'Boogeyman' is not so scary

Two things scared me regarding "Boogeyman." The first is that the filmmakers might make a sequel. The second thing is that maybe I have seen so many good, scary flicks - which challenge one both psychologically and visually - that I get frustrated after seeing a so-so flick such as this. Then again, it is rated PG-13, but I have seen many movies of this nature with the same rating that made my hair stand on end. Who can forget Steven Speilberg's 1982 psycho/thriller, "Poltergeist," huh? Wow. Still get spooked a little thinking about that one.

So, I was disappointed, because in many ways this is my kind of terror, blending both psychological and supernatural elements into one thriller. The setup is pretty decent. How many times were we traumatized as children thinking that at any moment someone or some "thing" would spring out of the closet or from under the bed, scaring the living daylights out of you? Just me? No way; be honest.

Here we have a good premise with Tim (Barry Watson), a well-rounded individual with a good job on the fast track and a good relationship with girlfriend Jessica (Tory Mussett). When things seem to be going good ... well, guess what? Hello, childhood horrors! Part of that stemmed from his father's bedtime stories that I won't share here, but keep that thought tucked away in your cranium if you go see this. And his mother? How can you have a scary movie when your mother is Xena: Warrior Princess? Lucy Lawless (who still looks great) plays his, mom who worries too much what it is dad is reading as bedtime fodder nightly to their son.

That aside, the plot became predictable and the acting, although not stellar, was not horrible. Oh, there are some moments of terror that might make you squirm some, but then there were the cliché parts that most scary pictures fall back on: the obvious. Like when Tim has to go back to his childhood home to confront his fears and face that which has scared him since he was eight years old. Does this Bogeyman exist or is it just a figment of his own mind? The part that was supposed to be a serious moment actually made me chuckle. Since no one seems to understand Tim's dilemma, lo and behold, he turns to someone who does understand him: Franny (Skye McCole Bartusiak), a young woman who sees what he sees! Scared yet?

The effects were decent, but you can't expect to cover up some of the bad scenes here with the wave of a magic CGI wand. Nice try. The audience is smarter than that.

For a scarier experience, rent (if you can find it) Barbara Hershey in the 1981 psycho-drama "The Entity," which also stars Ron Silver. Not parallel to this story (that would be an insult), but the scare factor is much more intense without any of the gore stuff.

Two other factors make this film shaky at best. The first is director Stephen T. Kay, who is more known for his television work than for making feature films. The other is the timing of this movie. Releasing it now is tough, since most folks are probably checking out those movies with Oscar written all over them still playing in the theaters. With just three weeks to go until Oscar, maybe this flick would be better off as a rental when it becomes available in three weeks!



- Howie Nave is the host/emcee/manager of The Improv at Harveys every Tuesday through Sunday, and the comedian for The X Show every night except Monday. Howie appears on seven radio stations every Friday morning (including KOZZ 105.7) reviewing movies in California and Nevada.