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Sinister

 Sinister
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TVTItem
 Sinister
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Sinister
 Sinister
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Sinister
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Sinister is a horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and written by C. Robert Cargillnote of Spill and Ain't It Cool News fame, inspired by a nightmare Cargill had after first watching The Ring. It premiered at SXSW 2012 before getting a wide release in October of that year.The film stars Ethan Hawke as Ellison Oswalt, a True Crime writer who is desperate to write a new hit. In order to do so, he moves his family into a house where a grisly murder took place so that he can write a book solving the case. When he stumbles across a collection of home movies in the attic, he finds that there is more to the case than he thought...A sequel titled Sinister II was released in August 2015, written by Cargill and Derrickson and directed by Ciaran Foy. James Ransone reprises his role from the first film, now as the lead, investigating the murders in an attempt to prevent any more killings. Meanwhile, a young mother (Shannyn Sossamon) and her twin sons have moved into a haunted house...
 Sinister
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2024-02-19T00:59:54Z
 Sinister
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2024-02-19T00:59:54Z
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Dropped link to AbusiveDad: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
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Dropped link to IDrankWhat: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
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Dropped link to Ulver: Not a Feature - IGNORE
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AbusiveDad
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DBTropes
 Sinister / int_143939c1
type
Trailers Always Spoil
 Sinister / int_143939c1
comment
Trailers Always Spoil: Pretty much every scary part of the film is shown in the trailer. The poster even spoils how Ellison and his family are killed and by whom. Even the tagline is a dead giveaway. So to speak. It also spoils Bughuul's name and methods (how he propagates via images of himself.) The latter was an important part of The Reveal.
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Sinister / int_143939c1
 Sinister / int_15b2cab3
type
Tempting Fate
 Sinister / int_15b2cab3
comment
Having just heard from the occult researcher about Bughuul haunting images of itself, what does Ellison do when he gets the "Extended Cuts" dumped into his lap with a brand new set of films and projector? He painstakingly matches up the cuts with the original films, edits them back together, and watches them. At no point during this lengthy process does he stop to think it might not be a good idea to continue Tempting Fate.
 Sinister / int_15b2cab3
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Sinister / int_15b2cab3
 Sinister / int_1777688d
type
Genre Savvy
 Sinister / int_1777688d
comment
Deputy So-and-So would also qualify, with his concern for Ellison's well-being and Genre Savvy in solving the Bughuul case.
 Sinister / int_1777688d
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Sinister / int_1777688d
 Sinister / int_187bddc1
type
Religion of Evil
 Sinister / int_187bddc1
comment
Religion of Evil: In the backstory, where some children were sacrificed to an evil god.
 Sinister / int_187bddc1
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Sinister / int_187bddc1
 Sinister / int_1b122c5d
type
Scare Chord
 Sinister / int_1b122c5d
comment
The "Lawn Work" reel, which has you waiting on the edge of your seat, knowing what WILL happen, but the Scare Chord will still make you jump.
 Sinister / int_1b122c5d
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Sinister / int_1b122c5d
 Sinister / int_1e584efa
type
Cruel and Unusual Death
 Sinister / int_1e584efa
comment
Cruel and Unusual Death: The murders are incredibly disturbing, and only the most gruesome ones get a Gory Discretion Shot. The last murder of the first film also cuts away right before the fact, but Ashley's drawing of it spares no details.
 Sinister / int_1e584efa
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Sinister / int_1e584efa
 Sinister / int_1e8f4221
type
Fingore
 Sinister / int_1e8f4221
comment
Fingore: Deputy So-and-So has two fingers lopped off with a scythe during the climax.
 Sinister / int_1e8f4221
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Sinister / int_1e8f4221
 Sinister / int_1f250372
type
I Need a Freaking Drink
 Sinister / int_1f250372
comment
I Need a Freaking Drink: Ellison hits the bottle pretty hard. It's ambiguous as to if he has a problem with drinking or if the things he's experiencing are just that terrible. It's also part of the reason he keeps brushing off the signs of the supernatural, as he probably thinks the alcohol is making him see things.
 Sinister / int_1f250372
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Sinister / int_1f250372
 Sinister / int_1f963842
type
Bloodier and Gorier
 Sinister / int_1f963842
comment
Bloodier and Gorier: The tapes in the second film don't leave as much to the imagination as the first. At the climax, we get to see So-and-So's fingers get lopped off with a sickle.
