I love this movie ever since! I wanted this to be RE-Popular because this is such as great memories for scary. I understand that this is old but still. Good Throwback.

I'm always suspicious of 10/10 ratings for a movie that averages under 6/10 on IMDb. Here's one for this movie, a 10/10 rating by "rw2" whose review is titled "Great visuals with an above average plot". That reviewer has reviewed a grand total of TWO movies! Typical of a certain type of 10/10 reviewer ! This movie deserves 3/10. Some effects were impressive, but there was FAR too much flashing and superfast scene changes ~ in effect, cheats in a hope to cause suspense or fear. Not for me, and clearly not for most of the reviewers on IMDb. As for me, I've watched thousands of motion pictures, reviewed hundreds, here and elsewhere, over several decades. Horror is one of my favourite genres. I cannot recommend this 2001 effort. 3/10.

I went to see the THIR13EN GHOSTS remake expecting little. What I got was a paper-thin story, taking segments from GHOSTBUSTERS(!) and the HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL remake, plenty of clichéd situations and characters, some nifty special effects work, and a ton of jumps and scares. Added into the mixture was a smattering of gore and I actually found myself enjoying the whole thing. Sure, I'll have totally forgotten about this popcorn entertainment in a couple of days time but I can't deny that I had a good time watching it, despite the many flaws. One surprise is that I found it actually scary in a number of places especially where the ghosts are concerned. Some truly horrific special effects work from the reliable KNB group combined with a jolting soundtrack made this a horror film in the true sense of the word and one not for the squeamish.The biggest problem is first-time director Steve Beck, one of the new wave of film-makers who can't resist including plenty of MTV style into their movies. Thus we have lots of tricksy jump-cuts, slow motion, cameras sped up and all kinds of wannabe stylish bits in place of any real atmosphere - and no, Steve, panning your camera around a few empty corridors doesn't count as atmosphere building. The script is unbelievable but then so is the whole idea of the film, that a machine houses twelve ghosts who can open the "Eye of Hell". It's one of those movies where you have to turn off your brain to enjoy. Sure there are a couple of 'surprising' character twists here and there but by and large the film is an action-orientated horror romp which showcases scared people being chased and killed by a wide variety of evil spirits.Tony Shalhoub is the straight man in the film, the middle-aged male hero, a solid character who can't believe in what he sees. He's supported by Embeth Davidtz as some kind of idiotic 'ghost rights' campaigner and the effortlessly charismatic F. Murray Abraham as the cultured bad guy of the piece, another mad scientist type (Abraham fills the role of suave baddie perfectly). Former singer Rah Digga is unwelcome as the comedy relief housemaid (whose self-pitying presence recalls the 'spooked' black manservants of the horror-comedies of the 1940's) whilst Shannon Elizabeth is around to look pretty and not do a lot else. Finally, there's Matthew Lillard, giving us yet another shouty, psychotic, on-the-edge type performance which he has been doing all of his career. Now, where the rest of the cast fail to make likable characters, Lillard actually succeeds which is surprising seeing as I usually end up hating him in films. Sure he's overly neurotic and overacts his hat off but he supplies the film with limitless energy and I'm always a fan of old-fashioned ham, so good on you, mate.Obviously a roller-coaster ride through a spook house shocker such as this relies heavily on the effectiveness of the, well, effects and this is where THIR13EN GHOSTS succeeds admirably. From the not-bad CGI work used to animate the various parts of the house to the ghosts themselves, the effects are often deliciously good. The ghosts are all suitably grotesque and dead-looking, and thankfully are under-exposed so that they don't end up looking rubbery and fake. Seeing them briefly in quick snatches of vision makes their appearances a heck of a lot more frightening than prolonged exposure. However, the imaginative gore and death scenes are where the film really hits home and it's nice to see a movie which doesn't skimp on the good, old-fashioned grue. Bodies are broken in two, graphically squashed, torn, slashed, shredded to pieces. However the gruesome highlight is undoubtedly the effect where a man is sliced in half by a pane of glass (WISHMASTER tried a similarly elaborate type of effect but failed). Very nasty stuff indeed which comes as quite a shock.THIR13EN GHOSTS is a loud, vulgar, immature shocker which tops off the activity with an over-the-top finale involving lots of things breaking, exploding, the bad guys getting their comeuppances and the good guys getting saved by the skin of their teeth. In a word, clichéd, but somehow satisfying, like watching an old friend up on screen. Finally this is a blockbuster where the budget and effects count for everything and make the viewing experience worthwhile; so if you're looking for a shallow gore-splattered horror flick then look no further than this. Give it a break, critics and reviewers alike!

Having seen "Thirteen Ghosts" about four or five times already, I can say that the movie continues to be entertaining when revisited with some years in between. And I simply refuse to refer to the movie as "Thir13en Ghosts"; I am not a hipster having to include numbers in with letters.It is the story and ghost design that makes the movie being fun to watch again and again. The concept of trapping ghosts in a house and unleashing them to wreck havoc is just downright fun. And the designs of the ideas for the various ghosts is nothing short of visually great. They always impress me.The effects in "Thirteen Ghosts" are quite good and really adds to the enjoyment of the movie.It should be said that the acting in the movie was good, and especially Tony Shalhoub impressed in "Thirteen Ghosts". Normally I am not much fan of Matthew Lillard, but he was actually quite good in this movie. And F. Murray Abraham as Cyrus was just perfectly cast."Thirteen Ghosts" is not a scary movie as per se, but it is worth watching for the story and the special effects.