Right off the bat, Ti West’s “The Roost” reminds me of what a guy named Rob Zombie was trying to do with his first feature film, House of 1000 Corpses. Good intentions aside, Zombie’s movie devolved into a big, nonsensical music video stew, where Ti West’s effort, for lack of a better term, keeps it real. “The Roost” is geared to make your Halloween nights all the more creepier.
Due to a bit of car trouble, four friends find themselves stuck out in the middle of nowhere with a spooky old barn their only choice of sanctuary. Yep, you guessed it, these four friends are in some deep caca as this night of terror turns up one dead body after another. Oh yeah, and Tom Noonan plays a Crypt Keeper type horror host that checks in here and there to make sure the audience is still along for the ride. Gotta love the Noonan.
It’s clear right away that “The Roost” is no hack job. It’s made by people who have a major love for the genre and generally anything that goes bump in the night. The influence of the 80s horror video age is obvious, but what stands out more is the look and feel of a Halloween horror attraction. Sitting through “The Roost” is like taking a nice, long walk through a haunted maze on Halloween night. Those who enjoy frequenting attractions like this will find much to love in “The Roost”. It’s a great date movie, too!
