You have to be logged in to comment! If you don't have an account register now for free! Your account allows you to post comments and reviews, upload videos and images, access or our forums, write personal blogs, and maintain your profile.
Posted By: trickytreats at 4:02pm, September 21, 2009
I am not usually a fan of Hollywood horror movies, but I thought Vacancy was really good. The acting was solid and the story had a few unique twists. It could have used a bit more editing, but overall a solid movie. Definitely worth a rent.
Posted By: bloodnguts313 at 10:11pm, August 24, 2009
This movie was a pritty good movie just didnt have a very good lead it had a very boring from the end and it kinda reminded me of the strangers so that was bad ;). This movie was ok ill give it 5.
I wasn't impressed with this movie that much. It's more of a thriller, than a proper horror movie. It isn't scary at all, and sometimes it just trys way to hard, but doesn't do it for me. It was suspensful though, and keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the acting is great, but that's about it. It's an over the top, horribly plotted thriller that could of done much more, but didn't. Oh well.
A remarkably effective "less is more"-concept unfolded with notable confidence and obvious Hitchcock-influence, turning a well-known cliché plot into natural settings focusing on two believable non-cliché characters and an uncomfortably obtrusive, pulsating and engaging story-telling.
Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson deliver high standard performances and their natural characters coupled with a carefully told, "not that obvious, for once"-background story immerses, amplifying the already well-made aspects of the film, because characters and story-telling are namely two main-ingredients to make suspense successful.
Unfortunately, the ending has been criticized for either being clichéd, too rushed and sloppy while others - including Dextias - claim the ending was appreciative, avoiding, for once, the infamous "drawn out and overdone"-endings.
I loved this movie! This is deff on my list of my top 5 favorite horror films. It keeps the suspense going, and makes you keep guessing if the people are going to make out of the hotel. I like the fact that they didn't focus on how much gore they could possibly use, and focused on actually scaring you. Although the movie was not scary, but its creepy in its own little way, because this could very much happen, if it hasn't already. thy only thing that i didn't like was the ending, the ending could have been so much better. But overall it is a really good movie, we need to see more horror films like this. this movie will deff become a classic!
A lot better than to be expected, even if the constant bickering of Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale is a grind to sit through. Luckily, that overemphasized internal conflict is quickly disposed of as the two have to, surprise surprise, set aside their differences and work together to stay alive.
Think of the Strangers but with more stuff actually happening.
This is one of those movies that drive small, off road hotels out of business. I, however, enjoyed this movie too much. It brought be back to the day before monsters, supernatural and stalker killers. This movie was scary for all the reasons that do not fall under those categories, in fact, this is a horror that can happen to anybody if they are not careful and it clearly demonstrates that there are twisted psychos out there that make snuff films. Grindhouses were set up to show snuff films as well as sexual exploitations films. The film is about a young couple that incontinently checks into a hotel that's a stage for a snuff film production.
What made this movie particularly scary, for me at least, was the whole scene about being stranded in a motel, miles away from civilization and knowing that you are being taped with hidden cameras. Further, to know that there are tapes in the bedroom that have real people being killed by thugs in masks and knowing you are in the room that the person died in. That is truly scary. Another great scary element is when the lights go out and something is violently pounding on the front doors. I can't describe how horrible that is to do that to someone. Another horrific part is when a truck driver stops by and walks to the trapped Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale, and just when you think he is going to save them, no he is there for another reason. Or when the pair find the storage of all the films. If you are noticing a trend here, you're on the right trail. This movie did not need gore, excessive sex, mutants or even ghost to make it scary, it was scary because you as the audience feel a sense of helplessness in an extreme real-life situation. That's what made this movie so great and scary.
I am a fan of Luke Wilson, to some extent but when I saw this movie I did not see an actor TRYING to play a drama or a comedy, I saw a great performance. Even though he still had a smirk on his face his performance was amazing and it really brought his character to life. I think that this movie, as well as The Royal Tenenbaums, really sheds light on him and distinguishes him as a talented actor when he want to be. Kate Beckinsale teams up with Wilson as his wife. She also does a great job in playing a woman over the edge. When she is scared, she really looks scared but when she gets pushed to far, her performance takes off. I enjoyed both of their presentation and it really brought out the actor and actress in both of them and hopefully if they can keep this up, their career's reputation would not be damaged.
The only thing that took me out of the movie was how well planed and how elaborate the entire scenario was. Rigging the pay phones, direct lines to Mason's office and a faux auto repair shop. However, if you notice on the poster and the trailer there is a phone number that you can call and when you do it leads you to the Pinewood Motel where Mason's answering machines picks up, and if you listen closely you hear people screaming in the background. This movie is not a slasher movie, it has no gore, no monsters or ghost, the men behind the horror is real life thugs and hired killers. I love this movie, I thought it was a great film and a different change of pace for the horror industry.
This was the only movie in the last while that actually had me really fricken scared. Though it could have ended better, it was still an awsome thrillride.
i will never figure out why this movie was so well accepted but whatever,just seemed like the same ole same ole?
