Import Flix: Spirit of the Glass

Well, maybe it will be better if it is Foreign!  That's a fool-proof thought, right?  After the disappointment of Ouija and the so-so performance of the Indy Version from 2011, I found a Foreign Version...from 2004.  I wonder how many English-language Reviews of this Film are out there.  Today's Film is Spirit of the Glass, a Horror Film about the danger of Ouija Boards.  One- the thing is a toy.  It may be a toy with roots to a similar object from long ago...but it is a toy.  In this case, they try to explain it as some ancient, religious device to explain its powers.  Sure.  Whatever.  This one is pretty stock and doesn't do a whole lot that you haven't seen before, but...it is obscure and Foreign.  Good enough for me!  To see if Subtitles improve a Film, read on...

In the cold open, a man is beaten and buried alive for having an affair with an upper class lady.  Ow.

In the Present, some young folks who want to spend Spring Break together go out to a Family Mansion out in the Woods.  Not quite a Cabin in the Woods, but close.

They are warned about Spirits being around a Lake at night...and, of course, ignore it.  Naturally.

They uncover a Ouija-like game and accidentally revive the Spirit of that dead guy from the Intro.

After enough happens, they...go home.  Oh.  Alright.

Back home, things are still not right and the Spirit(s) are with them still.

Our Final Girl is the target of the Ghost's lust and desire.  Could a blind lady come and explain this?

Thanks.

So the Gang goes back to the place and tries to use the Board to get the Spirit back where it belongs.

They fail.  They die (I think).  The End.

They didn't try too hard with this one.  This isn't a terrible Film, but it just does so little to make it stand out.  Everything about the Plot has been done before in some regard.  So how do you make this interesting?  The answer is to play with the Cliches and turn the whole thing on its head.  Make Characters that don't act like you expect.  Have the Ghost(s) act differently or interestingly.  Have the Story take some unexpected twists and turns.  They...don't do that.  At all.  Spirit of the Glass is a so-so Film in a Market that is overflowing with so-so Films.  Having not seen too many Horror Films from the Phillipines, I can't attest to whether or not this would stand out there more than it does here.  Unfortunately and fortunately, we are very much an International Movie Market now.  Horror Films from Japan, Action Films from India, Slashers from France- all of them are widely-available to most people at any point and time.  That's great for fans of International Cinema and people like me who apparently want to watch every Horror Film ever made.  For smaller Countries just breaking onto the market, this is bad, since dozens of better, more inspired stuff is available.  I'll end with a word of advice to anyone seeking to make more Ouija Board Films...

Up next, I return to the 10-Film Set with a Comedy.  To make things better, you get knock-off Marx Brothers- shit!  Stay tuned...