 Sinister / int_1f963842
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Sinister / int_1f963842
 Sinister / int_21bde5e8
type
The Tooth Hurts
 Sinister / int_21bde5e8
comment
The Tooth Hurts: From what little we see of A Trip to the Dentist in the sequel, it involves the child playing Depraved Dentist and inflicting deadly oral trauma with a long drill.
 Sinister / int_21bde5e8
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Sinister / int_21bde5e8
 Sinister / int_2260cfe3
type
Like Father, Like Son
 Sinister / int_2260cfe3
comment
His son, Zach, as well. Must be genetic.
 Sinister / int_2260cfe3
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Sinister / int_2260cfe3
 Sinister / int_22cf536c
type
Chekhov's Gun
 Sinister / int_22cf536c
comment
Chekhov's Gun: When Ellison spots a huge scorpion in his attic, he drops a heavy box on top of it, breaking and sinking a few of the boards, much to his chagrin. Later, when investigating odd noises in the attic during a blackout, he unknowingly steps on those weakened boards and falls through. While he's able to hang on for a few moments, it is later revealed that Bughuul's stolen children pulled him all the way down. A much more subtle one, almost qualifying for a Rewatch Bonus, on Ellison's first viewings of the movies, you can see in all of them at some point the glowing green drug used by Ashley at the end.
 Sinister / int_22cf536c
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Sinister / int_22cf536c
 Sinister / int_24321e44
type
Only Sane Man
 Sinister / int_24321e44
comment
Only Sane Man: Surprisingly Deputy So-and-So is the most level-headed character.
 Sinister / int_24321e44
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 Sinister / int_24321e44
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Sinister / int_24321e44
 Sinister / int_269e82c1
type
Death of a Child
 Sinister / int_269e82c1
comment
Death of a Child: Right in the first few frames. They still cut away from the most graphic child-deaths, though, or show them only out of focus.
 Sinister / int_269e82c1
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Sinister / int_269e82c1
 Sinister / int_297ab1b9
type
Parental Abandonment
 Sinister / int_297ab1b9
comment
Ellison has shades of this. He brushes off his kids so much that it would be safe to consider it some early form of Parental Abandonment, has a drinking problem (although justified with the things he uses it to cope with), and destroys his relationship with his family by moving to the house for another book. He starts to change near the end, although an axe to the head stops character development for him.
 Sinister / int_297ab1b9
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Sinister / int_297ab1b9
 Sinister / int_2a7e7af1
type
Limited Wardrobe
 Sinister / int_2a7e7af1
comment
Limited Wardrobe: Work-at-home Ellison spends his time indoors (that is, 90% of the movie, spanning a couple of weeks) wearing an old gray sweater.
 Sinister / int_2a7e7af1
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Sinister / int_2a7e7af1
 Sinister / int_2b2c66c3
type
Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor
 Sinister / int_2b2c66c3
comment
Evil Has a Bad Sense of Humor: The Home Video titles, especially "Hanging Out."
 Sinister / int_2b2c66c3
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Sinister / int_2b2c66c3
 Sinister / int_2c9c05ee
type
DeathByGenreSavvy
 Sinister / int_2c9c05ee
comment
Death By Genre Savvy: Ellison starts to display a bit of savviness towards the end. When it's become readily apparent that he's in a horror movie and it's not just nerves and bad dreams, he acts like it. Unfortunately, as he finds out too late, this is what Bughuul is relying on. Sweet dreams.
 Sinister / int_2c9c05ee
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Sinister / int_2c9c05ee
 Sinister / int_2e8441c9
type
The Bad Guy Wins
 Sinister / int_2e8441c9
comment
The Bad Guy Wins: Bughuul has Ashley murder her family, then carries her over into his world.
 Sinister / int_2e8441c9
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Sinister / int_2e8441c9
 Sinister / int_33e48eb9
type
Hysterical Woman
 Sinister / int_33e48eb9
comment
His wife Tracy also has some shades of it. She can't seem to be able to discuss family problems without A) screaming at her kids or Ellison and loud enough that Ellison can hear it while drunk and working, and B) blaming Ellison for everything, as if he's the one telling his work's crime cases to his kids to get them traumatized and/or making them paint the walls with it. Whatever her worries and points are, she is NOT helping things out and acts less as a supporting loved one and more often as a stress factor for Ellison. It is implied at the beginning that their marriage is strained thanks to Ellison's failed follow-ups to Kentucky Blood and constantly moving house. Tracy explicitly says that if this one didn't work out, she would "take the kids and go to [her] sister's".
