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Movie Review - The Skeleton Key (2005)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Iain Softley |
| Starring: |
Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, John Hurt, and Peter Sarsgaard |
| Rated: |
PG-13 (for violence, disturbing images, some partial nudity and thematic material) |
| Length: |
104 minutes |
| Genre: |
Horror/Mystery/Thriller |
| Tagline: |
It can open any door. |
| Studio: |
Universal |
| Website: |
The Skeleton Key |
| Release: |
August 12, 2005 |
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PLOT
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Kate Hudson's a sexy little thing who works for a hospice - making a little money before she goes to nursing school.
She tires of her current job when she realizes nobody cares about the patients once they're dead. They're ready
to move the bodies out and chunk the personal effects in the garbage if no family comes to claim them. So Ms.
Hudson decides to take the unenviable job of taking care of a really old man in a really old Louisiana mansion.
The man recently had a stroke, and he's just too much work for his wife to take care of alone.
Kate (donnin' some cute little tight pants) soon realizes that there's something strange about the house. Can she
figure out what caused the old man to have a stroke, and what exactly does Hoodoo and Voodoo have to do with
everything? A mysterious tale of Southern gothic lore ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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Wait just a minute here! Do you mean to tell me that we're finally getting a horror movie this year that isn't a
remake, a sequel, or based on a Japanese movie? Stop the presses! Somebody's trying something original in
Hollywood! OK, so maybe this isn't *so* original that it's bustin' down the horror genre door and makin' up new
rules as it goes along, but I have to give them credit for trying something new.
It's true that this follows a familiar trail - put a lead character in a position that most people wouldn't
find attractive and have her do things that most of us probably would avoid doing. First off, you may wonder what
exactly Kate finds appealing about becoming a full-time, live-in caretaker at a creepy ol' house in Terrebonne
Parish. Well, the $1000 a week paycheck doesn't hurt. But she also has some lingering guilt over not being there
for her father when he passed away due to a sickness she didn't even know he had. She sees this as some sort of
redemption I suppose. So she takes the job.
Personally, I think having to bathe an invalid, naked old man would be horror enough, but the story gets darker
from there. There are more than 30 rooms in the house, and each one has a separate key. However, there are two
skeleton keys that will open all the rooms. Kate's lucky enough to get one of those keys. How many of you want
to place bets that there'll be at least one door that she probably shouldn't open?
Go ahead and collect your winnings because there's something strange about the attic (it had to be either that or
the basement, right?)! So what's special about the attic? Ben (the old dude) had a stroke in there and
supposedly became paralyzed on both sides, but things start to happen that cause Kate to question if something
more sinister is at work. Did Ben see something that caused him to have the stroke? What's the history behind
the house? Why is the attic door blocked? Will I ever not confuse the names of Peter Sarsgaard and Stellan
Skarsgård?
This is an enjoyable film if, like me, you're willing to let yourself get sucked in by Kate Hudson and the creepy
atmosphere. There's always something disturbing to be found amongst the bayous of Louisiana where people practice
witchcraft and magic and rituals of conjure and sacrifice. Don't believe me? Then just head on down to New
Orleans sometime and observe the freakshow. I guarantee you'll double check the lock on your hotel door at night.
I can understand how some people will find this a bit slow-paced, but I liked how the movie lays out the mystery at
the start and then deliberately follows it to its simple, yet cleverly logical ending.
Yep, that's right; the twist at the end of the movie is fairly clever and works within the context of the entire
film. It's not as break-neck as Saw's ending or as surprising as The Sixth
Sense's, but it works and doesn't feel tacked on just for the sake of having a twist ending as has been the
norm in H-wood these days (see Secret Window, Hide
and Seek, and High Tension for examples of recent disappointing twist
endings).
Keep in mind, this is a movie that you'll enjoy less the more you try to nitpick its implausibilities. For example,
what is it about people in movies who knock on a person's door once and then decide they have a right to walk on in
and look around? Since when is "the door was unlocked" ever an appropriate defense to those actions? Who does that
in real life?
And would Kate really decide to investigate why a creepy old door in the attic is somehow being jostled? Is it
really the wisest decision in the world to look into it by yourself? Of course not. But I suppose you'd only have
a 15-minute movie without such contrivances so just deal with it and move on. Life's too short to really fret over
something so trivial.
If you're looking for a seat-grabber moreso than a blood and guts horror film, then this just might satisfy. I have
a joke that I could use about if Kate is looking for a seat-grabber then she can reach me via email, but everybody
knows I'm too mature to make such comments, right? But Ms. Hudson does know how to wear some jeans. And I sure
hope my mom's not reading.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- The story is written by Ehren Kruger who wrote the screenplay for The Ring and has writing credits for
The Ring Two, Scream 3, and the upcoming The Brothers Grimm.
- Kate Hudson claims to believe in all sorts of weird supernatural things. She's so scared of bad karma that she
wears "sacred crystals" and goes so far as to wash herself with water (for cleansing) whenever she feels somebody's
really negative. Man, she must've been a prune after reading reviews of Raising
Helen and Alex and Emma.
- John Fogerty has an album called Hoodoo that was never officially released.
- Johnny Betts has the album and thinks it's pretty good.
- Kate Hudson was in Almost Famous with Anna Paquin who was in All the Rage with Josh Brolin who
was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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This one isn't too rough for mama. One f-bomb is dropped on the audience along with a handful of s-words, but
the profanity is scattered and not in abundance. There's no explicit nudity, but there is a scene that shows
the side of Kate's pregnancy-enlarged boobs (her shirt is off). She also shows a little booty cheekage in her
tight little pajama bottoms.
There are a few intense scenes that definitely make this unsuitable for small children. That didn't stop one couple
from bringing their 5-year-old and forcing the audience to hear him scream his head off during what was probably
the most disturbing scene of the movie. Geniuses. Parents - please leave the kids at home. Don't be morons.
Thanks.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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When I originally watched the trailer for The Skeleton Key it grabbed my interest. I just rewatched it,
and I must say that it probably gives away a little more than it should. Granted, it doesn't reveal the main twist
at the end, but it does show a few details that are better if first seen played out in the movie. It's best if you
go into the movie with as little knowledge about the details as possible.
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THE GIST
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If you're looking for a slasher movie with blood and kills then you'll likely be disappointed. The Skeleton
Key isn't as scary or tense as I ideally would've preferred, but hey, it held my interest and did manage to
creep me out a couple of times, so I won't complain too much. I was mainly concerned with the ending. I've heard
so much hype about it that I was just waiting for it to let me down. But like I said, the twist is subtle and
effective, if not mind-blowing. Definitely worth a matinee or a rental if you're a die-hard fan of Kate Hudson
or the psychological horror genre.
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