When the Lights Went Out

[ClarkeEJ]

The Sky website says cert 12a, just went to print out ticket and the ticket now says 15, this morning it was saying TBC.

[weliveandbreathewords]

not scary in the slightest, all the scary parts me and my mate were laughing at.
Wasnt expecting the time setting but enjoyed the 'era' and Im very interested in the story behind it all, *goes to read it*
Interesting but not all that the poster hypes it up to be.
5/10

[alythonian]

This was a well done British thriller set in the 70s along the lines of Poltergeist.
It wasn't scary at all, but it was certainly thought provoking.
I agree the TV clips of Noel Edmonds and Tony Hart's "Gallery" got good reactions in Edinburgh as did "Avocado"!!
I enjoyed this. A good effort .

[stuartboy]

Alythonian - you mean Vision On? Lol.

I did enjoy this. Quite a few BOO! moments, but nothing too frightening. Great to see a good period drama from this era. Some good touches like the Buckaroo and that loose tea caddy dispenser on the wall - I'd forgotten such things ever existed! Thought the budget must have been pretty low though as very few external period props in evidence. Seemed there were only 2 cars in the whole town as they were parked in virtually every different scene. Couldn't take Martin Compston seriously as a teacher either - he looke d like a kid with a false moustache on! Maybe he was cheap? Oh and was that priest meant to be Scottish or Irish? I couldn't tell.

A couple of experiences for me - I got several icy blasts of air wafting in my face during this. It didn't coincide with the "seeing their breath" episodes in the film though (thankfully!). I also jumped at one point in the film but instead of the usual jumping up and forward, I felt myself being pushed back in my seat! That actually did freak me a little. Spook!

Anyhow. I liked. Not scary enough, but I liked.

8/10

[alythonian]

Alythonian - you mean Vision On? Lol.

I did enjoy this. Quite a few BOO! moments, but nothing too frightening. Great to see a good period drama from this era. Some good touches like the Buckaroo and that loose tea caddy dispenser on the wall - I'd forgotten such things ever existed! Thought the budget must have been pretty low though as very few external period props in evidence. Seemed there were only 2 cars in the whole town as they were parked in virtually every different scene. Couldn't take Martin Compston seriously as a teacher either - he looke d like a kid with a false moustache on! Maybe he was cheap? Oh and was that priest meant to be Scottish or Irish? I couldn't tell.

A couple of experiences for me - I got several icy blasts of air wafting in my face during this. It didn't coincide with the "seeing their breath" episodes in the film though (thankfully!). I also jumped at one point in the film but instead of the usual jumping up and forward, I felt myself being pushed back in my seat! That actually did freak me a little. Spook!

Anyhow. I liked. Not scary enough, but I liked.

8/10

I must be too young to remember properly

[stuartboy]

You mean too young to remember at all, surely? Haha.

[Snowwhite]

quite enjoyed the film and hardly found it at all scary, there was even some funny parts thought it could have been a bit more scarier though

7/10

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

Well I saw this tonight (I can start seeing more previews now as my summer evening job has finished, yay!...less income though )

As someone who absolutely loves supernatural horror, I found this astonishingly disappointing despite my being a very undemanding film goer. There is just absolutely nothing new here and its embarrassingly cliched. Almost every attempted boo moment is lifted from classics such as Poltergeist, Sixth Sense, Paranormal Activity but with vastly inferior results, laughably ridiculous visuals that dont make any sense and is too stupid even for a Loony Tunes cartoon.

The adult protagonists are the most naive and unlikeable sods you'll never want to root for. The performance of the child actor who plays the main victim of the haunting was initially quite annoying but I got used to her and I realise she's doing the best she can with her role. Her school friend on the other hand seemed a much more accomplished little actress and was very charming. The friendship drama with the children was far more interesting and captivating than the ridiculous house haunting.

Perhaps the scares would be effective to complete virgins of supernatural films or maybe I have seen too many supernatural movies but this is one of the poorest, least frightening supernatural horror attempts I have seen for a while. As I said I am a massive fan of supernatural horror, I love all the recent supernatural movies that have come out in the last couple of years, even the critically slated ones, Last Exorcist, Cabin in the Woods, The Pact, Intruders, Insidious, Paranormal Activity 3 and even Woman in Black which I though was very weak in its shock value but still far better than this sorry attempt.

I think the film's success is dependant on its "based on a true story" premise. But for Christ sake, even the real ghosts will cringe and come out into the open to declare how mind numbingly stupid the hauntings are in this film. I'm just speaking to one right now and its telling me "we can shift stuff, make you cold, blow a breeze, play with lights and shadows but we dont f***ing do Paul Daniel magic tricks".

But wait, I am not one to just dismiss and throw this in the bin just yet. It did offer a surprising and most welcome period of comic relief towards the end of the film which brought genuine chuckles out of me. I did enjoy that and felt relieved that the film had at least something to offer, if only it could have given more of that kind of humour earlier. At that point, I even hoped Simon Pegg and Nick Frost might turn up as a ghost busters...now there's a thought, if you working within the film industry can you plant an inception style idea in Edgar Wright's brain please. Pegg and Frost as ghost busters, must happen.

Sorry back to the movie, actually lets not go back to it, I've said enough about its major shortcomings and there isnt much else to lift it above redemption.

5/10...the 5 points are mainly for the school friendship drama, the sudden burst of humour and seeing Noel Edmonds hosting Top of the Pops on a vintage CRT television that looked just like what my Dad rented from Radio Rentals. Scare factor scale, an abysmal zero.

[prettyxcool]

I sent my OH as I had the Samsara premiere, and he already saw it last week. He said it was actually quite scary and he actually enjoyed a film! Well that is something coming from him and he gives it a 8/10. Well I am indeed surprised !

[Betty Botter]

Quite liked this but not scary at all. Too tame for me so ended up looking at the fashion and what they used to depict the 70's. Also, I must be easily distracted but kept thinking why is half the cast of “Line of Duty” appearing Jools Gates, “Dot” Cotton and DS Steve Arnott, oh and I totally missed Peter Egan – where was he?