It’s Time To Face Your Fears
THE HOLE (Blu-ray)
Release date: January 17th 2011
Certificate (UK): 12
Running time: 92 minutes
Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Teri Polo, Bruce Dern, Haley Bennett, Chris Massoglia, Nathan Gamble
Can you imagine a place where your worst fears and most sinister nightmares become real?
Joe Dante returns to directing feature films with The Hole. Originally shot in 3D for its theatrical release, it tells the story of 17-year-old Dane (Chris Massoglia) and his younger brother Lucas (Nathan Gamble) who move with their mother from New York to the quiet town of Bensonville.
As the boys start exploring their new house, they stumble upon a trapdoor in the basement. At first it seems like a bottomless pit but soon things start disappearing down there and unwelcome guests start popping out. One by one their worst fears become real and the only way to fight them is to face them.
Although a movie like The Hole should work, it really doesn’t. It moves at a very slow pace without much happening and while there are a few fun moments they quickly get lost in the subplot involving an abusive father and the ghost of a little girl. The boys spend ¾ of the movie deciding what to do about the hole until the decision is made for them and even then, it comes to an anticlimax.
- Making of The Hole
- Interviews with Cast & Crew
- Behind the Scenes
The Hole was not Joe Dante’s first foray in 3D films. In 2003 he directed R.L. Stine’s Haunted Lighthouse, an amusement park film based on R. L. Stine’s novel of the same name.
It was in 70mm 4D – The extra D was for throwing things at the audience and dropping water on them! I think I would have preferred seeing Haunted Lighthouse instead of The Hole.
