Witchtrap

Watching Witchtrap again, I think I can see where director Kevin Tenney was having fun while putting on the film in a serious manner, by having the cast, for the most part, playing the material (as goofy and ridiculous as it often gets) with a straight face. For instance, the haunted house itself is called the Laughter House, named after Uncle Laughter whose spectre is said to terrorize anyone willing to stay in the 1861 Gothic mansion over three nights (that seems to be the limit of how long anyone can last in that place). When a popular Las Vegas magician takes a flight out a window, crashing tothe sidewalk, his head causing a pool of blood to disperse in branch-like patterns, while staying the Laughter House, it gets a nickname, The Slaughter House. What sells all of this exposition is the impassive, expressionless voice/demeanor for which Avery's kin, the relative of Uncle Laughter's who inherits the seemingly unsellable/unlivable property. Avery's kin has restored the Laughter House into a haunted bed'n'breakfast, but he needs the property to be free of what ails it so hiring a team of paranormal investigators (and a couple of cops, cynical unbelievers, particularly the wise-ass Vincente, because he wants his clients to go in and leave with protection).
Among the paranormal scientists is a mental medium who Avery can speak through and a medium named Miss O'Shea, who he can travel through into the real world. O'Shea discovers while he "inhabits" her in momentary bursts, that Avery plans to gain immortality by rejoining his ashes with his heart, and Vincente, despite out atheist he is, will have to put aside his non-belief and stop the evil ghostly bastard before all hell will literally break loose.

 This is a silly effects movie at best. It has some not-so-bad effects and some rather lousy ones. I think the best gags include Quigley's departure through the means of a shower head and a head explosion. Hands coming out of a door is really lame and there's a bit of melting effects that has no reason to exist other than to show off melting effects. Director Tenney has always loved inanimate objects coming at people, like in Witchboard with the hatchet to the skull, in Witchboard 2 with the spinning saw blade, and in this film with the ax and knife hurled by an invisible force at victims. You also get a bullet in mid air sent through the head of a victim and a car driving by itself plowing into another unlucky guy. The possessed O'Shea drinks ashes from an urn, turns into Avery (he basically resembles a flamboyant magician with a large Dracula cape), who flaunts his supposed immortality while abusing Vincente. The heart is key. I never got all the junk with the heart and ashes and the "vaccum box" that can trap the "aura" of Avery for a spell until he is "dissipated" outside his house. It just felt like a plot simply to host all the special effects. The dialogue is golden gobblety gook, especially James W Quinn's priceless language, lots of colorful phrases and quips that I have listed below. Sure, though, you get a lot of swearing and bickering, with Vincente quite animated when insulting his boss, Murphy (Jack W Thompson, who takes a lot of flak from his boys, ex-cops down on their luck), not to mention, his contempt for the paranormal investigative exorcists and what they believe in.

In this film, Quigley is a hot video technician and her role is quite reduced from the last two of the current "A Little Quigley Goes a Long Way" series. She gets naked for her shower scene, is ogled by Vicente's partner, Leon (Clyde Talley II), and has limited dialogue in the film overall. It is just not much to write about. She's a looker, and it seems she services Witchtrap only as an object of lust, soon to be effects fodder. Her death is quite unusual and memorable if just for how crazy it is. The acting is suspect (to be friendly about it) by all involved, save a sincere portrayal by Kathleen Bailey as Whitney O'Shea, a firm believer in God/Devil, heaven/hell, a vision and gift presented to her, ultimately used by Avery to get into our world and raise a little havoc on unsuspecting victims. Hal Havins shows up as a menacing caretaker who causes Vincente a lot of trouble, the two engaged in fisticuffs and gunfire. Havins' part here is to show up to make life miserable for Vincente and try and keep our heroes from escaping the residence.

 Some choice dialogue in this one:

"I always knew you were a scumbag but I never knew how scummy a bag you could be."

"Well, scratch my ass..."
"Not until I know you better."

"I don't mean to be rude, Miss O'Shea, but I'm due back on earth."

"Felix is dead!"
"Well, there's been a lot of that going around lately."

"I just watched our friend, Elwin, take more lead than a #2 pencil, so you'll excuse me if I play it safe."