Boogeyman 3 (2008)

5/10

This film was directed by Gary Jones, who also brought you "Ghouls" and "Planet Raptor." The cast is composed of new or lesser known actors, except for Matt Rippy (2008's "Day of the Dead", 2005's TV "The Poseidon Adventure") who plays Kane.

This third installment of the resurrected Boogeyman series has a tenuous connection to "Boogeyman 2". Audrey (Nikki Sanderson), the daughter of the psychologist from B2 (who in that movie was treating a person for extreme 'fear of the Boogeyman') is taking a bath when she reads her dad's journal. It is not a good sign when a horror movie starts off with nudity, unless you are a teenage boy. The more she reads, the more convinced she becomes that the Boogeyman is real. Of course, the Boogeyman can only show up when people believe in him. Oops.

We skip to college and meet Audrey's friend Sarah (Erin Cahill, 2007's "Jekyll"). After witnessing Audrey's death at the hands of the Boogeyman, Sarah goes about trying to convince all her friends that the Boogeyman is real. Shockingly, people start dying, but the bodies disappear. Even more shockingly, no one believes Sarah that the Boogeyman is killing people. Sarah also has visions/dreams/hallucinations of the Boogeyman's dimension, which looks surprising like her dorm but with blood on the walls.

The murders continue apace, with a strong anti-drug message- 'death by bong'. The deaths are all different, and some are silly. Most of the gore is off-screen. There are eerie bits in the movie, and the Boogeyman is freaky when he is not CGI'd. Sarah eventually has to confront the Boogeyman. Can she do it, or will there be enough room for another sequel? Could be both!

The acting is on par for a Fox TV show or direct to video horror movie, i.e., not very good. There is nudity. The film is a bit dark at times. I liked the ambient music, but the audio FX were badly equalized. When will film makers learn that a scream is just as effective at just a bit louder as being ramped up to 11? There is a lot of CGI, and it is noticeable. There is violence and some gore, but most of the action is off-screen. A lot of blood, but most of that is on the walls or on in the laundry's washing machines. Do not wash your whites in this dorm.

This is a standard direct to video horror movie with a decent budget. It has some scary moments. An OK rental if you can't find anything else, though I would advise against buying the disc unseen. It could be a party movie, depending on your audience.