The Hole (2009)

7/10

rlaine5 September 2012

There's a handful of directors who stand as tall as Joe Dante when it comes to movies a kid/teen growing in the 80s grew up with. Joe Dante is a legend, directing such classics as The Gremlins, Explorers, Innerspace, The 'burbs and co-directing Twilight Zone the Movie and Amazon Women on the Moon. Such nostalgia, but like many of his contemporaries, he didn't really make anything noteworthy after those.

Needless to say I was still looking forward to seeing The Hole, which in paper looked like he was kind of returning to his forte - sort of family horror comedy. And that's exactly what it was! I'm already out of the target group, but still I really enjoyed the movie. It's finally a Joe Dante movie that we've been waiting for a long time.

The story is great, a mystery Hole in the floor. Quite a few clichéd horror moments, but that's totally fine, clichés are OK when you do it tongue in cheek and not too seriously. Still I must say I was a bit surprised how tense it got here and there. Spooky stuff.

One of the only real gripes with this movie is the fact that it looks a bit low budget (I'm not sure if 10 mil qualifies as a low budget, it's an awful lot of money). It's got a bit of a TV movie feel. No big stars, good looking but rather small scale sets. Still old Dante fans will love a few cameos and familiar faces.

Other gripe with the movie is that I don't find Chris Massoglias characters very likable. I didn't like him in Cirque du Freak and neither in this movie. The kid brother was so much better actor creating a much more likable character.

Having also seen John Carpenters return movie "The Ward", I'd have to say Dante won this round. I hope these two 80s superstars will still return to form with a real big budget movie showing the younger directors what they're really made of.

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7/10

Much better then expected. Still geared toward teens but reminded me a lot of "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark". Entertaining. I say B

cosmo_tiger12 July 2012

"You've got a gateway to hell under your house and that's really cool." Susan (Polo) and her sons Dane (Massoglia) & Lucas (Gamble) have just moved into a new house. Dane is upset about having to move again and that isn't helping to make the move easy. When he meets the girl next door he finally has a friend and they start to explore the house. When the stumble upon a door in the floor of their basement then unknowingly open a gateway to hell and become haunted by their darkest fears. Going in I honestly expected this to be a cheesy teen-ager type horror. While it was geared toward teens this movie was actually not bad at all. This is a horror movie but it's done by the same director of the "Gremlins" movies so it's not scary scary but it is very entertaining and fast paced. There are quite a bit of disturbing scenes and images in this but nothing that will keep you up with nightmares so that is always good. The movie was made a few years ago and just now getting released but I would compare this to "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark" in terms of plot and idea. If you liked that movie you will like this one too. I enjoyed it. Overall, an entertaining and a little creepy movie that was much better then I expected. I give it a B+.

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7/10

The Hole 2D

eneyeseekaywhy19 September 2010

Fear and nostalgia don't often go hand in hand, but the two were riding high in my mind after the screening of The Hole. Coulrophobia, or a fear of clowns, seems to be quite a common phobia amongst my peers and for 99% of us it can be traced back to a certain television show. The Sky One adaptation of Stephen King's It, which aired in 1990. It's main antagonist, a clown named Pennywise, gave me my first real post-horror-film sleepless night. Up to that point the only fear-inducing villains I had been exposed to were Darth Vader and the Wicked Witch of the West. But a samurai robot and a middle-aged woman in green make-up didn't seem quite so scary after watching the terrifying killer clown. Echoes of Pennywise are evident in the ghoulish Jester doll of The Hole. The fact that Joe Dante brings us a family film that manages to instill some levels of discomfort and even fear in adults reminds us why he was such a big name in the 80's. With The Hole, the man behind Gremlins and The 'Burbs goe's back to what he does best; frightening yet family friendly. And he almost succeeds in giving us another great kids film. Almost.

Featuring the aforementioned Jester doll, the corpse of a young girl and some Beetlejuice like nightmare sequences, there are a lot of horror elements of the film to like. These elements are executed well and the use of some traditional stop-motion special effects gave the film an endearing charm. However all of this just served to highlight how awful the 3D was. The digital effect only served to ruin what would otherwise have been a great thowback-to-the-80's look. I ended up watching the second half of The Hole with my Roy Orbison style specs removed.

