Ouija-nator Kevin Tenney hands over the directorial reins and takes a co-writer credit in this lousy film.
If you have not seen the first two entries, don't worry, this film has nothing to do with them. Brian (David Nerman) is a recently fired stock broker. He and his beautiful wife Julie (Elizabeth Lambert) move into an apartment in a gothic building in order to save costs while Brian job hunts. Immediately, he meets eccentric landlord Francis (Cedric Smith), who has a strange collection of fertility artifacts and a fascination with the Ouija. He confides to Brian that he made his money by consulting the board on commodities purchases. Brian dabbles, makes some scratch, and is hooked on the nice old man. We find out Julie is a cultural anthropology professor and has best friend Lisa (Donna Sarrasin) to confide in. One pleasant afternoon, Francis gives Brian an old ring, tells him he always wanted children, then throws himself off a balcony, impaling himself on an ornate gateway. At his funeral, Francis' crazy ex-wife bursts in and desecrates the corpse to "make sure he is dead." Brian steals the Ouija board and borrows money from a shady money launderer for his next Ouija-inspired purchase. He thinks the board is wrong, and cannot pay the man back. More murders and demonic possessions follow, resulting in some questionable special effects and a goofy finale.
As with the other "Witchboard" films, the cast tries to work material that is not there- too many questions remain. The main villain is a demon, but not much more is given about who he is or where he came from. Julie is an anthropology professor, but this knowledge adds nothing to the plot. She recognizes some of the dead landlord's pieces, but that is all. The only previous knowledge that helps her defeat the villain involves an allergy to shrimp- don't ask. Svatek's cinematography is mostly earth hues, setting off the bloody scenes. He also must rely on some really cheesy computer animated effects like morphing, and reverse filming. A butterfly collection attack probably looked great on paper, but the budget is not there to make it convincing to the audience. The Ouija board is the best looking of the series, black and gothic.
All in all, this entry is the worst of the three films, and I do not recommend "Witchboard III: The Possession." Also known as "Witchboard: The Possession"
Stats:
(1995) 93 min. (2/10)
-Directed by Peter Svatek
-Screenplay by Kevin Tenney and Jon Ezrine, Story by Jon Ezrine
-Cast: David Nerman, Elizabeth Lambert, Cedric Smith, Donna Sarrasin, Danette Mackay, Thick Wilson, Richard Zeman, Bernard Bourgault, Renee Madeline Le Guerrier, Cas Anvar, Glenn Painter, Gwen Tolbart, John Sanford Moore
(R)