 Sinister / int_33e48eb9
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Sinister / int_33e48eb9
 Sinister / int_34d7d9b
type
Things That Go "Bump" in the Night
 Sinister / int_34d7d9b
comment
Things That Go "Bump" in the Night: Bughuul is the mythological basis for — and a deconstruction of — the boogeyman. Whereas the boogeyman is usually said to take away children who've done something bad as punishment, Bughuul corrupts children into evil deeds (specifically, murdering their entire families) so that he can take them back to his world and devour their souls over time for sustenance.
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Sinister / int_34d7d9b
 Sinister / int_382a6399
type
The Hero Dies
 Sinister / int_382a6399
comment
The Hero Dies: Implied with the ending, where Bughuul pops up in Deputy So-and-So's room, but with plenty of wiggle room if they ever want So-and-So to return in a sequel.
 Sinister / int_382a6399
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Sinister / int_382a6399
 Sinister / int_38d02d44
type
Batman Gambit
 Sinister / int_38d02d44
comment
Batman Gambit: Bughuul's modus operandi depends upon people actually doing the sensible thing and leaving a seemingly haunted house.
 Sinister / int_38d02d44
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Sinister / int_38d02d44
 Sinister / int_391d6577
type
Sequel Escalation
 Sinister / int_391d6577
comment
Sequel Escalation: Derrickson showed restraint with the first film's violence with most of it either being bloodless or implied. Ciaran Foy showed no such restraint in the sequel with murders that were bloodier and more explicit.
 Sinister / int_391d6577
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Sinister / int_391d6577
 Sinister / int_3946634e
type
The Smart Guy
 Sinister / int_3946634e
comment
The Smart Guy: Professor Jonas, the occult expert that provides the protagonist and audience with the lore about Bughuul.
 Sinister / int_3946634e
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 Sinister / int_3946634e
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Sinister / int_3946634e
 Sinister / int_3eee0728
type
Captain Obvious
 Sinister / int_3eee0728
comment
Captain Obvious: This gem from Deputy So-and-So:
 Sinister / int_3eee0728
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Sinister / int_3eee0728
 Sinister / int_41d50d81
type
Big Brother Bully
 Sinister / int_41d50d81
comment
Zach is the Red Oni of the twins. Like his father, he tends to be quicker to anger, is a Big Brother Bully to Dylan and ultimately ends up being the brother that gets corrupted by Bughuul. His wardrobe tends to consist of colors more often associated with anger or "evil." Most of his shirts are red, while his pajamas are black shorts and a grey undershirt.
 Sinister / int_41d50d81
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Sinister / int_41d50d81
 Sinister / int_423f5a19
type
Killed Offscreen
 Sinister / int_423f5a19
comment
Killed Offscreen: Professor Jonas from the first film is said to have mysteriously disappeared shortly after the Oswalt murders. It's heavily implied that Bughuul is responsible.
 Sinister / int_423f5a19
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Sinister / int_423f5a19
 Sinister / int_444154b8
type
Nightmare Fuel Coloring Book
 Sinister / int_444154b8
comment
Nightmare Fuel Coloring Book: The interior of the lid of the "Home Movies" box, with childish drawings depicting the murders. And every new child adds his or her own family to it before leaving this world. Ashley's wall painting starts off pretty innocently, until Bughuul's influence changes them.
 Sinister / int_444154b8
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 Sinister / int_444154b8
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Sinister / int_444154b8
 Sinister / int_47b6a1e5
type
"Just Joking" Justification
 Sinister / int_47b6a1e5
comment
"Just Joking" Justification: In an interview during his first book tour, Ellison claimed that his motivation for writing was "fame and money," then played it off as a joke and claimed that he was actually driven by a desire for justice. Given what we know about Ellison, his answer is suspicious.