In my experience, and a lot of people I've discussed it with, the novelty of 3D lasts for roughly the first ten minutes of a film. Afterwards it simply distracts from whats going on and tends to blur any action above a certain speed. It adds nothing to the vast majority of the films released in the format and ultimately becomes headache inducing. Let's hope it's just a Smell-O-Vision style fad that fades away sooner rather than later.

The storyline of The Hole is in no way original and the dialogue is ridiculously bad at times, but on the whole it had a certain charisma about it. Had this been released when I was between eight and twelve years of age it may have been a favourite of mine, along with Ghostbusters and two of Dante's other works Innerspace and Gremlins. It pushes the boundaries of whats acceptable in a film rated 12A, is nicely stylised and has genuinely frightening moments. For a certain age group in years to come, The Hole will evoke great memories of how much fun the cinema can be. If they happen to see a 2D version, all the better.

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7/10

A Nutshell Review: The Hole

DICK STEEL5 September 2010

Gremlins remains one of my favourite films from childhood, and it is thanks to Joe Dante who helmed the films with enough to keep it frightening, yet kid friendly and family oriented at the same time. It's been a long while since I've missed Small Soldiers on the big screen, that he now returns with The Hole, yet dabbling with a similar treatment of making it quite the entertaining romp for both young and old to sit through.

A pity about the 3D version though, as I opted to watch this in 2D, and clearly because of the 3D gimmick, there were a few needless scenes stuck in, like having a kid throw a baseball toward the screen while lying on his back on his bed. On the whole there weren't too many deliberate 3D shots designed for the film, though I thought that the special effects put into it were spiffy enough, especially since there was a good mix of traditional stop motion efforts deliberate done in a cheesy manner, and those of the modern money shots toward the end.

As it's family oriented, this film like the rest of what Dante did thus far, has family being in the centre of all things that trip up in the dark, and we get three stories put into one, by virtue of each character having to deal with their fears come alive. Written by Mark L. Smith (Vacancy), the narrative keeps you guessing exactly what the reason is behind the threats are as faced by each child/teenage lead in the Thompson brothers Dane (Chris Massoglia) and Lucas (Nathan Gamble), and their neighbour Julie (Haley Bennett) when they look down the cursed hole, found in the new home of the Thompsons.

The idea is pretty cool in itself, because what could spook you more than what's truly your greatest fear? However that itself served up a mixed bag of scares, because the scares here are customized to the character's. For instance, Lucas has to deal with something straight out of Child's Play, although this little thingamajig had a small scene as a stinger after the end credits (well, if you have to know, it's only a wink, so you didn't miss much if you failed to stay behind). For Julie, it has to deal with a guilt from the past that manifest itself as something spiritual, and to face one's guilt is something that takes up her story arc.

For Dane's however, it was kept under wraps until the last, which provided for a fitting finale with all the bells and whistles thrown in, dealing with how the magnitude of one's problems when young seem to shrink in size as we grow older, possibly because we may either have outgrown it, or that being older we have a lot more other concerns to deal, in his case, the growing into a surrogate paternal role over the care of his younger brother, in a single parent family.

Still, despite being a horror/thriller, this is still something that will find a broad appeal, being somewhat simple in its stories, but nothing less than effective and of course for those catching it in 3D, yet another film to provide you that fixation with putting on the glasses. I'm not quite sure if a sequel would be made given the way it ended with a plot thread so glaringly hanging out, but we know how Gremlins 2 went.

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6/10

Perfect scares for the young horror fan

filmbantha19 September 2010

My first encounter with the world of Joe Dante was almost twenty years ago when i caught a glimpse of Gremlins at the tender age of four. At the time I was horrified, but as I grew up it soon became one of my favourite films, instantly capable of transporting me back to a time when horror films used to scare me. I was hoping that Dante would be able to recapture this magic, and The Hole left me wishing that I was a pre-teen with a wild imagination once again, heading into a horror film for the very first time. This made me very jealous of the younger crowd in the audience as they were clearly stuck fast in their seats, horrified by the visions that unfolded before them - their silence spoke louder than any screams - and desperate for the frightening film to end.

The nightmare begins when a single sprightly mother, her angst-ridden adolescent son Dane and nervous pre-teen Lucas move into a new house in a strange neighbourhood, only to discover a seemingly bottomless pit locked away under a trapdoor in the basement. Curiosity gets the better of the boys and it is not long before they lower a camera into the mysterious hole in an attempt to film the unknown, but, as video footage shows in one of the films eeriest moments, some things are better left undisturbed.

