I wish the Son of Ghostman was a real character and a real web series. I’d tune in every week to see the awkward and hilarious horror host. Maybe the creators of this film will consider it one day, but for now we are left with a very enjoyable indie flick.
Son of Ghostman is written and directed by Kurt Larson, who also plays the role of Rick Heenah. Other cast members include Devin Ordoyn, Angela Gulner, Marlon Correa, Sara Tomko (2012 Doomsday), Daniel McCann, Matthew Boehm (“Just Us Guys”), and Joe Lorenzo.
Son of Ghostman follows, “a recently dumped and unemployed man in his 30s who decides to moonlight as the ‘son’ of his childhood hero, a bygone local celebrity Horror Host named Ghostman. When his videos go viral, he must settle an old score with a high school rival and figure out where his life is headed, all while keeping his identity secret from a new woman in town he’s fallen for.”
First and foremost, the plot of this movie is absolutely genius. We all love horror hosts; they’re a staple in this industry. However, the plot lends itself to many different genres of cinema including romantic comedy, drama, and horror, of course. The genius part of this is that it can cross borders smoothly and will have a massive appeal to a broader audience. Like horror titles with horror hosts? This is for you. Need a good date night movie? This is for you. Need a not so over the top drama? This is for you. I have no doubt that Son of Ghostman will be able to secure a distribution deal due to its extreme marketability.
I give Kurt Larson a lot of credit for writing an original script that never tries too hard to go in either direction. A very talented writer, Mr. Larson has the gift of writing witty dialogue without leaving his target audiences high and dry. You get what you expect from this movie; something modern and funny with a horror past-time at its core. No misleading here, it’s straightforward!
Judging this title from a production standpoint, it’s pieced together really well and a shining example of independent film done correctly. I was very impressed with all the lighting, angles, and performances here. The only critique I have is that the audio in the beginning is a little rough. Sounds to me like it had to be cleaned up a little and lost some of the quality, not that it’s completely horrible, just an error in that department. Also, I wish several supporting cast members were a little stronger in terms of development.
All in all, Son of Ghostman was an enjoyable film that draws you in from start to finish. I know it’s not a straight horror title, but it has a heavy dose of appeal to viewers who may have tuned into the late night horror hosts of the 70s and 80s. A well written comedy with an ever building plot, Son of Ghostman is going to be one of the best horror-comedies to watch in 2014. I’m glad I had the opportunity to watch it early. I’m giving it 7.7 out of 10 stars.
