Review of Grave Encounters (2011) by Ilhm — 01 Feb 2013

The group from "Grave Encounters" sets off to shoot the sixth episode of their ghost hunting reality show in the Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital, never expecting to run into the real spirits that haunt the abandoned asylum! GRAVE ENCOUNTERS playfully pokes fun at two recent trends in Horror, both the "found footage" films from the big screen and the endless number of paranormal investigations now showing on TV.

Specifically targeting the unintentional humor and camp of Travel Channel's "Ghost Adventures," The Vicious Brothers play up the over-the-top nature of the show's hosts and the sensationalism of their so-called "evidence.

" These gimmicks pay off in the first third, where the stupid actions taken by the idiotic characters actually serve to disarm the viewer against the initial scares. Trouble comes later, when the subtleties of moving objects and slamming doors give way to a ridiculous special effects show.

What little amount of believability the film had achieved up until this point is thrown out the window. GRAVE ENCOUNTERS still makes for some goofy fun as we sit and wait for the next unexpected scare to jump out at us from the darkened hallways.