After exploring the darkness underneath the trapdoor, the boys begin to be haunted by strange events, with the hole seemingly preying on their individual fears. This provides the basis for a number of scary moments which are quite effective considering The hole is aimed at a younger audience, but it is unlikely to have any impact on those familiar with recent scary films such as REC and Paranormal Activity. The story still remains intriguing enough to keep older viewers entertained for the most part, and could well bring back long forgotten memories of their first encounters with the world of the supernatural films.

Horror fans hoping for a repeat of Gremlins will be disappointed, but that's not to say that The Hole should be dismissed; its constant references to classic horror films cannot replace the dark, warped humour that made Gremlins so watchable, but certainly adds to the experience for fans of the genre. Numerous scenes invoke connections to Poltergeist and The Gate, with the icing on the cake being a homage to the Hands of Orlac - a very under-rated thriller from 1935 - that I imagine will pass by unnoticed by the majority of viewers due to unfamiliarity with the source material, and they all serve to remind us that Dante is an ardent horror fan and is not afraid to wear his influences on his sleeve.

As a children's horror film The Hole is excellent but unfortunately it fails to surpass the genre classics such as A nightmare before Christmas and Gremlins due to the lack of appeal to an older audience. The story is fairly entertaining and the references to cult classics are a great addition to the film but they are simply not enough to keep older viewers fully engrossed for the ninety minutes running time. I would definitely recommend this film to families with young teenagers and children eager to be scared, as The Hole is a perfect introduction to horror films for those easily scared, and one of Joe Dante's more accomplished directorial efforts.

6/10

If you like this you will enjoy these:

The Gate Paperhouse Poltergeist Gremlins

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5/10

Scary movie for the youngsters...

paul_haakonsen17 October 2010

This movie can easily be summarized: it is like a movie version of a Goosebumps children's "horror" story. Anyone familiar with the Goosebumps book series will know what I mean. This movie is a "horror" movie for young teens and families with children. I watched it without knowing this, and was in for a surprise.

Now, don't get me wrong, this is still a good movie. But if you are expecting to be scared, you are better off watching something more tailored for an adult audience. I am sure lots of the youngsters will find this movie freakishly scary though. There are scenes that might scare younger audiences out of their pants, but at the same time, the movie is still kept at a level where it can be considered suitable for family entertainment somehow. I know it sounds weird, but if you watch the movie, you will know what I mean.

There were some good parts in the movie, but nothing that made me spooked or disturbed. The clown here reminded me somewhat of a mix of the clown doll from "Poltergeist" mixed with Chucky, and it did work well enough.

The effects were good and believable, without being over the top. The movie is not running on special effects, but whatever effects there were being used were straight to the point.

And also the people in the movie put on good performances, and that helped the movie along a good long way. And I think the young actors and actress help appeal to the younger audience.

This movie is suitable for a good evening of slight scares for families and younger teens. Worth the time actually, if you have nothing better to do.

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7/10

Joe Dante is back

lothd12 May 2010

Warning: Spoilers

Joe Dante is finally back with a feature film after 'Looney Tunes: Back in Action' (2003), a very long break only interrupted by the occasional TV work. As my fellow reviewer mentioned, 'The Hole' is currently on general release in Thailand (Dolby 3D only). I watched it today.

'The Hole' has what you can expect from PG-13 horror. Think 'Poltergeist' (from which it borrows a plot device). The scares are mild, there is only one slightly gory scene. Atmosphere and story are fine.

I cannot comment on the quality of the 3D effects as I don't have 3D vision. You can expect a lot of character scenes that establish the story as well as scenes obviously designed to show off the technology, including underwater sequences.

If you like Joe Dante's work and don't need ultra-brutal horror, you may well enjoy 'The Hole'. I'm happy to report that Dick Miller has the expected (very short) cameo.

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3/10

Start OK and scary, past middle boring, the end is ridiculously stupid. To be avoided.

dominique-lallier17 October 2010

Warning: Spoilers

Do not read if you didn't watch the movie. I give many spoilers. =============================================================== That being said, contrary to the majority, I find this movie really poor. I've just watched it and write my review still warm.

To many stereotypes. The neighbor girl, whose swimming pool at night is covered with beautiful girls and boys having a very fun party. The two boys who are in conflict with their divorced mother. Each time there is a intense scary scene with loud music, you are sure to have someone putting his hand on the shoulder saying "hey, what's the matter? Are you all right?". By doing that we are all surprised and jump on our seat, well, this is what the director tried us to do. This kind of trick is very well known nowadays so one time is OK, two becomes a lot and three we are really bored.

