Day 285 of the challenge! Sigh…If you’re a fan of Ghost Adventures and Zak Bagans’ brand of dudebro hair gel paranormal investigating, then Demon House is for you…
…and if you’re not a fan, then you already know what to expect from a paranormal/horror documentary written, directed by, and starring Zak Bagan. I gave it a fair shot, but any movie that sets itself up with a warning message stating a demon might attach itself to you if you continue to watch it has no real substance to offer. Just there for the cheap thrills. All style, no depth. Lame.
Making matters more frustrating is that the story of the Demon House ( A.K.A The Ammons Haunting), is actually pretty fascinating (or at least neat to think about if you’re not a believer of the paranormal). You’d think a story involving multiple exorcisms, shadow figures, levitating children, and poltergeists would be able to stand by itself, but Bagans apparently deemed it necessary to make it mostly about him and his hair gel. Imagine watching a true crime documentary about a famous serial killer, but a good chunk of the running time is dedicated to a nightmare the filmmaker had, schlocky reenactments and all.
Still, the subject matter of the film is still strong enough to keep your attention, even when most of the chills or frights you get from it are completely artificial. I had no trouble sleeping afterwards for what it’s worth (not the case with other paranormal documentaries I’ve seen), but your mileage will vary.