The Beacon (2009)

   

Written & Directed by: Michael Stokes

Starring:

Teri Polo .... Bryn Shaw
David Rees Snell .... Paul Shaw
Elaine Hendrix .... Vanessa Carver
Ken Howard .... Officer Bobby Ford
Nick Sowell .... Will Tyler
Marnette Patterson .... Christina Wade
Jonny Cruz .... Simon Valencia
Kelly Dawn Hancock .... Officer Kit Karasic
Michael Ironside ....
Lieutenant Hutton

Release Dates:
Limited Theatrical: October 2009; Paranoia Horror Film Festival: 2009; La Femme Film Festival: 2009; Burbank International Film Festival: 2009

 

Rating:

 

A married couple named Bryn (Teri Polo) and Paul (David Rees Snell) are trying to get their lives back on track after a drowning of their 4 year old son at a Halloween party by moving into a new apartment called the Beacon.
However, Bryn seems to have bad flashback memories as well as having some unpleasant neighbors like a diva actress who's career is going down the tubes named Vanessa Carver (Elaine Hendrix) who makes rumors that Bryn is insane.
She also spots a mysterious child running into a suite next door to her as well as hearing terrible arguemnts and abusive situations but when she gets the police to inspect on it the room is empty.
She also goes on a discovery on what has happened in that apartment which isn't good news and that their apartment is possibly haunted which makes her depression grow even more.

 

There's some interesting touches in the story while we roll along to see what's up like the main character Bryn Shaw listening to what's happening next door which there's an argument and someone slapping another person which adds a nice mysterious touch to the story especially the fact that this is a film on a ghostly event.
There's also a moment with her spotting a door slowly opening and she goes and checks on it which is supposed to look creepy but yet this seemed a little too cheesy as well as a dark figure walking past her in which this was supposed to make you jump but once again this moment fails as well.
In the flick which works we have a stuck up neighbor in the building who happens to be an fading actress Vanessa Carver getting really bitchy in front og the main character's face which happens to be Bryn Shaw as this was nicely put in leaving an impression that she will not have a pleasant neighbor at all since we've had these types in our lives before.
There's even a situation where Bryn's husband Paul in a parking lot of the building and a good jumping moment with Vanessa getting scared as well as a figure staring at them which this time looked fairly effective while spotting all of this.
We have interesting flashback sequences involving the tragedy of Bryn and Paul's child drawing an unsolved mystery while spotting these flashback's along with real tragic moments surrounding the two of them when Bryn acts like a basket case due to all of this and Paul not being able to cope with her situation as this looked believeably dysfunctional.
A nice scene put in is when she spots a mysterious looking child running into his suite and then we hear some abuse going on and then the police inspect it and the room is empty with good liners from the landlord telling them the room has been empty for a very long time. This definetely gives the film a nice haunting feel to everything here.
Later on in the story we do spot conversations between Paul and Vanessa in which this hints you that these two are possibly having an affair which looked strongly written into the story.
There's another situation where Bryn goes to a place to get questions from someone named James Nash in which we seem to spot him looking ghostlike as well as him wandering away which makes you keep watching to find out what happens next when she tries to follow him as we spot scissors posted on a wall of his home. This makes you wonder as to why this is happening along to suspecting that something ghostly is behind this place too. Quite well done here.
We see a moment when Bryn acts lustful wrapping her legs around Paul and then we spot them going to the bedroom with a shadow figure spotting them which looked well done too adding more good flavor to the storyline.
However the plot weakens a bit when we have her and Paul's dweeby employee Simon Valencia discussing a situation on a tragedy and finding information on ghostly events as to why the things they noticed are happening which looked a bit dull.
There's also a situation with Paul losing his cool towards Simon in which this was supposed to seem intimidating to watch but even this moment fails big time.
There's a great moment when one of the character's named Christina Wade picks up the main object in the film which is a doll and we spot a street cleaning vehicle accidentally swerving into her which looked intense even if there wasn't anything too graphic but the thought of it makes you cringe for sure.
But some parts pick up like when Bryn is sleeping in a bed and you expect that her hubby is cuddling with her and we spot a ghoul cuddling up with her which catches you by surprise by how the camera rolls up towards him.
Then when the lowdown happens we spot the skanky Vanessa showing Bryn a filming of her affair with Paul in which you wonder if a catfight will happen but this defentely looked impressive spotting a total bitch trying to make this woman's life even more miserable than ever. However there's a nice dark secret and new twist revealing from Vanessa which has some neat cheesy effects to what unravels between her and the residents of the building in which seems to pay a tribute to those Stephen King type of films as well as other old school flicks like Rosemary's Baby and The Sentinel.
Bottom line is that the story is a bit stale here with some interesting touches like mentioned here but it's not anything that we haven't seen before. However you could tell that the makers of this tried to make the horror fans entertained as possible but yet doesn't do the trick too well.