 Sinister / int_47b6a1e5
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Sinister / int_47b6a1e5
 Sinister / int_49f20c6a
type
Gory Discretion Shot
 Sinister / int_49f20c6a
comment
Gory Discretion Shot: The videos of the worst murder in "Lawn Work" does not show the carnage outright, choosing instead to pull away to Ellison's horrified reaction. In "Sleepy Time", the two adults murders are only shown reflected in Ellison's glasses, and the kid's murder is out of focus as Ellison looks away from the screen and drinks his whiskey.
 Sinister / int_49f20c6a
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Sinister / int_49f20c6a
 Sinister / int_4e3d253b
type
Downer Ending
 Sinister / int_4e3d253b
comment
Downer Ending: The only thing stopping it from being even more of a downer is that Deputy So-and-So has just about all the information about Bughuul and the entire mystery, giving him an opportunity to prevent the deaths of any more families.
 Sinister / int_4e3d253b
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Sinister / int_4e3d253b
 Sinister / int_4e7c4536
type
Wham Line
 Sinister / int_4e7c4536
comment
Wham Line: "Don't worry, Daddy. I'll make you famous again."
 Sinister / int_4e7c4536
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 Sinister / int_4e7c4536
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Sinister / int_4e7c4536
 Sinister / int_4e7f703c
type
Wham Shot
 Sinister / int_4e7f703c
comment
Wham Shot: The "Extended Endings".
 Sinister / int_4e7f703c
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 Sinister / int_4e7f703c
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 Sinister
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Sinister / int_4e7f703c
 Sinister / int_4f84cdef
type
Smug Snake
 Sinister / int_4f84cdef
comment
Smug Snake: Both Clint and Zach Collins both think they are above everybody else and get what they want.
 Sinister / int_4f84cdef
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 Sinister / int_4f84cdef
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Sinister / int_4f84cdef
 Sinister / int_508d91a2
type
Pre-Mortem One-Liner
 Sinister / int_508d91a2
comment
Pre-Mortem One-Liner: "I'll make you famous again, Daddy."
 Sinister / int_508d91a2
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 Sinister / int_508d91a2
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Sinister / int_508d91a2
 Sinister / int_53322bef
type
New House, New Problems
 Sinister / int_53322bef
comment
New House, New Problems: As to be expected in a supernatural horror film that starts with moving to the location of a violent murder. A mild twist in that the house itself only matters in that it is the current location of the films.
 Sinister / int_53322bef
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 Sinister / int_53322bef
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 Sinister
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Sinister / int_53322bef
 Sinister / int_534bf3ee
type
Deceptively Silly Title
 Sinister / int_534bf3ee
comment
Deceptively Silly Title: The naming scheme of the Super 8 films continues, including: Fishing Trip: The family is bound over a lake and eaten by alligators. Christmas Morning: They are tied up with Christmas lights and buried in the snow. Kitchen Remodel: Everybody is electrocuted in a flooded kitchen. Sunday Service: A particularly gruesome murder at a church. A Trip To The Dentist: The family is secured in dental chairs and their teeth—and, eventually, heads—are violently drilled.
 Sinister / int_534bf3ee
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 Sinister / int_534bf3ee
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Sinister / int_534bf3ee
 Sinister / int_58626d87
type
Genius Ditz
 Sinister / int_58626d87
comment
Genius Ditz: Deputy So-and-So is Genre Savvy, has a criminology degree, and frequently dispenses useful information. He's also a Captain Obvious and constantly Comically Misses The Point.
 Sinister / int_58626d87
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 Sinister / int_58626d87
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Sinister / int_58626d87
 Sinister / int_59a9605d
type
Never Smile at a Crocodile
 Sinister / int_59a9605d
comment
Never Smile at a Crocodile: Yet another creative sacrifice in the sequel: death by big hungry alligator.
 Sinister / int_59a9605d
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 Sinister / int_59a9605d
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Sinister / int_59a9605d
 Sinister / int_5ce2c9c6
type
Suddenly Shouting
 Sinister / int_5ce2c9c6
comment
Suddenly Shouting: Father of the year Clint has a doozy when he shouts at his son to eat.
 Sinister / int_5ce2c9c6
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 Sinister / int_5ce2c9c6
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Sinister / int_5ce2c9c6
 Sinister / int_5db59a03
type
Brown Note
 Sinister / int_5db59a03
comment
Brown Note: Seeing Bughuul's film clips puts the viewer at risk. How much they give into the temptations varies, as well as how much at risk they are.
