tanishashah85
I remember watching this movie 9 years ago and almost forgot how good this movie was ...not scary at all ..a very decent ghost story with good acting especially Benjamin stiles as Ricky mabe ...its sad that these days they don't make movies like they used to make...a perfect movie which can be watched with your family on Sunday afternoon ...watch it if you like ghost stories.....can anybody tell where I can find the movie DVD or can even watch it online as it been ages I haven't watched this movie desperately wanna watch it....loved this movie ..you won't get bored watching this movie again and again ...believe it.
slayrrr666
"Believe" is somewhat decent, if a completely non-threatening horror film.**SPOILERS**Expelled from school, teenage Ben Stiles, (Ricky Mabe) is sent off to live with his grandfather Jason, (Jan Rubes) on his estate. Reprimanded for pulling his pranks, he meets neighbor Katherine Winslow, (Elisha Cuthbert) and helps her to get even with some local goons. When he gets word of their transgressions, he immediately bans them from hanging out together. As they defy the orders and continue on seeing each other, they come across a possible ghost on the property. Initially dismissed as another prank, the two decide to investigate it more. Finding that there's a reason for the haunting and work together to help the ghost get what they want.The Good News: This one here wasn't all that terrible. The fact remains that there's still some really good stuff in here when it gets to the horror attempts. The main source of fun is the excellent haunted house sequence. It's pretty inventive and creative, really goes all-out and contains some great spots that are a real joy to watch. The fact that the setting itself is really great makes it all the better, since making it work in a really lame house would be a real challenge. The only other fact that works for the film is the fact that there's some great back-story for the ghost. This here is a really creepy tale and doesn't really seem like a cliché at all. This could be a real life occurrence and winds up being one of the best things about the film. It even manages to stay watchable all the way through. There's no dull spots, it stays moving along and doesn't really stop for much. This is a pretty easy watch and isn't very taxing at all. If this is the style that's pleasurable, it can be a great time.The Bad News: This here doesn't have very many flaws. Most of what's wrong with this one is tied up simply in it's rating. There's not a whole lot of tension that can be created with such a rating. This can't get any suspense or anything really spooky or creepy that will offend it's target audiences. This can't be bothered with the real juicy details with most of the normal versions on display, and that makes for some really slow-burning times. There's hardly any scares involved as it tries to go for the family approach and doesn't even come close to doing anything about it. This failing is pretty much the only thing wrong with the film, as the rating will negate what real horror films should do.The Final Verdict: While not exactly a sterling example of the genre, it's a pretty decent film overall. Really only for those who enjoy the more light and harmless horror affairs, while those who need scares, brutality, sleaze or anything more traditional horror films have are well advised to leave this one alone.Rated PG: Mild Violence
BaronBl00d
This is a nice, family-oriented little ghost story about two teenagers trying to release a ghost from its eternal walking. Much of the film is well-crafted with some solid if not inspiring acting from the whole cast and some interesting, effective direction from Bob Tinnell. Tinnell uses bright colors throughout the film, particularly in the night scenes, creating an obvious homage to Mario Bava and Dario Argento. The story is somewhat adolescent in nature, so if you are looking for blood and guts, look elsewhere. Plot elements are nicely climaxed but fall short in the end. Although the end is a bit weak, I still found myself liking the film quite a bit. Just wondering if anyone found the the climax of the falling branch to be a page out of Saki's "The Interlopers?" Actor Jan Rubes does an excellent job as an embittered yet caring grandfather looking after his grandson with whom he has not seen since five. Look also for a nice cameo by Andrea Martin of SCTV fame as an expert on ghosts. The two teenaged leads were pretty good with Elisha Cuthbert really standing out.
bymarkclark.com
It's never easy being 14 years old, but it's especially tough for Ben Stiles. First, he can't seem to communicate with his absentee parents, diplomats who apparently live overseas. Then he gets kicked out of boarding school after pulling an imaginative but childish ghost prank on his classmates. He's forced to move in with an icy-tempered grandfather he barely knows. And finally he discovers his grandfather's estate is haunted by the eerie specter of a young woman in a red coat. Of course after the ghost prank, no one takes his claims seriously.Ben (Ricky Mabe) is the point-of-view character of BELIEVE, a new horror film aimed at younger audiences and lensed by director Robert Tinnell, whose previous work includes horror fan favorite FRANKENSTEIN AND ME. Unlike FRANKENSTEIN AND ME, which was essentially a coming-of-age story with horror trappings, BELIEVE is designed to generate real chills and it delivers. Even veteran horror fans should receive at least a few satisfying shivers from the picture.As BELIEVE's story progresses, Ben quickly realizes his grandfather (Jan Rubes) isn't telling everything he knows about the mysterious figure in the red coat. Granddad goes ape when he discovers that Ben has enlisted the help of a neighbor girl (Elisha Cuthbert), who has also seen the ghost, in his quest for the truth. The girl's uncle (Ben Gazzara ) is equally upset by this development, and forbids her from seeing Ben. The teenagers realize that somehow their families' histories will unlock the secrets of the Stiles house, and maybe help their phantom finally find peace.
Tinnell refers to BELIEVE as `an entry level horror film.' Pressed for an explanation of this term, he explains: `There's a void for young people -- and older people, too -- who would like quality a quality supernatural experience that isn't misogynist or extremely gory. I was trying to make something like I WALK WITH A ZOMBIE that kids and adults can both look at and be scared without being steamrolled.'Imagine George Romero shooting a movie for The Wonderful World of Disney and you have some idea of the film's tone. To achieve this effect, Tinnell asked production designer Jules Ricard to decorate his sets in the style of the classic Hammer horrors. Then Tinnell shot his movie much in the mode of Mario Bava. Viewers who know Tinnell only through FRANKENSTEIN AND ME will find BELIEVE a revelation. It's far more visually cohesive than his early work and its use of color is striking. Certainly Tinnell was well served by cinematographer Pierre Jodoin, whose work is imaginative and eloquent. Composer Jerry DeVilliers Jr. sets the mood with a truly haunting score.
Tinnell, a formidable horror film scholar in addition to a gifted young filmmaker, built in several nods toward great ghost pictures of the past. Horror aficionados will appreciate the film's visual references to movies like THE UNINVITED and THE INNOCENTS. BELIEVE also quotes from THE HORROR OF DRACULA and (of all things) THE INVISIBLE GHOST. The director confesses to influences as wide-ranging as Romero's MARTIN and THE GHOST AND MR. CHICKEN, but his capsule description of BELIEVE is `the Hardy Boys meet Wuthering Heights.'Tinnell had to bring in the picture on a $2 million budget and a 20-day shooting schedule. To his credit, BELIEVE looks like a much more expensive film. For what it's worth: Many horror publications, from stately Midnight Marquee to splatter-happy Fangoria, have given BELIEVE glowing reviews.