Every year millions of kids across America go trick or treating. While most of those kids just head out for a night of free candy grabbing, there are some who go on a more dangerous route and visit haunted spots. Lots of towns have local legends, passed down from kid to kid, and I’m willing to bet that a fair share of towns are home to a “haunted house.”
Boo! is the tale of three children who visit their town’s own haunted house on Halloween night.
Boo! is written by Beau Batterson and directed by Adam Orton. Cast members include Evan Baker, Katy Baker, Nolan McCann, Duane Melsh, Jamie Rifai, and Brian Batterson.
Ok, obviously, Boo! is aimed at a young audience, which I think is a good thing because there aren’t a lot of child friendly horror films out there. The young’ins should be able to enjoy the holiday just as much as all of us adults. And, I do need to say that Boo! does a superb job at capturing the true feel of Halloween for kids. It immediately brings me back to the days of elementary school and going out with my friends to trick or treat.
I would also like to mention that Nolan McCann, who plays Nonie, looks a lot like the youngest son from “Malcolm in the Middle.” It’s almost uncanny.
Now, if I’m going to be honest, Boo! isn’t completely perfect from a film making standpoint. I wasn’t a fan of some of the editing choices, primarily the out of focus look that’s used to show Boo himself. The voice overs in the beginning are also way to voice over-ee and sound unnatural. But, other than those two flaws, it is put together nicely and professionally. I mean, Boo! has been screened at multiple film festivals so I think most people will agree that you can look past the production errors (they’re errors to me, at least) in favor of a good story that captures Halloween.
Boo! is the perfect length for a short film and a perfect short film to show your kids on Halloween. I salute the creators behind this project for a job well done, and thank them for providing us horror fans with a suitable film for our young ones.
