Dementia 13 is a 2017 American horror film directed by Richard LeMay (Blood Bound) from a screenplay by producer Dan DeFilippo (Chilling Visions: 5 States of Fear) and Justin Smith (Ominous; The Monkey’s Paw), based on Francis Ford Coppola’s 1963 film of the same name.
The movie stars Julia Campanelli, Channing Pickett and Steve Polites.
A vengeful ghost, a mysterious killer and a family brimming with secrets converge in one night of terror…
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Reviews:
“As if to correct the original’s harsh edges that come with a $42,000 budget, Dementia ’17 looks sterile and rigid with its bland digital photography and boring set design. Every scene looks anemic and inactive; no scare or kill is given a sense of gravitas; and the woodenness of the cast leaves an audience with very little to sink their teeth into for enjoyment.” Film Pulse
“There’s no cohesive flow of ideas, and what does get executed is nothing audiences haven’t seen before in cheap horror cash grabs. Cliche runs rampant in this film, to the point where you wonder what the purpose of reimagining a Coppola classic was in the first place.” Borrowing Tape
” …this film is better than Coppola’s original. It succeeds because it is more than just a homage to Coppola. It’s a borrowed structure that injects life into the film with some truly surprising moments. This is more than a shock movie, though, because each moment of horror is also transpiring towards the ending.” Irish Film Critic
“Maybe the movie’s macabre melodrama worked 54 years earlier. Today, it plays like a silly soap opera shot as a film, with all the same overwrought writing and exaggerated acting usually reserved for daytime TV.” Culture Crypt
“Why they would reject the novel in favor of the stale is hard to explain. But more problematic is their failure to make any of the pic’s characters (with the arguable exception of old lady Haloran) at all interesting. As we move toward the exposure of old family secrets and devious new plots, Dementia 13 proves to be not nearly demented enough.” The Hollywood Reporter
“Aside from a handsomely shot, autumnally decaying location, the only germane aspect of Dementia 13 is that, sadly, it comes off as little more than a mentally impaired, unbecomingly guileless muddle. If its aim was to make you lose your mind, it just may succeed.” Arrow in the Head
Choice dialogue:
Gloria Haloran: “Business. Money. The key to everything.”
Gloria Haloran: “He sold slave clothing. And that’s how this family made its fortune. Greed. And blood money.”
Gloria Haloran: “I thought you were supposed to be smart. Failed business after failed business. Look, I don’t care where your put your prick. At least that shows you have some kind of drive.”
Main cast and characters:
Julia Campanelli … Gloria Haloran
Channing Pickett … Rose Haloran
Steve Polites … Billy
Marianne Noscheze … Billy Haloran – Horror Time
Ben van Berkum … Kane
Ana Isabelle … Louise
Anthony Salvador Lewis … Father Matos
Donal Brophy … Ray
Leif Steinert … Wood
Roland Sands … Arthur
Christian Ryan … John Haloran – Celebrity Ghost Stories
Jay William Thomas … Perry
Leila Grace … Kathleen Haloran
Pat Malone … Cashier
Release:
Chiller Films released Dementia 13 theatrically on October 6, 2017, and on VOD and Digital HD on October 10, 2017. A DVD was issued on December 5, 2017.
Film Facts:
The film was initially known as Haloran Manor
Trailer:
Verdict:
A sterile, and bland remake, albeit in name and initial vague plot details only, of a stylish and worthy ’60s cheapie that’s endured over the years simply because it’s stylish-made and well-acted. Beyond a few amusing class snipes and some minor body politics, this pointless take on Dementia 13 is not worth anyone’s time.
Adrian J Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