 Sinister / int_5db59a03
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 Sinister / int_5db59a03
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Sinister / int_5db59a03
 Sinister / int_60b21fa3
type
The Lancer
 Sinister / int_60b21fa3
comment
The Lancer: Ellison's wife, Tracy.
 Sinister / int_60b21fa3
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Sinister / int_60b21fa3
 Sinister / int_61a503a7
type
Hell Is That Noise
 Sinister / int_61a503a7
comment
Hell Is That Noise: The horrible scream in the lawnmower tape.
 Sinister / int_61a503a7
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 Sinister / int_61a503a7
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 Sinister
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Sinister / int_61a503a7
 Sinister / int_63b02752
type
Hair-Trigger Temper
 Sinister / int_63b02752
comment
Hair-Trigger Temper: Clint, to a terrifying degree. It's telling that one of the least terrifying things we see of him is the quick turnaround from relatively calm to literally force-feeding his son. Also, to some extent, his son Zach.
 Sinister / int_63b02752
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 Sinister / int_63b02752
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 Sinister
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Sinister / int_63b02752
 Sinister / int_6b2b3b59
type
The Reveal
 Sinister / int_6b2b3b59
comment
It also spoils Bughuul's name and methods (how he propagates via images of himself.) The latter was an important part of The Reveal.
 Sinister / int_6b2b3b59
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 Sinister / int_6b2b3b59
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Sinister / int_6b2b3b59
 Sinister / int_6edc54d5
type
Here We Go Again!
 Sinister / int_6edc54d5
comment
Here We Go Again!: A very dark example. The film ends with a shot of the Super 8 reels, now including an additional depicting the Oswalts' murder, stashed in the attic of the family's original home. The clear implication is whatever family moves into the house next will become Bughuul's next victims, and that the cycle of killings will continue.
 Sinister / int_6edc54d5
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 Sinister / int_6edc54d5
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Sinister / int_6edc54d5
 Sinister / int_726ac70d
type
Supernatural-Proof Father
 Sinister / int_726ac70d
comment
Supernatural-Proof Father: Played straight with Clint Collins, when he viciously disregard the warnings of Deputy So-and-So about the danger Bughuul poses to him and his family.
 Sinister / int_726ac70d
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 Sinister / int_726ac70d
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Sinister / int_726ac70d
 Sinister / int_7286e96d
type
Idiot Ball
 Sinister / int_7286e96d
comment
Idiot Ball: Ellison firmly and lovingly grabs it several times: He chooses not to turn the evidence to the sheriff, choosing to investigate the murders on his own. After he falls through the attic floor in the blackout, he opens the camera recording of himself and sees little ghost hands around him as he tries to hang on to the hole, and doesn't do anything about it. After "escaping" Bughuul by leaving what he believes is a haunted house, Ellison chooses to ignore the Deputy's calls throughout the entire day, and only answers at the worst possible time: at night, after having drunk the coffee drugged by his daughter. Having just heard from the occult researcher about Bughuul haunting images of itself, what does Ellison do when he gets the "Extended Cuts" dumped into his lap with a brand new set of films and projector? He painstakingly matches up the cuts with the original films, edits them back together, and watches them. At no point during this lengthy process does he stop to think it might not be a good idea to continue Tempting Fate.
 Sinister / int_7286e96d
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1.0
 Sinister / int_7286e96d
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_7286e96d
 Sinister / int_7301ae04
type
Serial Killer
 Sinister / int_7301ae04
comment
When Ellison first talks with Professor Jonas, the latter postulates that the murders are the result of an initiation ritual for a cult, rather than the work of a Serial Killer, due to the large temporal/geographic span between the killings and the obscurity of Bughuul. He's not completely off-the-mark; the killers are the missing children of each family, and the murders are indeed their "initiation" for joining Bughuul in his realm.
 Sinister / int_7301ae04
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_7301ae04
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_7301ae04
 Sinister / int_740f59b4
type
ColorCodedForYourConvenience
 Sinister / int_740f59b4
comment
Color-Coded for Your Convenience / Red Oni, Blue Oni: The twins, Dylan and Zach: Dylan acts as the Blue Oni of the twins. He's generally much more quiet and reserved, is more respectful to their mother and meek around their father. He also tends to wear clothing in colors classically associated with "good." The majority of his shirts are blue, while his pajamas, often seen when watching the home movies, are light blue shorts and a white undershirt. The movie attempts a Bait-and-Switch by showing Dylan in a redshirt preparing to kill his family, though this is revealed to be Dylan's nightmare that opens the movie. Zach is the Red Oni of the twins. Like his father, he tends to be quicker to anger, is a Big Brother Bully to Dylan and ultimately ends up being the brother that gets corrupted by Bughuul. His wardrobe tends to consist of colors more often associated with anger or "evil." Most of his shirts are red, while his pajamas are black shorts and a grey undershirt.
