Movie Review: The Inn Keepers

I was originally interested in seeing this because of the back story. I had seen House of the Devil, and was impressed with the early 80's feel slow burn quality of the film. I lived in Connecticut for most of my life, and took summer classes at Central Connecticut State University, so seeing that area of the state in a the movie was an added bonus. I heard about this movie when reading about the filming of House of the Devil. The director Ti West and his crew stayed at The Yankee Peddler Inn, in Torrington, CT. They all experienced "vivid dreams and spooky experiences" while staying there. So what's a creeped out horror director to do? Go there and film a horror movie!

Here are my random thoughts while watching The Inn Keepers.
WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!

Claire says the site looks good, but it really doesn't.

Why is his laptop shaped like a square instead of rectangle.

The soundtrack seems a little jaunty and happy.

In the movies they always have that character whose asthma requires that they puff on an inhaler incessantly. Do people have asthma this bad? I have asthma and if I used my inhaler as frequently as she uses hers, I'd need 4 refills a month.

Is this a mumble core indie horror movie?

The shape of that laptop is really distracting.

You know what you do when you are working overnight at a haunted hotel. Look up paranormal stuff online. Then go exploring by yourself.

I notice they are using that low pitch base audio that was used in Paranormal Activity to increase suspense.

They should call this two hipsters run a hotel.

I know Claire is supposed to be cute and plucky, but she is annoying on a Juno level to me.

Who goes looking in a basement at a haunted hotel?

Half way into the movie Claire goes into the laundry room to record EVPs, and at this point I start to want to watch the trailer again to see if I am watching the right movie.

I don't know what happened, I started daydreaming and when I snapped out of it she was leaving the dining room and walking down the hall toward piano playing that you just know is by a ghost.

Ms. Lee is a spiritual healer, not an actress anymore and can help Claire communicate with the spirits.

A crystal pendulum? Why not just break out the quija board.

Ms. Lee in her trance says "Don't go down in the basement." and  "There are 3 spirits, who could not save Madeline O'Malley."

If that just happened to you, could you sleep at all, let alone with the light off.

Claire wakes up next to the Madeline ghost. That was horrible make up on the ghost.

Creepy old guy wants the room on the 3rd floor and pays cash.

What kind of hotel has you make up your own bed?

Luke likes Claire. He really likes Claire.

Claire says, "Let's go to the basement and find out what that fuckin ghost's problem is."

Of course the light bulb blows in the basement so they have to go with a flashlight.

Never mind the fact that they go despite the ominous warning not to go into the basement.

The basement scene is drawn out, and kind of boring.

Luke is smart, because he is like I'm out of here.

So Claire runs to Lee for help, who says, "take me to where it happened." Once led to the basement she does not once say, "Didn't I tell you not to go into the basement?"

We hear some whispers and heavy footsteps and Lee drops her crystal and then tells Claire that she is in danger and to leave the hotel immediately.

Instead of listening she runs to the 3rd floor to tell the creepy old dude that she has to go.

F that, she should have left and called home office to send someone to check on him.

She sees that old dude slit his wrists up in his room, and then there is more bad theater make-up O'Malley.

Luke shows up again, and instead of breaking for the door, she sits down and sends Luke to get Lee.

She could have sat down outside and waited for Lee but we have already established that she is the dimmest bulb in the pack. At this point, I want the ghost to get her because she deserves it.

She is walking down a well lit hallway in which we can see the lights are on with a flashlight.

Is this dummy going back to the basement? 

Can the ghost hurry up and get this idiot?

Oh shit! The dead old guy is behind her! Finally something interesting is happening! Yay!

....and he's naked.

So she locks herself in a room in the cellar, and guess who shows up? You guessed it Madeline O'Malley. 

What happened to the three ghosts? We never did see them.

Why isn't the old guys face covered up? They pull the sheet up on dead people. This film thinks the audience is too stupid to figure out who is under the sheets.

Like an idiot Luke goes back in to get Lee. I am thinking she may or may not be dead already.

I guess she is alive. 

The camera pans to Claire's room and the door closes, because ghosts like to slam doors closed, apparently.