Blu-ray Review: ‘Apartment 143’ is No Home For Scares

CHICAGO – I was hoping that the practically straight-to-Blu-ray “Apartment 143,” written and produced by “Buried” and “Red Lights” director Rodrigo Cortes, would be a clever horror alternative that just didn’t find the right path to mainstream success but was truly worth your time. My hopes were dashed against the rocks of cliched storytelling, awful acting, and generic direction about ten minutes into this mess. A few decent ideas in an interesting climax save it from complete disaster but you’re likely to have turned it off by that time and visited a scarier location.

Rating: 2.0/5.0

A trio of parapsychologists travel to the titular location to investigate reports of paranormal activity (the film of the same name is a clear inspiration for this “homage” as it is also a found footage film). In one of the film’s few notable inventions, it’s crystal clear that “Apartment 143” is HAUNTED as figures appear on camera, unexplainable noises pierce the air, and bodies levitate. I thought it was a bit refreshing to not play the “is it really haunted” game as so many of these movies do and looked forward to a battle with the other side. And then, an hour into the action, I still had to listen to Dr. Helzer (a truly wooden Michael O’Keefe) explain how it’s not really a haunting. Sigh. The film does build to some truly loony activity but if you can’t help but compare it to similar recent horror offerings like “Paranormal Activity 3” and “The Last Exorcism” that explored similar themes with similar techniques and very dissimilar results.

Apt. 143 was released on Blu-ray and DVD on August 28, 2012
Photo credit: Magnolia

Synopsis:
A team of parapsychologists sets out to investigate a series of anomalous phenomena taking place in a newly occupied apartment. Telephone calls with no caller, mysterious shadows, extraordinary light emissions, flying objects, and exploding light bulbs, are some of the events they will face while recording their every step with state-of-the-art technology. Using infra-red filming, digital photography, psychophonic recordings, movement detectors, and magnetic field alteration meters, the group’s attempts to contact the “other side” will grow increasingly dangerous as they near a point of no return

Special Features:
o Making Of Emergo (Apartment 13
o Special Effects
o Levitating
o Visual Concept
o Art Direction & Make Up
o Child’s Play
o Interview With Director Carles Torrens
o HDNet: A Look At Apartment 143
o Theatrical Trailer

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com