From the writers of Massacre on Aisle 12 comes the new horror comedy 6:66PM, about a fake ghost team that ain't afraid of no ghost. It is an amusing satirical take on the ghost hunting subgenre that mostly hits the mark, combining Scooby Doo hijinx with the spoof silliness of Airplane. Focusing more on comedy than horror, it answers the question of what would happen if a live-action, very adult version of the Scooby Doo team were forced to battle ghosts and killers.
Ghostly Night Watch is a fake ghost-hunting team investigating a house that they staged to be haunted. When they discover that the house is actually inhabited by an evil spirit, it becomes a silly fight for survival and potential TV ratings. The story is a raunchy mix of stereotypes and tropes typically expected from ghost hunters, ghost movies, and slasher movies. The characters are a blend of over the top stereotypes and almost average everyday people, with a wild group of oddballs that we come to expect on some TV sitcom comedy.
Directed by Scream Queen's actor Jim Klock, the film looks almost amateurish at times and is passable at best. It looks better during the darker night time scenes, but there isn't anything impressive about the overall look of the movie. That isn't a particularly important aspect of this production, because it's essentially a stage play put to film. So, the focus appears to be more on capturing the characters' dialogue and their facial expressions.
The small ensemble cast manages to deliver outrageous characters and some funny moments, with each of them getting at least one really good line or moment to shine. The two stand outs of the group have to be the main ghost hunting duo, Daniel and Sheryl. Jim Klock (Daniel) is hilarious as the forensic investigator, delivering purposefully bad acting that would definitely please Tommy Wiseau. Alexis Kelley (Sheryl) is delightful as the psychic, sporting some ridiculous looking eyeglasses.
Since this is really more comedy than horror, there is a minimal amount of scares and violence. Aside from crude and adult oriented language, the blood and gore are a small part of the film and not enough for horror fans looking for lots of mayhem.
6:66PM won't be for everyone, as it is more comedy than horror. But, if you like comedy or satire that pokes fun at various genres or ghost hunting, then it's worth giving a chance. It has several issues and the jokes don’t always bring huge laughs, but it’s still an outrageous and silly horror comedy.
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