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THE ECHO (SIGAW) (2004) Director: Yam Laranas. Hacktors: Jomari Yllana, Richard Gutierrez, Iza Calzado, Angel Locsin. Rating/5: The lowdown: A teenage boy (Yllana) moves into your typical rundown apartment building, only to discover that the woman down the corridor and her daughter are being beaten up by her policeman husband. Should he intervene? Good points: Laranas directs well enough, throwing in as many tricks as he can muster, without recourse to special effects. The acting ain't bad and there's the odd vaguely cool image, such as a bloodied ghost woman descending from the ceiling. Bad points: Please God, save me from any more predictable post-Ring spook-fests. At one-and-three-quarter hours, this one really tries the patience, with its predictably linear plotline and anaemic scares - each of which is hilariously highlighted by what sounds like a crashing gong. In this respect, Yllanas is closely aligned with current Hollywood sensibilities: "Look, this scene is really frightening! Just case you didn't grasp that, here's a loud noise to ram it on home!". Like so many movies around at present, Sigaw suffers from most of its ghosts being sympathetic characters, meaning that they just ain't frightening. Even the evil alcoholic cop guy, Jude, isn't nearly as intimidating as he should have been. Overall: Same-old, same-old. Dull, dull, dull. Nevertheless, thanks to LA's Screamfest for the screening. Release Date: Out now on Region 1 DVD (see link below). [Check it out at Amazon US] [Reviews Menu] [Home] © Copyright Slasherama 2002-present