Released last week on DVD was this year’s batch of Ghost House Underground titles.  Unlike last year, in which we got EIGHT brand new horror films (I’m assuming inspired by After Dark’s 8 Films to Die For), we only get four films this year.  However, this year the films seem to be of a slightly higher quality, and with some bigger name stars.  I already reviewed one release, The Children, way back when.  Check that one out here (I loved it).

Of the four film’s released this year that I hadn’t seen already, I was most excited about Seventh Moon because of an interesting cast and crew, and a unique premise.

In Seventh Moon, Melissa (Amy Smart) and Yul are honeymooning in China during the “Seventh Moon” festival.  According to ancient mythology, the dead are freed to walk among the living during the seventh full moon of the year.  When their taxi driver leaves them in a remote, abandoned village, it isn’t long before they realize that they are the ones intended to be the sacrifice for the hungry ghosts!

With solid acting and directing (from Blair Witch and Altered director Eduardo Sanchez), Seventh Moon, along with The Children, give me a lot of fath in this year’s batch of Ghost House Underground titles.  Seventh Moon is an intense little film that was made for not a lot of money, with very few cast members and probably a very minimal budget.  But it works.  The scares are good, the action is intense, and the writing is good.

The middle of the film does drag, which is common for a horror film with only two protagnists.  It’s hard to avoid repetition, and the film does fall into this trapping – run from monsters, hide (quietly), rinse, repeat.  By the third time it happened, I checked the clock on the film to see how much longer was left before something would actually move the story forward.  When finally something does happen, the film picks up it’s momentum again.

The design of the “pale figures,” the villains of the movie, is very good.  While I wish more had been done to keep them in the shadows, at least since we do seem pretty clearly, they’re not cheesy looking.

If you get a chance, check out Seventh Moon on VOD, rent it, or pick it up cheap on DVD.  It’s worth your time, even if it won’t necessarily warrant repeat viewings.

Paul’s Awesomeness Score – 6 out of 10!