The Haunted Casino
Year: 2010
Director: Charles Band
Stars: Robin Sydney, Sid Haig, Michael Berryman
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Full Moon Features
Running Time: 80 Mins
“The Haunted Casino” is a re-release of a 2007 film called “Dead Man’s Hand: Casino of the Dammed”.
Matther Dragna inherits a casino from his dead uncle. He along with his girlfriend and a group of friends go to the outskirts of Vegas, to visit this rundown casino. Soon as they get there, they discover that the casino is haunted by the ghost of a Vegas mobster (Sid Haig) and his goon (Michael Berryman) that’s looking to exact revenge for what Dragna’s dead uncle did to them. Soon, they must fight for their lives as the ghosts within the casino are looking for revenge.
Is it me or have the films over at Full Moon Feature just have gotten better in terms of storytelling and entertainment value, since the folks there released “Evil Bong back in 2006. I gave up on this company, when it was in the Shadow Entertainment era. The trailers in that era never caught my interest plus that the fact that the films didn’t feel like the full moon films that I was accustomed to seeing. But thankfully that’s changed, even though the budget is much lower from the earlier days. The comic book feel that was present in most of their earlier films are back.
“The Haunted Casino” is a very entertaining film. Charles Band does a great job making this film fun to watch. He directs the film very well, by building up the tension and getting you interested in the story. It really helps you get into the flow of the film, as this is important for films of this caliber. Band also does a good job making this film campy with the gore effects and the storytelling. One of the things that Band knows how to very well is handling the acting aspects of the film. He does a good job making sure that the acting is decent enough, so that the flaws are not overexposed with it’s budget. If the acting aspect in these films aren’t directed very well, then they become a distraction to your enjoyment of the film. Also by having the main performances be good, the viewer is not impatiently waiting for Sid Haig and Michael Berryman to make their appearances on screen. That’s when you know that you’re watching a good low budget film.
Like most of Full Moon’s recent films, the screenplay was written by August White. This is one of his better screenplays. White does a very good job developing the characters here. I liked how, White doesn’t rush into the action. He spends a good amount of time developing the history of the casino and the characters that are trapped inside. It gets you into the flow of the story, so that your interested in what goes on, during the course of the film. White also does a good job keeping the action moving, when developing the characters. He does that, by providing false scares and a little bit of humor. It just makes the film fun to watch and that’s what I want to see from these types of films.
Your not going to find the next “Trick O Treat” or “Evil Dead” with Full Moon Features. But I know that I’m going to be in for a fun film, if the storytelling and direction is good. "The Haunted Casino” fits that description, as this is very fun haunted ghost film that gives you a good time and keeps you very entertained.
Review Rating: Four Stars
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