Customer Reviews

Attic Expeditions

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

This movie isn't for everyone. If you're looking for a straightforward horror film, go away. If you prefer clear, definitive endings that don't have to be contemplated, discussed and savored over coffee afterwards, look elsewhere. If you cannot stand movies with wandering timelines (Memento, Pulp ficiton, etc.), this is not for you. And if you're just looking for a lot of blood and some nudie scenes, dear god, please put down this review right now and go watch Friday the 13 Part 200 or something.

Like camp? Like humor? Plots that twist in upon themselves? Great quirky acting performances by Jeffrey Combs and Seth Green (and an amusing cameo by Alice Cooper)? Strange Lovecraftian references buried for the alert to notice? This movie is for you.

Still with me? Great. All the other reviews have summarized the plot, so I won't waste more pixels on that. Rather, here's some advice for watching this movie: Don't try to take this linearly (advice uttered by the director himself when I saw it at the sneak preview). Don't expect everything you see to be as it appears. Take careful note of what frames the main character's experiences, for that denotes the boundaries of the real from the experienced. Pay attention - there are a lot of subtle things that you'll miss otherwise. Yes, some of the acting is campy and doesn't seem real - hmm, could that be intentional? And don't watch this with a six-pack and a bunch of friends who like to make fun of movies; you won't be able to follow the plot at all that way.

This is a fun movie. It is also a movie that expects, nay, demands, that its viewers pay attention and think if they want to know what is going on. Partially an enigma to be puzzled out, partially a campy rollercoaster ride. All good fun.

As a lover of the strange and macabre, I thought this movie had real potential. Sadly, it didn't live up to that potential. The initial setup of a young man in an institution trying to piece together his memories of a bizarre ritual gone awry was promising. Andras Jones (Alice's brother in Nightmare on Elm Street 4) does a credible job of portraying the tortured patient. Jeffrey Combs, who I have always liked, is wasted here as the psycho doctor performing off-the-wall brain operations in hopes of discovering the whereabouts of the magic book our hero used in the aforementioned ritual. The rest of the cast, led by Seth Green, are decent as the other residents of the "house". Seth's character is by far the best. Unfortunately, these were the only high points of this film. The rest of this mish-mash is a series of dialogues and dream sequences that leave the viewer saying, "What did I just watch?" And this is by no means a compliment. The ending only suffices in enhancing this feeling. I gave this two stars only due to the acting, and a few interesting visual elements such as an attic trunk with a staircase inside. If you like truly bizarre movies with no real outcome, you may enjoy this. Otherwise, there are better choices out there.

The Attic Expeditions, met most unfairly by a storm of rejection, is not a film for the atypical movie-munching masses. In fact, when my friends first saw it they told me that this was a throwaway and that it was something to avoid, but, defying their wishes because of Mr. Combs, I picked it up, watched it, and was thoroughly smitten by the complexity of the product itself. It is this exact reason that I think this film finds many a negative opinions because, unlike most movies, it works through multifaceted means, coupling a rich plot and the stunning array of quality actors with a concept to grasp the attention of those wanting a bit more than blood and the beastly. Typified as "the thinking person's horror movie," and rightly so, it spends a great deal of time addressing the psychologically barred windows within the human condition and adding in a dash of the esoteric to boot.

Here we have an oddly enjoyable experience pitting the incomparable Jeffrey Combs, playing the wonderfully diabolical Doctor Ek, against the psyche of our main character, Trevor Blackburn, a man awakening in a sanitarium after a four year hiatus from reality with only fragments of yesterday to feed from. The good doctor muddles the matter for our memory-devoid lead even more by telling him that he was involved in the bloody murder of his fiancee while participating in, as Blackburn himself supposedly described it before his little 48 month nap, "a magikal ceremony gone awry." Ek then tells Blackburn not to worry about the reluctancy of his mind, that he will be giving him the best care possible by sending him to the esteemed "House of Love" and that his memory may come back to him there. From the moment he steps foot into the House that Ek Built Blackburn can tell something is awry, though, for everything from those strangely patterned walls that induce a feeling of Deja-vu to the introductions to his curiously deranged cohabitants that seem oddly untrustworthy makes him uncomfortable, making him (and the viewer) wonder what's really going on. His dreams further complicate things, showing him a place in the attic with a somewhat familiar trunk in it, one that holds secrets in both reality and within Trevor's mind.

