Solstice

_**It's all about the last act**_ "Solstice" (2008) was made by the creator of "The Blair Witch Project", Daniel Myrick, and is a more conventional horror flick. Like "Blair," "Solstice" takes the subtle route with the creep factor and the typical trappings of slasher or quasi-slasher flicks; so ... stay away if you need serious gore, sex and nudity with your horror. The film runs 90 minutes and the first hour plays out like myriad other monster/ghost movies -- a group of youths venture to some secluded area to party and tensions increase as the creep factor increases. What separates "Solstice" from, say, most of the Friday the 13th sequels, besides lack of gore, is the serious and realistic vibe of the proceedings. While this is welcomed by me, it also makes for a less entertaining viewing -- for the first hour, that is. The third act is where everything comes together and there's almost a 'Wow' factor as you realize what's really going on and what happened, etc. While the cast are all no-names, except Amanda Seyfried (who wasn't too well-known at the time), they're effective enough. They coulda done better with the women, but the main protagonist is decent, Elisabeth Harnois. The film was shot in Louisiana. GRADE: B read more