 Sinister / int_740f59b4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_740f59b4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_740f59b4
 Sinister / int_74ba7be
type
Mirthless Laughter
 Sinister / int_74ba7be
comment
Mirthless Laughter: Deputy So-and-So's reaction to hearing that Ellison didn't tell his wife that they moved into the house where the murders took place.
 Sinister / int_74ba7be
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_74ba7be
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_74ba7be
 Sinister / int_79a0e313
type
Bolivian Army Ending
 Sinister / int_79a0e313
comment
Bolivian Army Ending: The film ends with Bughuul suddenly appearing in front of Deputy So-and-So via a radio that recorded one of Bughuul's murders. It's implied that Professor Jonas from the first film was killed in the same way and we see Bughuul's Touch of Death earlier in the film, so So-and-So's odds aren't looking too good..
 Sinister / int_79a0e313
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_79a0e313
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_79a0e313
 Sinister / int_7cc8d769
type
Sore Loser
 Sinister / int_7cc8d769
comment
Sore Loser: Bughuul does not take it well when a family evades him. Probably why he goes after So-and-So at the ending.
 Sinister / int_7cc8d769
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_7cc8d769
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_7cc8d769
 Sinister / int_7eebe99c
type
The Alcoholic
 Sinister / int_7eebe99c
comment
The Alcoholic: Possibly. Ellison drinks heavily throughout the movie and it's not clear whether this is just the stress of the investigation or because he has a serious problem.
 Sinister / int_7eebe99c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_7eebe99c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_7eebe99c
 Sinister / int_7fbb2a3
type
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!
 Sinister / int_7fbb2a3
comment
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Had Ellison chosen not to flee the house with his family, they would have survived. Even if he had simply waited a day or two, he would've learned from Deputy So-and-So and Professor Jonas about the connected nature of the murders/Bughuul's possession method, and been able to piece together the mystery without having put himself and his family in line to be the next victims.
 Sinister / int_7fbb2a3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_7fbb2a3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_7fbb2a3
 Sinister / int_80cd1f62
type
God of Evil
 Sinister / int_80cd1f62
comment
God of Evil: Bughuul, if he can really be considered a god at all. His only purpose is to devour the souls of the children that he corrupts just so he can continue to endure.
 Sinister / int_80cd1f62
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_80cd1f62
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1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_80cd1f62
 Sinister / int_81c23aae
type
Bloody Horror
 Sinister / int_81c23aae
comment
Bloody Horror: The advertising was pretty bloody, with a commercial of a girl smearing blood on the walls with her hands with the film's title appearing as the blood drips on the wall. The movie itself pretty much mostly averts this, except for Ashley's reel.
 Sinister / int_81c23aae
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_81c23aae
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1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_81c23aae
 Sinister / int_851dda8f
type
Humanoid Abomination
 Sinister / int_851dda8f
comment
Humanoid Abomination: Bughuul when he manifests is this trope. What else could he be when he looks like THAT?!◊
 Sinister / int_851dda8f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_851dda8f
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_851dda8f
 Sinister / int_8797239c
type
Bait-and-Switch
 Sinister / int_8797239c
comment
Dylan acts as the Blue Oni of the twins. He's generally much more quiet and reserved, is more respectful to their mother and meek around their father. He also tends to wear clothing in colors classically associated with "good." The majority of his shirts are blue, while his pajamas, often seen when watching the home movies, are light blue shorts and a white undershirt. The movie attempts a Bait-and-Switch by showing Dylan in a redshirt preparing to kill his family, though this is revealed to be Dylan's nightmare that opens the movie.
 Sinister / int_8797239c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_8797239c
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_8797239c
 Sinister / int_87bb6874
type
Villain with Good Publicity
 Sinister / int_87bb6874
comment
Villain with Good Publicity: Abusive parent Clint Collins is this in the eyes of the law under his payroll and the press when describing him as an "agricultural magnate" who married his "high school sweetheart".
