MovieChat Forums > The Apparition (2012) Discussion > 'Once You Believe, You Die'?

'Once You Believe, You Die'?

posted 12 years ago by xxfearless
31 replies | jump to latest

This was the tagline of the movie. Based on that and the trailer, I was kind of expecting something more along those lines. Instead we got a completely different movie about kids holding a seance and attracting a spirit who tries to kill them all.

I don't get it. Did they just forget the original premise of the movie, or was that just something they tacked on to the trailer and the poster in the end? Was there something in the movie explaining this that I missed? If that's the case:

- Did the dog believe in ghosts? Is that why he died?
- Why did the ghost follow Ashley Greene? I get that Ben summoned the spirit and all, but his girlfriend wasn't there for that and had no reason to believe in this spirit before it started harassing her.
- Is the little neighbor girl going to die? She knew that the house killed her dog.

I just think that had they gone down that path (kind of like the Hell House/Tulpa episode of Supernatural, for anyone who's seen it) it could have had been great, not just another jump-scare ghost story with a questionable plot.

[–] xxfearless 12 years ago

Also, wasn't there something in the commercial where she's like "It's not real... it's not real..."? That didn't happen, either.

[–] GreatWhiteApeofBarsoom 12 years ago

All I can guess is that the movie was either an alternate version of the story implied in the trailer or a heavily mangled cut. I assume the DVD/Blu-ray will provide answers.

Requiescat in pace, Krystle Papile.

I'll always miss you.

[–] stsinger 12 years ago

I thought the movie was sort of hinting that the second seance brought back the ex-girlfriend and that's why it was attacking Kelly. That explains why it went out of its way to make sure she saw the hidden tapes and pictures if the guy and his ex.

The film never went anywhere with this, but really it's the only thing that makes sense; otherwise there's no reason why she was specifically targeted.

[–] GreatWhiteApeofBarsoom 12 years ago

The film hardly went anywhere with any of its ideas.

Requiescat in pace, Krystle Papile.

I'll always miss you.

[–] mr_dant 12 years ago

i thought it was where he said when u give up it takes u. once u believe that.

I watch too many movies.....

[–] radditz_13 12 years ago

Thank you for pointing this out, yes.

The movie was sold on a pretty interesting psychological idea about ghosts, and I went to the movie for it. The premise is *kind of* followed, in that the ghost is summoned by brain waves, with the Malfoy kid channeling 'amplified belief' into the totem item to bring the spirit into reality.

The movie skirts on the edge of this idea, with the BF character trying to get his GF to not believe in the ghost so that it won't attack her. But its never really explicitly stated, and eventually the movie just kind of drops its premise, as the demony-thing just starts feeding off of 'life energy' rather generically, which it seems to draw from just anywhere.

What we got was very slow, tedious, and generic. A great last shot, to be sure, but the preceding film wasn't worth it.

[–] GreatWhiteApeofBarsoom 12 years ago

I think the producers or director cut a few minutes out of the film to delete the storyline implied in the trailer.

Requiescat in pace, Krystle Papile.

I'll always miss you.

[–] alesisqs61 12 years ago

Well...I did not read the script, but trailers can make up anything to sell tickets. I re-watched the trailer right after and that story seems completely made up after the fact of watching the movie. It was once of the worst movies I've ever seen....but watchable only because it had a nice look and great sound design. On overall quality...it's not bad....as a short film say... It could have been a 20 minute film and worked. The rest of the film...so much in between..was simply boring and it just doesn't make any sense.

I've said it before..a waste of 17 million on sound design and the rest of the people that worked on it. I don't know who's the main reason it turned out so bad, but I bet there's 50 directors out there somewhere that could use even 10 million and crank out something really nice independantly.

http://www.youtube.com/user/alphazoom
http://www.vimeo.com/1986276

[–] starwolf 12 years ago

But dang, GreatWhiteApeOfBarsoom, it was a good trailer. I tried the movie based on that, and sadly the movie never quite lived up to the trailer.

