Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Grave Encounters’

Written by Scott Edwards

Going into new situations with an open mind can be one of the best ways to attack them. Being close minded and not being open to seeing or hearing something out of the ordinary could frighten you more than it should. When talking about Ghosts, there are many skeptics around that are not open to the thoughts of life after death, but when something is seen before their very eyes, it changes their lives, for the worse.

An up and coming ghost hunting show is shooting their sixth episode of their pilot season and have yet to find anything out of the ordinary. Sticking to their script, they are trying to bring the scares to the screen so they can continue to stay on the air. Being led by Lance Preston, the face of the show and a skeptic, the group is out to have a good time while their next filming location may be the only place they have investigated that may actually be haunted.

The Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital in Maryland has a very dark past filled with death and experimentation by its head doctor Arthur Friedken who had an obsession with brain surgery and giving his patents lobotomies. Walking through the hospital during the day, the group finds that the building is very dark on the inside and with no working lights, which means that when the night closes in, it will be pitch black. With only their flashlights and camera lights, the group is in for a very long and dark ride.

As the night begins, there is nothing unusual to report, but after the initial walk through, some things start to show up out of place. With only slight differences, the group does not take stock in what they are seeing, but as the night comes into full effect, the hospital and its inhabitants come to life. Only starting with a door slamming for no reason, a member of the group goes missing after seeing a patient standing in the corner. The hospital has many scares up its sleeve for the group of investigators and will not pull any punches for those who do not believe. As the night moves on, the scares get more and more intense, but when the group tries to leave the old building, they are not able to find their way back to the exit, for Collingwood Hospital has a plan for its new residents and will not allow them to leave until they are cured.

One of the better ghost stories I have seen being shot in first person. Although the camera movements are made to provide the scares, it is not as obvious in this versus some other movies. I will still find myself watching some of the ghost hunting shows on cable for a quick scare, but they have lost their effect on me since they seem to have a hard time disproving what they see or hear. Does this mean that there is no such thing as ghosts? That would be a personal question for everyone to formulate their own answer to, but like I said, there is never a problem with keeping an open mind. Stay Scared.

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