Even in the opening sequences you can tell that this movie is going to have some plot complexities and defy the atypical approach to psychological horror, introducing the viewer to a strange framework from the initial "waking up on the operating table and not knowing who you are or what's going on" stages to the diced bits of memory that Blackburn slowly beings to recall and, finally, to both the build and the ending that keeps you guessing until the end. There are even a few Great Old One connotations sprinkled in there for the fun (and to make the ceremony seem a bit more delicious), further getting my Lovecraftian blood pumping. Its worth watch multiple times if only for the torment of it all.

This is not a movie made for the typical horror movie fan. This movie makes you think about the plot and most of the time whatever your thinking is wrong.

There's no teenagers being hacked to death by a pyscho murderer whilst having sex. There's no half naked girl running through the woods trying to avoid Jason or some other weapon weilding murderer. There isn't even a timeline.

Nothing in this movie is what it seems and nothing should be taken as what it looks like. I worked with the writer for awhile and this movie is something that only he could come up with. I never would have picked up on certain things if I had never known him.

Anyway, this is a movie for someone who wants to be mentally stimulated and not just sit in front of the TV and stare while the same plot as the other 20 movies in the franchise glows on the screen.

Give the movie a chance and watch it twice so you pick up on all the little things you missed the first time.

Yes, THE ATTIC EXPEDITIONS is indeed a different type of movie. However, it isn't unique in it's sur-reality or it's odd structure. It fits right in w/ movies like CARNIVAL OF SOULS, DON'T LOOK NOW, PHANTASM, JACOB'S LADDER, HORROR, IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, MEMENTO, SPIDER, PI, DARK CORNERS, VAMP, AFTER HOURS, etc. in it's weirdness and atmosphere. The plot turns in on itself, disorienting us while creeping us out. Trevor Blackburn (Andras Jones) is a man trapped in a nightmare world of insanity, conspiracy, black magik, and murder. Just how much of it is real? How much is induced through drugs and brain-tampering? Dr. Ek (Jeffrey Combs!) performs experimental surgeries on Trevor and sends him to "The House Of Love" (run by Wendy Robie from The People Under The Stairs!) in order to get to the secrets hidden deep within Trevor's damaged mind. Secrets that will help Ek to rule the world! Or is he just trying to help Trevor to regain his memory? Nothing is as it appears, well, perhaps some of it is... I think. Anyway, EXPEDITIONS is a nice twisty film w/ lots of oddity and gruesomeness. I would recommend watching this one a couple of times in a row, as the first viewing might seem confusing... P.S.- Seth Green is excellent as Douglas...

Attic Expeditions - A man-child is shoved into a halfway house with very little memory.

Low budget, but very well done considering the financial strains. It's more of a mind scramble than a horror. During some parts of the movie you're going "huh?" but the end does give a good explanation.

I am an intelligent person and I love psychological mystery/horror stories but this one simply goes nowhere. I cannot recommend this movie to anyone. The acting is poor and the movie has a low budget campy feeling throughout. The worst thing about this movie is that it has no resolution. The ending of this movie simply does not make sense and I have no desire to watch it again to try to figure it out.

The Attic Expeditions is a mash-up of two kinds of horror: the psychological thriller and Lovecraftian dread of the occult.