I'm with you - I am wondering exactly what was left on the cutting room floor and if that would have made the movie actually mean something.

[–] GreatWhiteApeofBarsoom 12 years ago

I agree, Starwolf. It was a great trailer. Unfortunately the movie did nothing with either the ideas in the trailer or the ideas in the movie.

Requiescat in pace, Krystle Papile. I'll always miss you.

[–] lauriemacc 12 years ago

I know this response is a bit belated but I am sorry GreatWhiteApeofBarsoom for the personal comment that was made to you. There are so many "signatures" out there and I don't believe this is a board where we are discussing that topic. I hope things are "better" for you in regard to whatever your relation was with Krystle Papile. Everyone is entitled to create their own signature and there is nothing wrong for using that as yours. I have had tragadies in my life and I have spent times where I went through using profile pics, signatures, etc. in referece to the person I had lost and it is just another way to express grief. So I hope you have continued to use whatever signature you want. I enjoyed reading your comments regarding what this board was supposed to be about and that was about the movie "The Apparition". Signature/no signature you did nothing wrong and there was no reason for you to stop "replying". Unless you had nothing else to say. Just my 2 cents worth plus a little more.

[–] GreatWhiteApeofBarsoom 12 years ago

Thanks for your kind words, Laurie. I stopped posting on this board not because of him but because I saw no further interesting conversations to take part in. If my signature bothered him so much, he could have just ignored me as I did to him after he felt the need to PM me and make demeaning comments about Krystle. Anyway, I can see none of his posts now, and he's too shallow and vapid to bother with. I thank you for what you said, but I suggest we let this conversation fade. Someone who feels the need to troll another poster over an inoffensive, grief-laden signature really isn't worth any more of our time.

Requiescat in pace, Krystle Papile. I'll always miss you.

[–] briane01876 12 years ago

Idk who Krystle Papile is but it makes me not want to read your replies to hear you say that over and over and over again. I'm trying to reading this board and every three comments I'm thinking "move on with your life and remove that stupid mantra".

[–] Motoko_Kusanagi 12 years ago

http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2011/nov/27/12/victims-suspect-identified-f ayetteville-triple-mur-ar-1651175/

[–] yummyboy226 12 years ago

Yep the marketing was so off from what the movie ended up being. It would have been better if it was the way it was marketed instead of some bull crap over powered entity.

Film of 2011 - Best to Worst
http://www.imdb.com/list/ax0o5cDS9EY/

Film of 2012 - Best to Worst
http://www.imdb.com/list/Fz1EKn2aHXo/

[–] alesisqs61 12 years ago

I also hate when something is so powerful....they allow humans to bring it over, but make them so strong, that they have no way of controlling it or sending it back....

It's like....there should always be someway to fix the situation or there's no resolution to the film. I know movies can have bad...unhappy endings....but this movie flat out just bores us...explains nothing.....then ends.

Take 20 minutes of what the trailer wanted us to believe...and it might have been decent.

http://www.youtube.com/user/alphazoom
http://www.vimeo.com/1986276

[–] She_Devil84 12 years ago

Maybe you should put spoiler in the subject?

"Ernest. You pushed me down the stairs." - Madeline Ashton (Death Becomes Her)

[–] alesisqs61 12 years ago

The movie needs no spoilers as it doesn't explain ANYTHING....it just ends.

http://www.youtube.com/user/alphazoom
http://www.vimeo.com/1986276

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] jfuex 12 years ago

More importantly did the CACTUS believe in ghosts causing it to die?

[–] Ricardo99 12 years ago

best answer ever! LOL

[–] afeshs 12 years ago

Ha!

[–] rufnedge-2 12 years ago

This movie is for the super intuitive or something, it just didn't do anything for me. No details as to what was based on a true story except the beginning part.. then at the end it claimed it was all ficticious. I feel duped. But once I did rent it, my car locked me out and then it wouldn't lock so that was weird and quite frankly the highlight of my night.

I was in my kitchen cleaning a dish. I heard it, I came out.
... Dane Cook

[–] 12 years ago

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