Rent The Haunting of Marsten Manor (2007)
2.0 of 5 from 49 ratings
1h 20min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
A girl angry about being blind and struggling with her faith, unexpectedly inherits an old mansion from her estranged aunt. She and her friends go there to check it out. On the way they have a strange encounter with the creepy Hank. At the house, unnerving things start happening and Jill starts seeing things. Her friends become concerned about her sanity, leaving Jill feeling even more isolated and under the spell of the force in the house. But when Jill disappears, it's too late for her friends to stop what is already in motion. The ghost that brought Jill to the house and a soldier from the past (C. Thomas Howell) are going to reveal their secret, forcing Jill to face her greatest fears, changing her forever. - Actors:
- Brianne Davis, Ken Luckey, Ezra Buzzington, C. Thomas Howell, Janice Knickrehm, Shawn Nottingham, Alan Peterson, Blayne Quarnstrom, Julie Sapp, Devin Wolfe, Christine Woods
- Directors:
- Dave Sapp
- Writers:
- Dave Sapp, Julie Sapp
- Studio:
- MVM Entertainment
- Genres:
- Drama, Horror
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Reviews (1) of The Haunting of Marsten Manor
Spoilers follow ... - The Haunting of Marsten Manor review by NP
This low-budget project features Brianne Davis as feisty Jill, who gives her obnoxious lawyer short shrift when he attempts to patronise her when revealing the contents of his recently deceased aunt’s will. Jill is blind and is still coming to terms with people’s reactions to her. A possible stroke of good fortune comes about when it is revealed her estranged aunt has left her home – a spooky old mansion.
I mention the low-budget production values because this can put some viewers off. I bore people rigid by saying that independent films are only constrained by their lack of finance, and better that than to have the project diluted by the creativity-sapping, restraint-soaked wishes of more mainstream organisations. And yet it is true. If you want spectacular stunts and humanity-stripping CGI, this won’t be for you.
If you wish to look beyond superfluous production gimmickry, there is much to enjoy here. Writer/director David Sapp makes the most of his locations and particularly the Manor itself. The three main players Davis, Ken Luckey and Christine Woods (as Jill’s two good friends Rob and Erika) are terrific naturalistic and unaffected performers. Above all, their friendship is real and we can relate to them as people. When Jill starts seeing apparitions, she optimistically believes her eyesight may be returning.
The pace doesn’t pick up, but neither does it falter and there are a few decent scares. The most effective for me concerns Jill’s audio diaries – when playing back her latest entry, there are other noises in the background. Of course, people being people, an element of distrust grows amongst Rob and Erika, and for a time it is entirely possible (though unlikely) that one of them is deliberately trying to unnerve poor Jill.
The end is satisfying. And no, Jill does not magically recover her sight. She does, however, become more accustomed to her situation. Ultimately, ‘Marsten Manor’ is a decent chiller and well worth your time.
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