetic touch that holds attention without distortion.
"The Apparition: A Cinematic Specter" (4:20, HD) starts off as your standard making-of featurette, finding the cast dutifully trying to sell the thin effort as something monumental, with Felton particularly animated about the supernatural aspects of the premise and its roots in reality. And then the whole package takes a strange turn, greeting Joshua P. Warren, the "ghost consultant" for the movie, who shares his feelings on the authenticity of "The Apparition" and talks up the props he created for the production. While it seems like a prank, Warren is the real deal, and his awkward small-talk with the cast while hanging around on-set is highly amusing.
"The Dark Realm of the Paranormal" (5:10, HD) returns to Warren for further study. In fact, this featurette is something of a commercial for the man, who gladly shares his history as an author, radio host, and resident of North Carolina. Warren isn't the best pitchman for his field of study, with his patter coming off a little too rehearsed, like a used car salesman, but I don't doubt his expertise with paranormal activity. Footage of suburban ghost hunting is also included.
"Haunted Asheville" (7:36, HD) once again spotlights Warren, who talks viewers through the spooky highlights of his hometown, including visits to the Reynolds House and the 1900 Inn. Gearing up with ghost-detecting devices, Warren and his team amble through the locations, studying rooms and taking readings. Spoiler Alert: He doesn't find a ghost. Of course he doesn't find a ghost. The fact that he blames an oncoming thunderstorm for messing up the mission is priceless. What does this have to do with "The Apparition" and its creation? Nothing.
"The Experiment of The Apparition" (8:46, HD) follows Warren into a pal's apartment to conduct a brainwave experiment that's kinda-sorta similar to the one found in the opening of "The Apparition." Gathering the best of the best (in Asheville at least) and a subject who's felt ghostly sensations for most of her life, the teams sets out to move a blurred-out statute with their minds. Spoiler Alert: They don't move the statue. Of course they don't move the statue. Once again, Warren fails to prove or showcase anything of note in front of the cameras. It's a waste of time.
The aforementioned Theatrical Trailer has not been included.
Although it concludes on an interestingly grim note, there's just too much nonsense and confusion bouncing around the picture to successfully land its scares. It's tough to be terrified when one is completely disinterested.
Warner Bros. has officially announced the release of The Apparition, scheduled to hit shelves this November. Directed by Todd Lincoln, the horror film stars Ashley Greene (Twilight), Sebastian Stan (Captain America: The First Avenger) and Tom Felton (Harry Potter ...