 Sinister / int_87bb6874
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_87bb6874
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_87bb6874
 Sinister / int_8cb844c6
type
Mr. Exposition
 Sinister / int_8cb844c6
comment
Mr. Exposition: Professor Jonas, who provides all of the background and lore about Bughuul.
 Sinister / int_8cb844c6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_8cb844c6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_8cb844c6
 Sinister / int_8ed5c6e4
type
Asshole Victim
 Sinister / int_8ed5c6e4
comment
Asshole Victim: It's pretty terrifying when the first thing you see is three people tied to crosses and the person in the middle going up in flames. But when you find out that person is the kids' abusive Jerkass father, it goes from terrifying to Laser-Guided Karma. He's also the only one who dies in Zach's film. Near the end, Zach gets reduced to a skeleton by Mr. Boogie after trying and failing to brutally murder his family.
 Sinister / int_8ed5c6e4
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1.0
 Sinister / int_8ed5c6e4
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_8ed5c6e4
 Sinister / int_906365a2
type
Demonic Possession
 Sinister / int_906365a2
comment
Demonic Possession: The true killer in the footage is the missing child of each family, who became a vessel for Bughuul's evil before joining him in his realm.
 Sinister / int_906365a2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_906365a2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_906365a2
 Sinister / int_970c790a
type
Big Bad
 Sinister / int_970c790a
comment
Big Bad: Bughuul/Mr. Boogie
 Sinister / int_970c790a
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1.0
 Sinister / int_970c790a
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_970c790a
 Sinister / int_97926168
type
Rewatch Bonus
 Sinister / int_97926168
comment
A much more subtle one, almost qualifying for a Rewatch Bonus, on Ellison's first viewings of the movies, you can see in all of them at some point the glowing green drug used by Ashley at the end.
 Sinister / int_97926168
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1.0
 Sinister / int_97926168
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 Sinister
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Sinister / int_97926168
 Sinister / int_9843be73
type
As You Know
 Sinister / int_9843be73
comment
As You Know: Lampshaded. "He's twelve years old." "Mom, he knows how old I am."
 Sinister / int_9843be73
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_9843be73
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_9843be73
 Sinister / int_98936e28
type
Haunted Technology
 Sinister / int_98936e28
comment
Haunted Technology: All the way from woodcut prints to digital images on a computer. If it can hold Bughuul's image, it can be haunted by him. The sequel reveals that a radio transmission is also sufficient.
 Sinister / int_98936e28
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_98936e28
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1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_98936e28
 Sinister / int_99b22790
type
The Knights Who Say "Squee!"
 Sinister / int_99b22790
comment
The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Deputy So-and-So is actually quite competent, eloquent, and does a decent job piecing together the mystery even when Ellison feeds him only small tidbits of information. He just gives the wrong first impression because he's absolutely starstruck with meeting the author of one of his favorite books, and his eagerness to help and earn a note in Ellison's Acknowledgments page annoys the writer.
 Sinister / int_99b22790
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1.0
 Sinister / int_99b22790
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1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_99b22790
 Sinister / int_9bca83eb
type
Death by Irony
 Sinister / int_9bca83eb
comment
Death by Irony: In a manner of speaking. As far as we know, these aren't Karmic Deaths, since there's no evidence the victims aren't innocent, but most of the Super 8 films demonstrate this trope: three of the films each introduce a motif in the family's daily life before revealing that the murder is inspired by that motif. The tire swing inspires Family Hanging Out '11; BBQ '79 opens with footage of a normal barbecue; and Pool Party '66 is obviously only possible because the family owned a pool. The last two films to be shown flout this pattern, since Sleepy Time '98 features no buildup before the murder scene, and Lawn Work '86 starts with some Red Herring footage of the family just watching TV, but the end of the movie brings this trope back in full force when the latest murder turns out to have been foreshadowed by the daughter's penchant for wall-painting.
 Sinister / int_9bca83eb
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1.0
 Sinister / int_9bca83eb
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 Sinister
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Sinister / int_9bca83eb
 Sinister / int_9bcd82c0
type
Took a Level in Badass
 Sinister / int_9bcd82c0
comment
Took a Level in Badass: Deputy So-and-So has made it his mission to prevent another mass family murder by burning down every location where Bughuul has caused one. When he finds a family hiding out at one such location, he needs to take a different approach.
