Sunday, October 2, 2011

"The Ghost" and The Darkness


Horror Movie Marathon
Day 2, Movie 3

The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)
Directed by Alan Rafkin

What can one say about this movie? It has a lot going for it, but suffers from the same problem that a lot of horror comedies do: it can't truly decide what to be. Granted, it's a Don Knotts movie so we can assume that comedy is going to be prevalent in it. The horror (if you want to call it that) is very subdued. It turns out there is no actual ghost. It's all some convoluted Scooby Doo plot. I suppose it makes sense, but as with a lot of other movies like this, it could have been a ton better.

The plot pertains to a typesetter at a small town Kansas newspaper who gets the idea to write a story about a twenty year old murder suicide and sends the small town into a small panic. Because of the huge impact the small story had on the community, the head of the newspaper tells Don Knotts to write a follow up story, a story that could lead him to a byline. Knotts jumps at the opportunity, trying to face his fears of the house as the editor tells him to spend a night in the house to get inspiration.

While in the house, paintings bleed, organs play by themselves and bookcases move to reveal secret rooms and staircases. He leaves the house, writes the story and the town goes into even more of a panic. The owner of the house (the son of the victims of the murder/suicide) sues Knott's character for libel, saying that all of it was a lie fabricated by a creative mind.

This is where the movie takes an odd left turn. It goes into a trial where Don Knotts is being sued and the judge, after little consideration, decides to bring all the members of the prosecution and defense, as well as the jury to the house to determine if the house is truly haunted. Things don't turn out as they should, Knotts looks like the boy who cried wolf and the suit is imminent. Just as Knotts is walking away from the house, he hears the organ playing again.

He runs back inside, seeing someone at the organ. It's his friend at the newspaper. Turns out, he used to be a gardener of the house when the murder/suicide happened and he witnessed what actually happened. I guess it all makes sense in a really convoluted way, but that's what I couldn't get over.

A lot of people tell me I take somethings too seriously. I wouldn't disagree with this, but I would say that I feel I am justified. I know it's just a Don Knotts movie, but it could have made more sense. As with Friday the 13th Part V, the plot should make more sense than it does. If they're going to be doing this bait and switch thing, they really should only do it once. Once we realize that Don Knotts could be crazy, that could be enough. They don't keep it light and airy enough. It'd kinda be like scooping up a nice spoonful of whipped cream and it's got chunks in it.

I feel like it could have been more about the investigation instead of the trial. I think that would have been more interesting. Just think of Don Knotts playing detective when he's not supposed to. Snooping around a house, asking questions to people when he doesn't know what he's doing. Instead, the movie does the trial which doesn't make any sense and isn't particularly funny.

It's really too bad. The movie could have been a hell of a lot better. Not only that, but when the movie ends and all is revealed, Knotts is barely involved. Sure, he subdues the bad guy in comic fashion, but it takes too long. There's a certain punch missing to the movie. Something it could have used.

I will say I laughed quite a few times and the score was excellent, so it's not all bad.

Maybe I'll do a Ghost and Mr. Chicken reboot. Then I'll be like all the rest of the assholes that make movies nowadays without an original idea in my head.

The one thing I will say that this movie made me realize is that I haven't watched The Ghost and the Darkness in a while. I think I might have to break that one out soon.

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