Audience Member
The Bates Haunting is an indie horror film with a fun premise: in a small town haunted theme park, some of the fake "kills" are not all part of the show -- they are actually real. It's an interesting setup since you would have a hard time deciphering what's real and what's pretend in this kind of an environment.
I've seen a lot of other reviewers here that seem upset that this isn't related to the Bates family from the Psycho franchise -- but Bates is actually referring to the real-life Bates Motel and Haunted Hayride in Pennsylvania, which I've been to! This Bates Motel has been ranked as one of the best haunts in the country and the Bates name actually comes from its owner, Randy Bates, who appears in the film. The park itself even references the Bates family/Psycho franchise at some of the attractions. Does that clear everything up? Anyway, the place is a lot of fun and I was excited to see it on screen since I had been there myself. I'd recommend going there if you ever get the chance.
Okay, back to the film. The Bates Haunting is a low budget indie horror film and I tend to look at these films a little differently. I'm a big fan of the genre and I'm not going in expecting multi-million dollar production value, rather I'm looking for creativity and originality that you might not see in repetitive Hollywood films. That said, The Bates Haunting has impressive cinematography, flashy editing, and unique locations that you're not used to seeing in most films (does every other movie have to be filmed in Los Angeles??). It's tough to get quality acting across the board in indie films, but I think Zachary Fletcher (Junior Bates) and Jean Louise O'Sullivan (Agnes Rickover) were standouts in the film and probably have promising futures ahead of them. If you're a fan of the tv show Jackass, you'll also notice Bam Margera and Ryan Dunn make some brief cameos, which is pretty fun.
The film mixes gore with some comedy, both straight forward and tongue-in-cheek, and I appreciate that the film doesn't have to take itself too seriously for the entirety of the movie like many horror movies do. I think The Bates Haunting is a fun watch, particularly around Halloween, for those who can appreciate interesting low budget horror flicks. So check it out if that sounds like your cup of tea! The Bates Haunting is currently available on Tubi, Vudu, iTunes, and on dvd/Blu-ray via Netflix.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/05/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Boring, poorly acted, boring, not scary, boring, predictable, boring, it tries and fails to be funny and, finally, did I mention it was boring?
You can read my full review at...
http://revronmovies.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-bates-haunting.html
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
02/06/23
Full Review
Audience Member
A vastly illogical, yet very entertaining, cheesy Halloween-themed B-horror movie that is in no way connected to the Psycho franchise. The title refers to a real-life haunted house/hayride attraction in Pennsylvania, called The Bates Motel, where this movie takes place. It may just be a 77-minute advertisement, complete with eye roll-worthy cameos by Bam Margera and Ryan Dunn, but overall there is some fun to be found in this movie. You just won't find it if you take the damn thing too seriously. It's not going to scare you, but it will hold your attention and make you chuckle here and there. And some of the characters are actually likeable and memorable, if not a bit braindead in their decision making. And besides, what horror fan can resist seeing some awesome halloween hayride/haunted house action?
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
01/29/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This film is nothing as it is explained on the case. It is a pointless film and i don't recommend it to anyone!
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
01/23/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This is obviously an amateur directed film with amateur actors. But that is no excuse for its awfulness. This movie is plain embarrassing. Apparently it's a horror, but I came to be the first horror flick that didn't get me scared. Not even once. Nothing at all was at all scary. The script was horrible and embarrassing. It is also kind of disrespectful since it references Psycho, a classic, and has nothing to do with the classic at all besides that one of the guys is "Psycho". No he's not crazy, just plain stupid. Don't watch this movie unless you like to waste your time.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
01/27/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This is one of those that actually sounds good in theory and has the makings of a a decent story line , but is so bad in execution with its terrible dialogue, unbelievable character choices/actions, and contrived situations. About the only thing it's good for is helping you appreciate true horror gems.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
01/19/23
Full Review
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