On the psychological thriller side we have Dr. Ek (Jeffrey Coombs, playing the same mad scientist he sthick here as his Dr. West role), a criminally misunderstood genius committed to unlocking the secrets in subject Trevor Blackburn's (Andras Jones) head. Ek sets up a monitoring set known as The House of Love, complete with actors and cameras, to monitor the progress in prying open Blackburn's soul. Ek's foil is Dr. Coffee (Ted Raimi...again), whose sole purpose is to sweat and give Ek someone to rant at. The House of Love is populated by actors there to trip up Blackburn. There's Douglas (Seth Green) a fidgety black-nailed scamp who befriends Blackburn. There's hottie Amy (Shannon Hart Cleary) who isn't supposed to seduce Blackburn but does anyway. Ronald (Jerry Haulk) talks through his alligator puppet. And for some reason Alice Cooper wanders onto the set as Samuel Leventhal. One by one, these characters will reveal their true allegiance as they role-play an elaborate murder mystery with Blackburn at the center.

On the Lovecraftian side is Blackburn's secret (SPOILER EXPEDITION!): he discovered a black book that just might be the Necronomicon hidden in an attic chest. He and lover Faith (delicious Beth Bates, in full naked-witch crazy mode) decide to reenact the book's rituals that venerate the Great Old Ones. Eventually, these rituals culminate in a communion of sorts that requires a double murder. Something goes wrong and only Faith dies. But she isn't dead - she lurks in Blackburn's consciousness, waiting for him to join her. She too lusts after the book, but its pages are blank to everyone but Blackburn.

In essence, the only way to unlock the book's secrets is to BE Blackburn. The movie tries to provide two different means of cracking open Trevor's head, via spiritual possession (Faith) or electronic monitoring and brain surgery (Ek). The movie focuses primarily on the mystery as to who is attempting to drive Blackburn insane. When that becomes tiresome it switches gears to a more supernatural thriller as Faith body hops the various actors in the House of Love until she gets what she wants.

The problem with these two disjointed plots is that the film simply isn't competently produced. The flashbacks are egregious, the editing disjointed, and the acting uneven. Most unforgivable is Jones, who simply can't pull off an acting role of this caliber. He switches between a monotone whisper and confused ranting, which gets old fast.

The Attic Expeditions is ambitious, and occasionally there are glimmers of brilliance amidst the choppy editing and bad acting. But mostly it's just a chaotic mess that falls far short of its promise of Lovecraftian terror.

This movie carries on the Jeffery Combs as a mad bad Doctor idea..from some of his other movies...supernatural happenings and hidden agendas galore.Seth Green is entertaining and creepy good in this movie.It is full of action and twists and turns...but always comes back into view...It has a haunted house ,drug experimentation and unexpected violence...throw in a little sex..there it is..
Just plain old mindbending fun...Check it out..

There was a film I reviewed a bit ago entitled "13 Seconds", in which your typical horror genre gets a confusing twist ending coupled with horrid acting and a bland plot. As you can tell, I wasn't a fan of this film and was momentarily turned away from cheap horror movies. "13 Seconds" garnered several awards, is recognized in the film community, but for me was just a sloppy film with the irritable inconsistent voice dub. I think that is what harmed this film the most - but then I gave up on my plight to avoid cheap horror films and decided to watch the equally low-budget horror/suspense/thriller film "The Attic Expeditions", and I must admit, I was rejuvenated. This film was a breath of confusing fresh air. From the sporadic, yet strong, opening, through the rest of this nonconsecutive film about magik (with a "K"), the philosophy of modern medicine, and perhaps love, I was hooked. From the films that I have watched lately, this was one that I was eager to start from the beginning and watch again. While I cannot say that director Jeremy Kasten has created a flawless film, he has impressed me by giving us a strong story with a limited budget. This was a film obviously loved by everyone involved and in my eyes has the ability to become a cult classic if watched by an open-mind audience.