Posted By: horrorfan25 at 8:56am, January 24, 2009
Vacancy is a great kick-butt thriller. I had very low expectations for this movie and thought it would suck. Boy was I so very wrong. Vacancy delivers everything you could ever. Vacancy builds up suspense and terror and the acting is so good and the characters are so clever you never know who's gonna die or who's going to survive. Vacancy will keep you guessing through the end. I highly recommend this film. Definitely worth a rental.
I've seen other movies similiar to this one, but I really enjoyed both Luke Wilson's and Kate Beckinsale's acting. So thumbs up from me! Not sure why they had to make a second one though:(
I thought it was alright. It had a vey tense feel to it, kinda like a Hitchcock movie. All around not too bad.
Posted By: bdwolfe312 at 10:35pm, December 7, 2008
It's all been done before...however, it probably would have been a lot better if the DVD I had wasn't damaged. The film jumped from the moment he discovered the cameras in the vents to the moment Kate Beckinsale is killing her assailant. That leaves me to believe that I missed all of the best parts. I googled the parts I missed, and it still seemed to be the cutting edge of mediocrity, all stuff that has been done before...
Posted By: RedSabbath at 10:02am, November 10, 2008
Pros:
*You don't see thriller films like this much anymore. Alfred would be pleased. Not proud, but pleased.
*Beckinsale is (always) easy on the eyes. And whatta bitch!
*Fans of Luke Wilson will be pleased because he's that same guy in every movie, but this time you can see him crawling!
Cons:
*Many of it's plot points are either never explained or very illogical.
*Though it's rated R, there's really no gore or alot of blood to speak of. Even the snuff VHS's seem moderately tame.
*Whaley's a great character actor, but his character should have had more, well, character.
Caught this one off cable recently and honestly I wasn't all that impressed. Wilson and Beckinsale do an adequate job as the broken-hearted couple who's marriage is crumbling after the death of their child, but what got me most about this film is the various degrees of illogical plot points running throughout it. Sure, as a Hitchcockian thriller it does a good job of emulating that eras feel, but in placing that type of film in present-day make sure you have your characters act accordingly. For example, if you were an inn-keeper who secretly killed various guests in a violent invasion style solely for the puropse of filming it to sell snuff films, why in the world would you leave some of the tapes in that room for the future victims to be warned? And if you saw a bunch of cameras in your room's airvents after those tapes, wouldn't you rip them off the walls in shock and anger? Though logic aside, this is a decent middle-of-the-road thriller with a couple of interesting scenes, but with a somewhat let-down "see, I'm okay after all" ending. Yes Frank Whaley does come off in this flix as Norman Bates-like, but could probably have pushed the limits a little more, and I'm still surprised that each new viewer of those tapes can recognize that their in the same motel room just in seconds, even though they just got there. Rent it/Cable.
(RedSabbath Rating:7.0/10)
In essence, this movie was not terrible, just terribly predictable. I would have been happier if the woman would have had to deal with two deaths in the end rather than saving her husband.
What I liked was they did not rely on showing the killings in a brutal manner in order to get the point across. The screaming and the knocking were way more suspenseful than outright brutality. Those elements alone had my heart racing and my mind playing tricks on me as I watched this. Frank Whaley and Ethan Embry were both great at being creepy.
The failure was in casting the less famous Wilson brother, who often times just seemed drab. The other problem was the transparent plot. Honestly, did anyone not expect things to turn out as they did in fact turn out?
Posted By: Protecious at 1:44pm, September 30, 2008
What a suspensful and scary movie this was, i really enjoyed this one, and luke wilson has been one of my favorite actors for a very long time and wow im surprised he tackled a role like this, most a class type actors shun horror even though most of them wont admit they used horror to get into the business as a stepping stone and never look back.
interesting plot, good suspense, characters you care about, villians that are interesting, mysterious and scary while peeking in a window.
Well all I have to say about this movie is that it sucked. Nothing scary happened, The story happened to fast, Not to mention bad acting and etc... its had good moments and bad moments... Mostly bad...
Nothing you haven't seen before, and nothing that hasn't been done better. Also, am I the only one who can't watch any movie featuring Luke Wilson in one sitting? Can't stand the guy, and he pretty much singlehandedly ruined the movie for me.
This movie is sooo bad. It is actually even worse than most of low budget b-class horror stuff or exploitation (this movie would be closer to that). Acting isn't good, the story is sooo cheesy, the moments which were supposed to terrify or disturb me really made me laugh (watching unmarked black tapes). I really suggest avoiding such overrated "piece of art".
I actully give films chances, and this one was never un-interesting! I thought it was scary and funny at the same time! The movie provided pure SNUFF LIKE nature! I won't give out any SPOILERS! I just loved the film but could have had a better ending, but thats how it was!
It kept my interest and would have gotten a 9 or 10 out of me if they had made the ending a bit better. They did a very good job with the rest of the movie and avoided a PG-13 rating thankfully. It had that bit of a retro feeling to it too. There were three things that bothered me about the movie that I will not say, but I will say that one was in the beginning and two in the end (they were events). Just a few changes and this movie would have been even better.