So the beginning of the movie is OK despite some stereotype things, the action intense, you really wonder what is under that bottomless hole. The idea of using a long rope thrown in it and that is cut without warning, well, you wonder what is it. Throwing nails and no sound is heard, very odd and scary. Where this hole is connected to? Using that fishing rod, great too, it seems endless.

But the very good idea, top of the top is the camcorder. However there is a contradiction in that. The two boys and the girl have just use a rope, it breaks. A fishing rod, it breaks too. And they use their own video camcorder and put it along a rope too? They are not afraid to lose it? Well, you see what I mean, I would have never did that. But well, it is a movie and we have to move on.

So they don't go deep, they get back the camcorder, they watch what it has filmed, nothing, dark with some sparks. Then the mother enters, everybody turn to her and only her see an eye on the TV, wondering what it is. This is GREAT !!!!!! This is great and scary, you really start to become scary and upset and you start to feel not very good. As for myself, I started to look under my seat to see if any monster was under.

Then at night the girl on her bed, hearing some far and low voice, good. The little boy attacked by the puppet in the basement, good. But then it starts to become poor and poor. Imagine you are the little boy, imagine you live what he lived, would you be laughing? Would you go back to the basement at night with your brother and the neighbor girl with Christmas lamp everywhere, waiting for the return of the girl everybody saw? Why do they hide this to their mother? Wouldn't you share your feelings, your fear with your loved mother if you lived such terrible moments? Please, all those teenagers have just witnessed a little girl in bad condition and crying blood, in toilets, in home, telling them she doesn't want to die, then going back crawling to the hole and everybody continue his own life? I would call the army but all of them just sit in front of the hole, joking.

Please !!!!! So maybe teenagers and under find such a movie entertaining and scary but once you are over 20, it simply becomes a comedy instead of a terror movie.

And the policeman, head shot, him too crawling into the hole and the boys behaving almost like normal, barely scared. No please, how do you want to quiver? At the beginning you are quivering but the more you move on, the less you are afraid and the disappointment increase proportionally.

As for the end, the jump in the hole, the fight with the father, really ridiculous. Past the middle of the movie, it is boring, the end is stupid.

So all in all, don't waste your money for that movie. Watch it free if you have the opportunity (free theater ticket, etc...), otherwise avoid it.

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6/10

Family Fun.

Sleepin_Dragon20 August 2018

Foolishly I thought this was a horror, and a few minutes in I realised my error, that it was a family film, worse still an attempt at a family horror, but I did preserve, and to some extent I found it rather satisfying.

It's almost like a modern day Goonies, with an adventure for a group of plucky kids. Definitely family entertainment, with no violence or scares, the best entertainment comes from the creepy clown, which is actually very well designed, and wouldn't look out of place in a real horror.

It's a bit cliche ridden, but it's watchable. 6/10

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3/10

that's horror? that's a snooze-fest, a hole in cinema history.

elie-md17 November 2010

Warning: Spoilers

I never felt that bored watching a horror. it felt soooo old and everything really predictable that I saw it a mile away b4 it happened.

I didn't give it a 1, just because the beginning was intriguing and I was curious to know what's inside the hole. but man was I disappointed.

every scene with that scare loud sound coming felt very predictable knowing nothing will come out of it. I never felt through the movie that the characters were in real danger of death to care about them. the characters never gave us that feeling that they cared enough about the monster of the whole for us to care. come on, they got a baseball bat and sat nearby the hole? a danger lurking for the little brother, so he left him in the garden to go after the neighbors' girl? are we supposed to actually believe the gate could be locked with regular locks, but a huge safe couldn't do the trick? what did stop the "fears" to unbreak the locks by the same force that removed a huge safe/closet..

Horrors that contain little creepy girls are usually very creepy but this... I nearly felt asleep during the movie.

are we supposed to believe that by vanquishing his dad the hole was back to normal when the mom saw it and it's the end of it? are we supposed to believe that the fear could kill the creepy light guy but all the heroes can easily escape it? why couldn't he? why didn't he even get to fight it? and yea btw, if everyone's fear is personal, how did he know that he must draw the huge giant that was holding his little brother..

all in all predictable, nothing to fear, boring, illogic. if it's made for little kids it might work, but not for adults, it insults my intelligence.