The acting looked good and powerful in which lead actress Teri Polo (Bryn Shaw) lived to portray a basket case in the film with a devastating secret in which she does a great job by crying hysterically or acting intense or upset by a certain situation used in the story. She also does a nice job with her concenred attitude and expressions while hearing on what goes on next door. She also does a nice job while getting anxious over certain situations too. Plus shows off a good powerful attitude while crying uncontrollably while facing a mirror or losing her sanity in other areas too. Plus can easily change her ways by acting excited and full of life having anice hype to this as well. She shows alot of terrific characteristics in this role and found her to be the best out of the whole cast.
David Rees Snell (Paul Shaw) seemed to handle his role pretty good as the decent husband in which he shows a nice slick type of behavior along with someone who is believeable by having his patience driven. He is not too bad whenever he reveals his anger in which he shows off a nice dysfunctional attitude. He was also quite powerful with his blocking especially when he is struggling against somebody.
Elaine Hendrix (Vanessa Carver) also was one of the best cast members playing a fading prime time soap actress as she delivers her lines very powerful especially in her first appearance by getting aggressive and stuck up towards someone else. She also adds a nice change to her personality when she is scared by someone as she really knew on how to act spooked out with her anxious words. Does a great job by behaving very sleazy like and having a good whiney type of attitude too which shines off perfectly. What she does the best though is having her wicked type of lashing attitude when she reveals her true dark and evil side. Two thumbs up for this woman.
Nick Sowell (Will Tyler) seemed to have a nice effective supporting role as a neighbor in the apartment as he shows off some nice spunk and a young guy next door type of attitude in whatever he does here. He also has the perfect clean cut looks which is a plus to his role. He also shows a believeable sympathetic behavior to his part too. Plus made himself come across as someone who is mysterious too.
Marnette Patterson (Christina Wade) shows off a nice bubbly type of behavior into her role as she comes off as someone who is charming and likeable in a great believeable fashion here. She was very clear with her speaking in the film as well as coming off strong when something wrong happens really focusing on what she is doing plus knew on how to have a good firm and stern behavior too when needed.
Jonny Cruz
(Simon Valencia) seemed a bit dull with his characteristics having a lispy type of speaking in whatever he does here but yet seemed to work well in his favor coming across as typically dweeby. He certainly shows off a good annoying presence into what he does here as well as knowing on how to become serious when he tries to help someone out by finding information just being well focused on this. He also was great by acting scared and anxious when he tries to escape the terror surrounding him.
Michael Ironside (Lieutenant Hutton) seemed to breeze through nicely later on in the story since it's nice to see him get work again as he shows a great expressionless and emotionless attitude portraying this type of character and having a perfect deep and creepiness to his speaking. I really enjoyed his part making him come across as a believeable mysterious part in the story.

A cut in half corpse is revealed in a bathtub
Gruesome looking ghouls are revealed
Some bloody stabbings and violent beatings

Alot of nice hissing sounds along with some slamming noises which was supposed to make you jump but doesn't do the trick at all. There's alot of cold echoey piano playing too which sounds good and smooth in alot of the spots in the story especially during the calm situations. Also we hear alot of clanging sounds for the adventureous moments too. Of course nice horn playing along with scratching and screeching sounds for when the real ghostly moments occur. The music was put in by John Majkut