A Syracuse University college professor leads an expedition of students, including one with a camera, into the haunted Smith Garrett Building, which purportedly is haunted by all the insane patients who died there when it was an insane asylum. Their goal is go find out if the place really is haunted. One of the women, looking remarkably like actress Debbie Rochon, is a professional psychic, the cameraman a jaded post-teenager who's on the verge of resembling an aids victim, and the professor is THE stereotype of professors, complete with cardigan sweater. Although there are some creepy moments, such as when they are talking on the walkie talkies and they are talking about what they see-and the part with the glowing eyes-the actors simply couldn't pull this off, all too self conscious of the video camera pointed in their faces. But the mock-documentary, told entirely from the camera's point of view, is a really original idea if you haven't seen BLAIR WITCH or THE LAST BROADCAST or a dozen other movies. But they say the director of STRAWBERRY ESTATES thought of it first, before any of these other movies. Big whoopee deal.
A Syracuse University college professor leads an expedition of students, including one with a camera, into the haunted Smith Garrett Building, which purportedly is haunted by all the insane patients who died there when it was an insane asylum. Their goal is go find out if the place really is haunted. One of the women, looking remarkably like actress Debbie Rochon, is a professional psychic, the cameraman a jaded post-teenager who's on the verge of resembling an aids victim, and the professor is THE stereotype of professors, complete with cardigan sweater. Although there are some creepy moments, such as when they are talking on the walkie talkies and they are talking about what they see-and the part with the glowing eyes-the actors simply couldn't pull this off, all too self conscious of the video camera pointed in their faces. But the mock-documentary, told entirely from the camera's point of view, is a really original idea if you haven't seen BLAIR WITCH or THE LAST BROADCAST or a dozen other movies. But they say the director of STRAWBERRY ESTATES thought of it first, before any of these other movies. Big whoopee deal.