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8/10

Fun scares!

chaaa7 September 2010

The Hole 3D (not to be confused with the Thora Birch vehicle of the same name from 2001) is a good old-fashioned horror yarn for youngsters. No gore, no nudity, just good scares! A grumpy teenager and his little brother move with their single mother to a small town. They soon befriend the beautiful girl next door and they happen across a giant, ominous hole in their basement. The hole is seemingly infinite as the boys conduct a series of experiments including lowering a night-vision camcorder down and throwing a handful of nails in (to tremendous 3D effect, as you can imagine). What they don't discover over the course of these experiments is that the hole, once opened, lets loose your greatest fear which then proceeds to stalk you. A simple setup, but it is used very well, not only for thrills but as a sometimes thought-provoking look at the fears that you don't realise you have.

The very obvious but extremely effective "evil clown doll" is great for scares and a hammy throwback to old-school horror of The Twilight Zone or The Outer Limits. The other "fears" are somewhat more cerebral and as the film progresses, some of the fun tends to get lost in the family issues storyline. However, it is a well-written piece and the script reveals drips of information at a suitably subtle pace. The young cast do very well in roles that should have been very annoying and there is an element of class to proceedings overall. While this is certainly not by any means an important or a very original film, it is great to see films aimed at kids that refuses to condescend to them. The Hole plays it for scares, and isn't afraid to do just that. Children will be terrified and delighted in equal measure. The 80's gave us kids' adventures that dripped with real danger like The Goonies or Labyrinth, and of course Joe Dante's Gremlins movies. These films were quite nasty, and unlike most of the saccharine rubbish kids are dealt these days, they are quite menacing. The Hole is a worthy successor to these films and isn't afraid to push your nerves just that little bit further than you might expect.

From the poster and trailer I expected a tween adventure with a supernatural twist akin to Are You Afraid of the Dark or Goosebumps? To my delight, this was far more enjoyable than just a silly kids' film. It is certainly directed towards young teenagers but the great thing about The Hole is that it is actually scary! This film is full of menace but keeps the tone light enough to maintain the element of fun. Dante keeps you on the edge of your seat with constantly mounting tension and silly jumps that make the audience giggle as much as scream. This is as fun as horror gets and for once the gimmick of 3D is used as just that... a gimmick.

Certainly not high-brow but lots of fun and scarier than you might expect!

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7/10

The darkness is coming for all of us.

hitchcockthelegend21 April 2012

The Hole is directed by Joe Dante and written by Mark L. Smith. It stars Haley Bennett, Chris Massoglia, Nathan Gamble, Teri Polo and Bruce Dern. Music is by Javier Navarrete and cinematography by Theo van de Sande.

When the Campbell family move from New York City to the quiet town of Bensonville, they find a strange trap door down in the basement. Once opened it unleashes much strangeness into the lives of brothers Dane (Massoglia) and Lucas (Gamble), as well as pretty girl next door, Julie (Bennett).

You have got a gateway to hell under your house and that's really cool!

Ah, the family frightener, where the hell have you been Joe Dante? Pitched firmly at the horror loving family from 12 years and upwards, The Hole blends Goonie like adventure with Spilebergian spookery, making this a nice accompaniment (apero) to J.J. Abrams' Super 8 that surfaced two years later. The violence isn't overt, but film has nifty passages of chills, especially if you have a fear of clown puppets and the like. The mystery element stays strong for a good portion of the piece, where viewers are made to wonder what is down in the hole because it's not instantly apparent, and there's subversive humour stitched into the narrative. Dante re-finds his set-piece mojo and once again proves to be adept at directing youngsters: The three principal young performers here turn in real effective performances, while Dern (wonderfully batty) and Polo put a professional cloak over proceedings.

It is invariably going to be too tame for the blood craving horror fanatic, and in truth the finale is just a touch too overblown. But that's just nit-picking, for this is a thoroughly enjoyable family friendly spooker. Made with care and attention to detail, and yes, with love. Cheers Joe. 7/10

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Best 3D movie so far

filmman30005 May 2010

Just for the records I live in Thailand and this film is receiving the full theatrical treatment and I just attended the premiere.

The only reason I saw it. Is that I saw the name Joe Dante on the poster.

We are now in a period where 3D is in full swing and I have seen "My Bloody Valentine 3D" and "Avatar".

Avatar was great in his own right, but I found the whole thing over the top. Now I like simpler movies in general. So my preference is a question of taste.

