DVD Release
I’ll be damned. Jason Christensen went and did it. He scared the shit out of me. The bastard had the nerve to put together a chilling, low budget affair that works far above its means. It’s just not everyday an indie ghost story makes its way into my hands that actually works. Who does this cat think he is, right?
Somebody call whatever pimp the shitty goremongering indie filmmakers hustle for and tell him Jason Christensen isn’t going to stroll for him! He isn’t concerned with intestines or fascinated by the word “fuck” or “dude”. He isn’t coming at us with bright green greasepaint and rehashed Romero. This guy is doing it his way and thankfully it’s paying off.
Jim Polk (Joe O’Rourke) is tired. He’s tired of his boss, “the grind” and the nine to five. Jim needs fulfillment and he needs to get away. Luckily there’s a place for rent out by Jim’s college buddy Sloan (Mike Pish) so he decides to take the plunge and tell his boss what to do with the job.
When Jim arrives in the town of Mt. Prospect, things begin to look up for him. The place for rent is decent and it’s right next door to Sloan. He’s even got a wonderful view of the stately (and terrifying) Moloch Manor. He’s even got a part-time job at Klein’s Garden & Supply store.
Like any town though, Mt. Prospect has its superstitions and it just so happens Jim’s home overlooks Moloch Manor and it’s got quite the reputation with the townsfolk. Seems old Amon Moloch was quite the vile and corrupt nogoodnik and many believe his spirit continues to walk Mr. Prospect. Jim’s no superstitious sucka though and he quickly dismisses Sloan’s warning to be cautious. Despite Jim’s refusal to believe in such silliness even the kindly Mr. Klein (Fred Schutz) suggests Jim purchase blinds for his home.
Much to the concern of those around him, strange things do begin happening to Jim including mysterious telephone calls, his reoccurring meetings with a scuzzy black crow, noises coming from the home that adjoins Jim’s and a hideous infestation of disgusting spiders. Not just a few spiders folks…hundreds of them. Crawling…skittering…HIDEOUS.
Bad things also appear to be happening in town as well when some graves are found desecrated in the local cemetery. Word is some kids snuck into the cemetery and spotted a ghost wandering about amongst the graves. Naturally this raises red flags with Sloan and his concern begins to grow. Even Jim has his doubts after some bad dreams.
Mr. Klein relays to Jim the history and legend of Moloch Manor including the local belief that when “you see Amon, you die”. Visitations by a bird are a sign that Amon is close to you and obviously this rattles Jim’s cage a bit. Especially when he meets the bird once again.
Little does anybody know, Mr. Klein has been keeping track of the little place Jim lives in and he aims to warn Jim of the dangers that face him. There’s only one problem though…that night…Amon comes for Mr. Klein.
That night Jim has a nightmare in which he witnesses a spectral hearse drive by with poor Mr. Klein in the passenger seat, begging Jim to help him. The next day during the funeral Jim is shocked to find the corpse of Mr. Klein “crying” a single tear of blood in his casket. Is it a sign or just the mortician’s mistake?
The next day Mr. Klein’s casket is found torn from the ground and the body is missing from the grave. As if things weren’t bad enough, strange droplets keep popping up in Jim’s home and his new neighbor seems to have a pissy temper and screams at Jim through the wall. Jim and Sloan decide to pay the foulmouthed jerk a visit but find the home completely uninhabited and in a state of disarray.
Sloan is now at full alert, especially after opening a ratty shoebox given to him by Mrs. Klein. Seems Mr. Klein has been collecting newspaper clippings of the people gone missing or found murdered in Jim’s home. There’s also a notebook in which Mr. Klein expresses his concern that Jim may be in danger as the home he’s in is the only one overlooking Moloch Manor. In other words, Amon has decided to focus on the occupants of Jim’s home as it’s the only home within eyeshot of his evil manor. Scary shit.
Does old Amon come for Sloan before Jim can be warned? What is the fluid Jim keeps finding and why don’t more low budget horror films work as well as With You?
I don’t get jittery much when it comes to horror any longer. I’m desensitized and proud of it. So…when an AMERICAN ghost film, and a low budget one to boot, gives me the willies…the filmmaker deserves a major pat on the back.
Now, don’t get me wrong With You had a few issues but which low budget doesn’t? There was some spotty audio on occasion and I felt the movie was a bit too washed out. I was also a bit put off by the “Pilgrim’s Progress” style name of the antagonist. I mean honestly…does anybody foresee a film in which a character named Amos Moloch hands out balloons to small children and reads to the elderly? I mean, could the poor guy be any more set up by his parents to be evil? It’s like naming your child Zebediah Belial and wondering why in the world he keeps killing mice and tearing the wings off of flies!
Aside from the low budget issues and the “bad guy name”, I found this to be worth every bit of my time. It was interesting, the characters were engaging and the scares were highly effective. The end literally had me pulling my feet away from the end of the bed. No kidding.
The actor was quite decent and Joe O’ Rourke is to be congratulated. I really liked his character Jim. Mike Pish was also fun to watch though his dialogue sometimes felt a bit stiff but not everybody can be Pacino.
I’ll be surprised if we don’t see this on shelves soon enough. Some savvy acquisitions stooge is going to scoop this up faster than a fat man and a forty-five pound Cadbury Egg. I’m hoping it’s a company that can appreciate what With You delivers, despite its limitations, and deliver a solid package. There were no extras on the DVD I watched but hopefully that’ll be remedied upon a wider release. This is highly recommended.
