When Cyrus Kriticos (F. Murray Abraham) dies, he leaves his house to his nephew Arthur (Tony Shalhoub) and his two children (Shannon Elizabeth, Alec Roberts). What they don’t know, is that the house is a machine that holds twelve ghosts. Once people start to die, it is left to Arthur, an ex-associate of Cyrus’ (Matthew Lillard), and a ghost advocate to find the purpose of the thirteenth ghost.
Quick Review: There are many things that can make a film worth your time. A well thought out plot is one. Consummate acting is another. But when you don’t have those, sometimes an onslaught of sound and music, a torrent of rich colors and complex images, and some amazing effects are enough. Thir13een Ghosts is a heart-pounding event. The machine-house with its moving panels of inscribed glass is like nothing put on film before. The ghosts are gruesome, astonishing, repulsive, sexy nightmares that appear and disappear with insane randomness. And if you are looking for bloody deaths, they are in abundance. Thir13een Ghosts never lets up, never gives you a moment to think. That works out well, as thinking is a problem. Dwell too much on the plot and it will fall apart. The characters rarely make sense and include a bizarre throwback to 1930s Hollywood (how exactly can a bankrupt white man afford a black maid?). But these characters are there to run, scream, bleed and die, and the plot exists to thrust them into danger; with those goals, everything works fine. This is definitely a movie to rent, as buying leads to repeat viewing, and Thir13een Ghosts won’t stand up to such scrutiny. However, watching it once, late at night with all the lights out, is an experience.