When Evil Dead creator Sam Raimi and his producing partner Robert Tapert decided to form a genre specific company (Ghost House Pictures) horror fans everywhere were filled with delight. But unfortunately judging from the company's first two productions, it might not be much to celebrate about. Maybe it's because of the fact that the movies are focused more on bringing in a teen audience than offering up anything overly creative, but whatever it is their first production (2004's remake The Grudge) and this film certainly doesn't make you wait with anticipation for the newest Ghost House effort.

Opening with what seems like a standard start to most Hollywood horror films of the last five years this starts with the expected "scare" scene, this kicks off with a younger version of our hero in his bed trying to sleep. However, it's the expected "dark and spooky" night and he's soon paranoid about things he thinks he sees in the blackness of his room. However all his fears come to reality when his father is yanked away through the closet by a menacing creature.

Flash forward to fifteen years later and we're introduced to Barry Watson as our apparent hero who is still suffering from his childhood trauma and is quite the little wimp. As an adult he's been having success with a good job and loving girlfriend but he's soon forced to return home when his mother dies. It's from here that he's forced to face his fears when he not only decides to stay in his old house, but he also learns that children from around the town are going missing - and it may be the work of the "Boogeyman".

Someone needs to tell director Stephen Kay that quick cuts and hyperactive camera movements do NOT equal scares. Sure, he does an alright job behind the camera and his cast does an adequate job, but the movie has a much slower build-up than expected and there's never really anything exciting going on. It also doesn't help that all the "jump" scenes are pretty standard stuff with ghostly visions, hands grabbing from shadows, and other quite boring moments.

Probably the biggest problem with Boogeyman is the fact that the lead hero comes across as a big scaredy cat and that there's never really any sense of menace. Plus for a movie called Boogeyman there certainly isn't much screen time for the title villain and when he does show up he's merely a weak, CGI enhanced actor with his face painted black and wearing a tattered robe. It also suffers from a script that leaves loose ends galore (obviously Watson's character doesn't care about his girlfriend judging from the way they make him react) and has a hero who's actions become so erratic that it doesn't help this be anymore convincing.

Boogeyman may offer a few mild chills for the teenage crowd, but for any self-respecting horror fan it's just another waste of time. (Chris Hartley, 6/28/05)

Directed By: Stephen Kay.
Written By: Eric Kripke, Juliet Snowden, Stiles White.

Starring: Barry Watson, Emily Deschanel, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Tory Mussett.