I don't do a lot of reviews but this one is more of a warning to horror fans than anything. I love all kinds of horror and have since I was a child. But haunting and possession have always been my favorites. So I try to never pass up on those. This movie started out OK and I didn't even mind the occasional religious nod. Hell, lots of really good horror movies do it. But they don't OVERdo it. The story was going along fine even if it was slow in spots. The acting was decent. Not Academy Award decent, but decent all the same. Most of the cinematography was alright. There were parts that were unnecessary like the 4 different shots of the main character shutting a door and nothing climatic happens. Or some of the slow motion shots. There was absolutely no purpose for any of that. And then the religion starts up again. Only people of faith can be saved from the wrath of the board. If you have no faith and you smudged your blood on it even accidentally you have to give up your soul to it like those before you (this type of stuff was repeated numerously by several different characters). This movie should have been touted as religious propaganda then a horror film. The only reason why I gave it a 4 instead of a 1 is because: 1) they had a guy in it with actual real tattoos that weren't stickers and he wasn't portrayed as a convict, gangster, drug addict, street thug, satanist or a biker which is almost unheard of. 2) Pam Grier is in it and I love that lady 3) Lou Diamond Phillips is in it and even tho he doesn't have the best track record when it comes to blockbuster movies at least he's consistent and 4) I liked the Papa Roach song at the end. And I'm not even a big fan of Papa Roach.5) the ending was pretty cool and true to the genre, FINALLY! Oh,and the male nurse was kind of funny. If it wasn't for those things this movie would have earned a much lower score from me.

This movie is not for wimps. Its many plot twists and surprises will have you on the edge of your seat, if not hiding under it. Ladies, be sure to have your man beside you when you go to see this film. It is far better to have someone you know whose arm you can grab, rather than to scare some poor, strange guy next to you. Veteran actress Ellen Dow was great as Natalie Shaw, as was newcomer Rhett McKinney as Roger, and the setting of the foothills of the Sierras was beautiful. Mr. McKinney artfully told his story within the time and budget constraints of an indie film. Although a basic story line, the plot had plenty of depth for thinkers.I viewed this film in the vintage Crest Theatre in Sacramento. I look forward to seeing its release in modern venues where theatergoers will benefit from up-to-date sound and projection equipment. Northern California is fortunate to have Ryan McKinney at the helm in promoting the movie industry in the Sacramento area. His passion, drive, and ethics are inspirational. I cannot wait to see where he takes us next.

This movie was made on a realtively small budget in a very much larger landscape of feature films, and was impressive to me because of the smartly written plot and how much was done with so little. I am a writter and tend to analyze movies from that standpoint. What I decided after watching this movie at the Crest Theatre--it was the marquee film for the Sacramento 2010 Film Festival--was that this dude Ryan McKinney is smart, very smart, and does not treat his audience as if they were any thing less. He lets your brain work out details rather than step-by-step going, "Ok audience, 1 + 1 equals 2, and 2 + 2 equals 4...." No, no, no, no, McKinney respects his audience and takes you on a journey (ride!) that kept me beguiled from start to end because I, frankly, did not know what was going to happen next.And then, BAM!, came the ending. It was as if, on a clear blue day, a piano fell straight from the sky. It, if I can show my age and use an expression from back in the day, "Blew my Mind!"

I couldn't be more pleased with this movie. The Invited may not be everyone's cup of tea, but with any movie that is not watered down for the masses, it's going to flat out turn some people off. I can appreciate the bold choices Ryan made as a director, especially knowing the controversy a director faces when filming an independent film. There are countless hurdles to jump through and many don't even make it to completion. Lou Diamond Phillips gave a performance of a lifetime too. My only complaint is that I wish he had a bigger part. From an investor standpoint in terms of funding future projects, this movie is a perfect showcase of Ryan's talent and developed skills as an up and coming director. I wish him the best and look forward to seeing what he can do with a big budget!