I would divulge more of the plot, but because the way the story unfolds is part of the fun, trust me—don't let anyone tell you the good parts.

Thir13en Ghosts is scary and absolutely gruesome at times, but it's also hilarious. Although replete with magic spells and satanic schemes, it's not the kind of movie that revels in explicit, unrelenting cruelty (like Se7en or Hellraiser, for instance). Writers Robb White and Neal Stevens give us smart, likeable characters to root for, and everybody's got a fighting chance. You could probably take your mom to this movie if she has the good sense to throw her hands up over her eyes when the music gets creepy. Maybe she can tell you about the gimmicky 1960's version that required the audience to wear special glasses if they wanted to see the ghosts.

Thir13en Ghosts does get creepy. I found my hand over my mouth a few times, and at one point, I noticed the row I was sitting in vibrating. It was my left leg bouncing nervously and involuntarily. But then I found myself laughing at some of the funniest one-liners to come out of a horror flick in years. Most of them are delivered by Rah Digga—how cool is THAT name. She has comic timing to die for (sorry, couldn't resist). F. Murray hams it up as the sinister bad guy, but at least he made me believe that the living will always be scarier than the dead could ever be.

Stylistically, this movie is all over the place. There are references to Spielberg, Hitchcock, and Jerry Bruckheimer; sound effects straight from Poltergeist and The Exorcist; set design from The Cell and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; and postmodern irony and Matthew Lillard direct from the Scream trilogy. This could have smacked of plagiarism, but director Steve Beck blends theses elements so ingeniously that something thoroughly modern emerges.

Speaking of Scream, we really have to thank Kevin Williamson for wising up the horror genre. I'm sure that Thir13en Ghosts is a better film because of his influence—and there's Matthew Lillard reprising his Scream role (minus the murderous psychosis?) just to make sure we know it. Note to Matthew: You've got a screen presence that's all your own, but if I were you, I'd be more terrified of typecasting than of any of the ghosts in this movie.

When all is said and done, minor holes in the plot are revealed (some that I'm sure were overlooked for dramatic purposes), but overall, Thir13en Ghosts compels for the duration and reveals itself masterfully.

Suspenseful, spooky, and funny, Thir13en Ghosts is great fun and will surely get you in the Halloween spirit. Take your significant other!

Official Movie Site