Also I not have wide knowledge of 3D and special effects, but I was satisfied.

Anyways back to a normal review. Like Dante promised it's a horror film for the family, and he does what he does best again. Unlike Gremlins or any of his previous family horror film this one scares you as well as being clean.

I had a few jump and was spooked by some scenes.

Also I went with a date and it was a proper film for that. She was holding on to me and the rest... And we were watching a proper film without a ton of gore.

I am not a fan of horror film with too much gore so I was happy. If you like that stuff it's not on "The Hole" menu.

Well the story is simple there is a trap in the basement. Kids open it a their greatest fears become true. Well acted, and well directed with a fresh concept.

A touchdown for Dante.

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3/10

It Crawled From a Time Capsule

m-a-elsewhere1 March 2013

A promising set-up with some sprightly, well-edited scripting by Mark L. Smith goes sadly awry in the movie's second half, degenerating into a series of contrived, loosely connected vignettes when each of the young protagonists must face separate horror scenarios. Hackneyed and lackluster, the result is depressingly reminiscent of HOUSE, TROLL, WAXWORK, and all such tepidly similar episodic monster flicks from back in the '80s. Director Joe Dante has since claimed that his intent was a return to "suburban horror" of 30 years ago; even if true, the movie would have been best left in its time capsule, wrapped in Hammertime harem pants.

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6/10

A Compilation of Several Horror Movies

claudio_carvalho2 May 2011

Susan (Teri Polo) and her sons Dane (Chris Massoglia) and Lucas Thompson (Nathan Gamble) move from Brooklyn to Bensonville, in the countryside. Dane is upset with the constant changes of address and the family has lived in many cities. Lucas and Dane befriend their next door neighbor, the gorgeous Julie (Haley Bennett) and the brothers find a bottomless hole in the basement of their house locked with several padlocks. They take the locks off and sooner they are haunted by their darkest fears. Further, they believe that the hole might be a gateway to hell.

"The Hole" is a fantasy film directed by Joe Dante, with a story that is a compilation of several horror movies. I immediately recall "The Gate", "House" (1996); "Child Play" and "Nightmare on Elm Street" as direct references. This forgettable movie is entertaining and Haley Bennett is very beautiful. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Buraco" ("The Hole")

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6/10

Scares in the third dimension

kosmasp30 December 2010

If 3-D hadn't come back, I'm sure they would not have done this movie. It is especially made for this format. And the scares do come, sometimes even giving the impression this could go even "darker" (no pun intended). But that only leaves you with the sour taste, that the tone sometimes does switch from child scares to real scares. It would have been nice, if it could have kept one pace/tone and stay/stick with it throughout the running time of the movie.

Then again this is Joe Dante. The guy, who also brought us Gremlins. But that movie did work. The mixture was well chosen (though I did like the second one even better than the first) then and a good beginning. This one is either too scary for some or not scary enough for others (is my prediction). Still the effects are looking good and there are a few good scares to be had ... if you like that sort of thing

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1/10

Absolute rubbish

davebest200127 November 2010

Warning: Spoilers

I'm getting tired of having my hopes built up with the arrival of a new horror film, only to be let down again by poor plot, script, acting and lack of scares. This is the second time I've watched a "horror" film called "The Hole" and completely disliked it, the first was the Thora Birch scare-free zone in 2001. What's even more disappointing about this Hole film is that it is directed by Joe Dante of "Gremlins" fame, yet it reeks of shoddiness and amateurish directing. The main problem with this film is that it is all over the place in terms of plot - it lurches from Sixth Sense zombies to ghostly children. The film is cliché ridden. How many times have you seen a toilet scene where the light goes out and a silhouetted ghost appears? I've seen at least five horror films in the last ten years that feature such a scene. The acting is poor. The actors are just not convincing. Bruce Dern's cameo is a complete waste of time. Did Christopher Lloyd of Back To The Future turn it down ? By the end of the film, all we know is that the Hole reflects your deepest fears. Duh. Seen that before in Event Horizon etc etc. The ending is so predictable as well. How many times has the film finished and you are left with a final scene that shows that the original problem hasn't gone away? Another complete cliché. I will give up watching horror films if this is the best that they can come up with.

