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The big rave this time of year is, apparently, Ouija boards. A week ago I had absolutely no idea what a Ouija board was or why everyone was getting worked up about them – until I took to YouTube, which I don’t recommend doing unless you care for a bad night’s sleep.
A Ouija is a flat board marked with the letters of the alphabet, the numbers zero through nine and the words “yes,” “no,” “hello” and “goodbye.” There’s also a small, often heart-shaped piece of wood or plastic called a “planchette” that serves as a movable indicator to spell out the message of the spirit the Ouija user is attempting to contact.
When the news hit that this so-called “board game” was being turned into a movie in time for Halloween, the general reaction was one of excitement. “Ouija” made $19.8 million at the box office for opening weekend, despite an 8 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
“Ouija” is a poorly made, micro-budget horror movie designed to quickly cash in on non-discerning audiences. This movie may actually have put the actors in a deep hole when it comes to getting actual roles in adequate movies in the future.
Why the exceptionally low rating? Mick LaSalle from the San Francisco Chronicle said, “‘Ouija’ has something wrong with it from the first five minutes,” referencing not the movie’s creepy setup, but rather the movie’s poor quality.
Jeffrey M. Anderson from Common Sense Media had this to say: “The teen actors look like they mistakenly came from modeling school rather than acting school. They’re very attractive but barely even mobile; they mostly pose and pout.”
Halloween is supposed to be a time for blood-curdling and bone-chilling thrillers, not fake, inexperienced actors who may have been better off pursuing careers in modeling.
If you want to have a good laugh at some shoddy acting, or if you like throwing away $10 bills, “Ouija” may just suffice.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Audrey Rodriguez at auro8713@colorado.edu
