REVIEW - Staten Island Ghost Story (Directed by Vincent J. Mazella)

From the off, before even sitting down to watch this movie, the poster alerted me to the possibility that I was about to watch something outlandish, ridiculous or even farcical - and on this occasion my instincts were not wrong - for as soon as I hit the play button I was treated to a bizarre opening with jarring music, bad rapping, an ill-fitting wig, and over the top theatrics - quite an assault of the senses even before the title sequence!

Staten Island Ghost Story written and directed by Vincent J. Mazella - who also stars in this film, touts itself as a comedy short, and while the jokes don't always land it's definitely not possible to take this film seriously enough for it be considered anything else. With the evident low production budget, and sketchy performances, this movie feels more like am-dram on acid, giving vibes more akin to a low rent pantomime than a top flight comedy.

Beyond the bizarre beginning, we follow our gaggle of characters from the intro as they relocate to New Jersey against the advice of the mad old lady with the ill-fitting wig and unconvincing accent from the crazy opening - which seems to become a running theme for our protagonists, as they continue to make decisions which seem to fly in the face of the advice they are given.

From this point, it's not long before things take a turn for the weirder, as the paranormal events hinted at in the title start to unfold, and really ramp up when a cursed reel-to-reel tape player, some Tarot cards, a strange book, and some type of 'Sex' Oujia board are used for a ritual with truly WTF consequences.

Clearly constrained by budget and resources, one thing this production clearly didn't lack was enthusiasm and creativity, which is provided amply by the bucket load. However, no matter how much enthusiasm and creativity, it doesn't do enough to distract from the questionable acting, the dodgy camera work, iffy lighting, and garish wardrobe that mostly looks like it came from a lost and found bin.

Despite all that, it isn't an awful watch, and some of the quirks here do lend themselves to genuine humour and mirth as the film progresses, which combined with a couple of the stronger performances, means there is actually a fair bit to commend here.

There are a multitude of references to American TV shows and movies from yesteryear, including; Bewitched, Josie and the Pussycats, The Evil Dead, The Exorcist, Friday the 13th and Witchboard.

The sound design and music used is also another a big saving grace for this short film, and while it might seem rather primitive and outdated to some, there is an odd sentimental quality to this, with the style weirdly echoing a number of vintage TV shows from the mid-90s, mostly long-forgotten to all but a handful of kids who grew up watching them - shows like the Australian series Pugwall and the British series Chucklevision, where the focus was never on theatric excellence or polished cinematography, but instead on trivial escapism and light-hearted amusement. In both cases the music was central in conveying a sense of fun to viewers, and the situation here with Staten Island Ghost Story is no different, and as such, to some cohorts this film will have a certain nostalgic charm.

The parody in the film comes from several American television shows from the 60s and 70s including Bewitched, Josie And The Pussycats as well as films such films as Evil Dead, the Exorcist and Friday the 13th and Witchboard.

The presentation does make it considerably difficult to immediately connect with any of the characters; with a protracted and drawn out title sequence, chaotic dialogue, and a rather unclear plot, this film is disorienting and confusing in equal measure.

Overall I'm not sure this is really a comedy, or even that it's really a ghost story. I'm not really sure what it is, what it means, or why? But that said, I'm not sure it really matters either - what it is, is intentionally daft and intended to be fun - and no spoilers here, but let's just say that if you have a kink for demonic possession and/or horny hermaphroditic sex monsters with oversized genitalia, then this film might just be for you!