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7/10

Good family chiller

resposito9310 June 2012

Before watching this I'd seen a few bad reviews, but now I don't know why; it's a good family horror. There's no massive scares, but the plot is good, delving into the fears of the characters well. The beginning is done well, leaving you guessing as to what is down the hole, but after that I can't say I was ever bored through it either, I think it is a good length and filmed well, keeping you in suspense throughout. I think it is well cast, with a good plot.

Don't watch if you're expecting to be scared like Paranormal Activity or similar, as it's not that scary, but I would recommend for a family night in.

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1/10

Cinematic garbage

ajepisode1329 April 2011

This has got to earn the distinction of being the biggest load of cinematic garbage in the last 50 years. Joe Dante proves again that, sadly, he is a has-been. Similar to Carpenter and Craven, Dante began his career well but has gone downhill rapidly ever since. For starters, the lead characters are dim and you feel no sympathy for them. The lead male/teenager in particular lacks any form of dramatic influence. Simply, he cannot act. The boy who plays the younger brother is probably the best in the film - and that's saying something. The script is jokey, unbelievable and morose. The effects are very amateurish. The lighting throughout is a disgrace to any cinematic form. But it is the terrible acting that amazes me, and the poor direction throughout. Even Ed Wood could do better than this tripe. If you've not seen it, avoid at all costs! A dreadful film.

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7/10

Good movie

Lehnsher15 June 2010

The return of Joe Dante it's with a good "horror family" movie with a classic plot and a great cast of young actors. Chris Massoglia, Haley Bennett and Nathan Gamble make a good work in this movie, where we have a interesting subplot in the final part about the past of Massoglia and Gamble characters.

The 3D it's not great, but good. The atmospehere of the movie it's good and you have entertainment and some fun, with some little scare: The scene with the clown it's really scare for me, because remember me the clown scene in "Poltergeist"

Funny cameo of Dick Miller.

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1/10

No more holes, please!

cmmescalona21 October 2010

There are just two films I've endured for the sake of teaching what a film-maker should never, ever, do. I never thought I'd find the second one, but this film did the trick.

I can't relate to anything in it. I can't even think how it got funded. Just putting up the money for the cranes, lighting, lenses and paying someone to do this enormous piece of rubbish puzzles me to the limit.

We should find a way to ban bad films. You can't walk the streets without any guilt after writing, directing, producing or even (poor guys) acting in something so low, base and pointless.

Though, I must say thank you to the guys who put in their money for this production (mind you, 3D is not a reason to make this kind of crap), because they give the world a new standard on how NOT to do things. I'm sorry to sound biased, but I can't refrain. This is one of the worst films I've ever seen. Definitely much worse than 60 or 70 of the worst B -films I've seen. They didn't have the money. But, at least, they had an idea.

If you're not actually teaching at film school, do yourself a favor and don't watch this film, you'll regret it.

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8/10

Not for kids!

jez-477 October 2010

The great thing about Dante's latest feature (his first in 7 years) is that it's so disarming. The look, feel and tone all tells you this a family-friendly kids flick, in the same vane as The Goonies and Explorers. In fact, I first heard this movie pitched as a gentle introduction to horror for tweens. This film, however, is definitely not suitable for a 12 year old.

Dante is renowned for having his tongue lodged firmly in his cheek, his movies very much anarchic in tone and content (Gremlins being a perfect example). The Hole is much more tempered than this, and the first two thirds are a genuine masterclass in ratcheting up fear and tension. Sure, there are plenty of jump shocks, but Dante cleverly places his camera close to the characters, leaving most of the background hidden so you never see what's coming.

The lead characters are all very good, and the initial scenes with Dane and the girl-next-door feel realistically stilted (as you would if you were a teenager and you just met the cute babe next door). Dante doesn't hang about, and quickly gets to the hole. This in turn immediately opens up all manner of scares, with some dark and genuinely frightening scenes, extremely well executed.

Dante borrows heavily from the likes of The Grudge, Poltergeist and The Sixth Sense, as well as affectionate nods to his own films (Gremlins, Small Soldiers and even It's A Good Life, a segment he directed for Twilight Zone The Movie). However, none of it feels ripped-off. It has its own inimitable style and is expertly put together, complementing the story.

For me, the final act was a little wacky but the overall movie is a satisfying experience. Considering its influences and the fact that Dante has been in the game for over 30 years, this is a surprisingly fresh addition to the genre.

