Starring: Emmy James, Brian McGuire, and Jules Nurrish
Director: Tim Shechmeister
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars
A young actress (James) visiting Hollywood for a series of auditions rents a furnished apartment with a storied history. Unfortunately, she soon discovers there's one story the book isn't closed on.
"Hello?" is a creepy little film that goes in a different direction that its opening scenes led me to expect. It's a ghost story that features a character who tries to interact with the phantom menacing her on its terms as she tries to distract and appease it. I appreciated the fact the filmmakers presented us with a character who tries something other than hiding, fighting, or just screaming in response to the supernatural. I appreciated it even more, because it's also well-acted and well-filmed.
Another reason I enjoyed this film is that it incorporates real history into its fictional world--some slightly embellished facts about silent movie superstar Florence Lawrence is at the center of "Hello?" and this adds greatly to the entertainment value. (Click here to watch and/or read a review of one of Ms. Lawrence's films at the Shades of Gray blog.)
This element might have a stronger appeal for me than for many others, because I, too, have my fun with casting now-obscure but once-famous real-life Hollywood actresses in tales of the supernatural and horror. The main figure in such efforts on my part has been Bessie Love, but Joan Blondell has also been the subject of a flight of fancy or two.
Whether you like fictionalized versions of Old Hollywood or just well-crafted horror stories that don't go where you expect them to, I think you'll enjoy "Hello?"
Good! She was good and the tension was creepy.
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