Plot. That is going to be a tough subject for this film. "The Attic Expeditions" uses several different plot techniques to give us a story that literally leaves us in the dark until the final act. We follow the story of Trevor Blackburn, who may or may not have killed his fiancé while performing a magik ritual. Due to possible insanity, he is operated on and forced to recuperate in a facility simply called "House of Love". It is in this "house" that Trevor continues to have flashbacks coupled with nightmares, coupled with sudden murders of the other tenants. He is observed, from a distance - through television monitors, by a Dr. Eck (played sinisterly by Jeffrey Combs) and his associate, Dr. Coffee (played by Ted Raimi). This give us the impression that perhaps this is not the place we assume, and that it is just a set-up by Eck for a more dutiful purpose. It is later discovered that Eck is searching for a book that Trevor used to perhaps murder his fiancée. Just as we think this is what the truth is, Trevor begins to break down further and discover that what he believes is real isn't, and that he shouldn't trust the boundaries of reality with Dr. Eck. This is where we slip into insanity. Trevor continues to be pulled into the attic by a trunk that may unlock the mystery to all of this - but we just don't know. Then, quite classically, as we think we know the truth to this film, director Kasten gives us one last push of the unknown and before the screen our minds are shattered. This is a wild ride folks, and this small reviewer can't wait to sink his teeth further into this film.

I think what appealed to me the most was that albeit this was a very low-budget film, the creators did everything possible to make this less cheap and more detail oriented. I loved the visual style of this film. The way that our characters acted, the way the interacted with each other, and their deadpan ability to bring the unknown to the surface. It was as if I was watching "Evil Dead" for the first time (not that I want to draw similarities - it was just a similar viewing experience). There were elements of Gilliam, mixed with Raimi, mixed with Nolan all rolled together. Although the international name for this film is "Memento 2", please do not connect the two. This film stands on its own. Kasten assembled a flawless cast with a surprising turn from Seth Green (playing a very Patrick Bateman character) and the always fun Jeffrey Combs. I even enjoyed the Kyle MacLachlan-esque style of Andras Jones - then there was Ted Raimi, whom didn't almost fit within this film, but still made it fun to see him sweat. Alas, those eager to see Alice Cooper, he was only in it for a brief moment, though the special features claim he was a valuable asset to the production. I didn't see it. With this seemingly strong cast in place, it was up to the storyteller to get the rest in motion - and it happens successfully.

"The Attic Expeditions" is not a one-time-viewing film. I think what makes me rave so much about this film is the way the story was told, out of context, out of consecutive order, out of sanity. You cannot make an assumption about this film from just one viewing, one must go back - rewatch, and enjoy. I will say this much, it is not a film for everyone. The scenes can be unsettling and a bit disturbing since you do not quite fully know if he is in his mind or in ours. Rather disturbing actually. Kasten plays not only with the character's minds, but also with ours. "The Attic Expeditions" is one of those films that leaves the room either going, "gosh that was horrible", or wide open for discussion. For me, I needed someone to talk to. I wasn't sure what was real, and what was in Trevor's mind. That is what makes this film stand out. While there were some shots of a boom in some scenes, but again, that is what makes this low-budget film even better. Concentrate on what you cannot comprehend, and this will be a phenomenal film for you.

Overall, I gotta say that after a slew of mediocre Hollywood budget films, this was a volatile breath of fresh air. I challenge anyone that dislikes this film to ask "why" -- is it because you didn't understand the story or because it was cheaper than the mass produced films. With a film like "The Attic Expeditions", more chances are taken - the risks are higher, and the final product is worth a second viewing. As others have quoted, and I believe them, this is a horror film for those of us that pride ourselves on intelligence. It is smart, challenging, and grossly entertaining. I don't mind calling this film cheap because it entertained me mentally, and I will go back to rewatch to see if a second viewing would un-muddle the questions looming in my mind. I was impressed.

If I went insane, I would definitely choose Dr. Eck to ensure my return of sanity!

Grade: **** out of *****