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7/10

The Hole seems like a kid's movie but Trust Me its Not!

saadgkhan24 October 2010

THE HOLE - CATCH IT ( B+ ) The Hole seems like a kid's movie but Trust Me its Not! you have been warned, I thought its going to be fun little kids movie like Aliens in the Attic but very surprisingly it was scary way too scary sometimes. I was watching & sitting Alone in a dark room and it gave me creeps Big time. I think Clowns are never for kids especially when they are Scary! The whole movie is well shot, portrayed and the Horror part was well crafted and believable. I had real spooky time watching The Hole! Chris Massoglia is the lead teen and he leads the movie pretty good. Haley Bennett is stunning and rightly fit into the movie. young kid Nathan Gamble did a really good job. After a long time I saw Teri Polo and she looks really nice. overall a very good spooky movie about person's fears coming into reality! watch it guys I hope they make a sequel :-)

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5/10

If horror films are supposed to elicit fear, panic and shock from the viewers, this film is lacking

moviexclusive29 August 2010

Joe Dante, who is best known for his classic in the 80s, Gremlins, and family friendly films which are packed with action and humour like his last feature-length film, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, is back with this horror-thriller, The Hole. It is shot in eye-popping 3D and has even won a prize at the 2009 Venice Film Festival. But is it really as promising as it seems? Basically, the film explores fears at different levels with the audience. Firstly, there was Lucas' (Nathan Gamble) rather comical fear of clown/jester. You would probably pity the little boy and gasp a time or two when the clown/jester gave chase. However beyond that, there's nothing much to look forward to. The other two fears that were brought to prominence was Julie (Haley Bennett) and Dane's (Chris Massoglia) deep buried fears. The way that the fears were unveiled was rather well paced and spiced up with the horror features. They could probably be improved if there were stronger dialogues that allow the characters to discuss their fears. However the guess is that it wasn't in priority because after all, the movie is aimed at the largely apathetic teenage audiences.

The main characters are rather young, with the average age not exceeding 18 years old. You probably remember Haley Bennett, who plays Julie, for her outlandish film debut in Music and Lyrics. She's a pretty face, and a potential eye candy for the boys. Chris Massoglia, who plays Dane, possesses above average intelligence but it is definitely not reflected in his acting in this movie. Last but not least, Nathan Gamble who plays Lucas, is a promising young talent who was nominated twice for Young Artist Award with The Mist and Babel in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The elaborated introduction of them goes to show that they are talents capable of good delivery. But it seems that this movie lacked good acting from these talents. Or maybe, it was not expected of them and there was little room for them to bring out their real fearful faces on screen.

As above-mentioned, this movie is filmed in 3D and had even won a prize. There must be some justification as to how this execution of this movie via the 3D platform has served us well. To add on to the horror factors, point-of-view shots were used such that it leads the viewer to anticipate what they are going to see. That is used very appropriately, coupled with the added dimension, to increase the scary factor. This stimulation is probably pertinent such that it may appeal to the hyper aroused generation seeking for cheap thrills like this.

Other factors that are really crucial in creating a successful horror/thriller are the atmosphere created by both the supernatural happenings and the sound effects. The 'ghosts' are quite creepy at first, but later lost it because the distinction between them and the 3 main characters erodes. Also, the sound effect was more or less the same. So once you hear it in the background, you can almost immediately know what is going to come. In other words: predictable.

Like any other movies aimed at the teens, you can almost always expect an ending that leaves the viewer with positive energy. In this aspect, this movie has definitely made the mark. All else is just pretty average

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6/10

Traditional run-of-the-mill horror, suits me

LazySod24 March 2011

When a young mother and two kids move into a new house in a new area it starts as the usual story - one kid is happy with the move, the other one isn't. Puberty and peer pressure are dripping. As the mother starts working the kids rummage around the house and stumble onto something they had not quite expected: a hole. There are two strange things about it: it is in the basement of the house, and it's slightly deeper than one would expect a hole to be. From then on things start to go weirder and weirder.

And so starts what turns out to be a very run-of-the-mill horror that fits straight into the dogma used for many of the 80s horrors. It's interesting enough - it rolls on at a steady pace and doesn't allow itself to fall into too many of the pitfall clichés that many of these films fall into.

The different characters are worked out rather nicely and although it never becomes frightening or even tension building it is enjoyable, at a mediocre level.

Falling into the 3D hype this one attempts to add some 3D effects and fails almost entirely. There's a few orchestrated bits and ends for the gimmick effect but they really do not do justice to what can be done with 3D effects.

6 out of 10 sums of all fears

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