 Sinister / int_9bcd82c0
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1.0
 Sinister / int_9bcd82c0
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 Sinister
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Sinister / int_9bcd82c0
 Sinister / int_9c1f758a
type
Kill It with Fire
 Sinister / int_9c1f758a
comment
Kill It with Fire: The fate of Clint, who gets burned alive while tied to a cross.
 Sinister / int_9c1f758a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_9c1f758a
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 Sinister
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Sinister / int_9c1f758a
 Sinister / int_9d12bbc1
type
Foreshadowing
 Sinister / int_9d12bbc1
comment
Foreshadowing: While Ellison isn't looking, Bughuul moves in the picture on the laptop to stare at him. It seems like just another scare at first, until we learn Bughuul's method of haunting near the end. Early in the film, it was pointed out that the executions were done after the victims were drugged, removing the need to overpower them, and one child from the family was never found. It was finally revealed that the missing children drugged their families before staging elaborate kills. In some of the reels, a green glow usually found inside a glass can be seen, indicating the drugs used on the families. Guess what later appears in Ellison's coffee? The drawings on the inside of the reel box lid have each family member labeled. 'Dad' and 'Mom' are always labeled for the husband and wife, making an extremely strong clue that a child murdered each family. During a discussion with his wife over living on the same house that the family died on, Ellison tells his wife the family didn't die inside the house and that "they didn't have to wash the blood off the walls". But they will have to in his family's case, given Ashley's painting skills. In the old interview, Ellison jokes about how he'd rather have his hands cut off than write a book for fame or money. He ends up getting his hands cut off in his pursuit for fame and/or money. Along with his head, legs, arms... When the reels are first seen on screen, they're kept in a particular box with slots for each one. All but one are filled.◊ The Oswalts were doomed from the off. When Ellison first talks with Professor Jonas, the latter postulates that the murders are the result of an initiation ritual for a cult, rather than the work of a Serial Killer, due to the large temporal/geographic span between the killings and the obscurity of Bughuul. He's not completely off-the-mark; the killers are the missing children of each family, and the murders are indeed their "initiation" for joining Bughuul in his realm.
 Sinister / int_9d12bbc1
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1.0
 Sinister / int_9d12bbc1
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_9d12bbc1
 Sinister / int_9e1e14ea
type
Ambition Is Evil
 Sinister / int_9e1e14ea
comment
Ambition Is Evil: Ellison's fatal flaw. Ellison is so desperate to have another hit book that he keeps investigating, to the point of withholding evidence from the authorities, and ignoring the clear toll it is taking on himself and his family.
 Sinister / int_9e1e14ea
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1.0
 Sinister / int_9e1e14ea
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_9e1e14ea
 Sinister / int_a65288e2
type
Ascended Extra
 Sinister / int_a65288e2
comment
Ascended Extra: Deputy So-and-So is the new lead character.
 Sinister / int_a65288e2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_a65288e2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_a65288e2
 Sinister / int_a6bd04e0
type
Rule of Scary
 Sinister / int_a6bd04e0
comment
Rule of Scary: Despite fifty years of technological innovation, Bughuul seems to prefer Super 8 film over any other medium. It's most likely because it's relatively easy to edit Super 8 film, thus enabling him to hold back the information until it's too late to do something about it, though for practical purposes it's because the silent Super 8 films are just that much scarier.
 Sinister / int_a6bd04e0
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1.0
 Sinister / int_a6bd04e0
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_a6bd04e0
 Sinister / int_aba8065b
type
Fatal Flaw
 Sinister / int_aba8065b
comment
Fatal Flaw: Pride for Ellison. It drives him to move to the house in the first place, lie to his wife, withhold information from the sheriff, and try to solve the murders himself.
 Sinister / int_aba8065b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_aba8065b
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_aba8065b
 Sinister / int_acecb17d
type
Chekhov's Skill
 Sinister / int_acecb17d
comment
Chekhov's Skill: Ashley's ability to paint. Bughuul had extra fun with this; while the other children merely drew his sigil, he had Ashley turn entire hallways into horrific displays in his honor, all out of her own family's blood. Her knowing how to make dad's coffee is a smaller, but equally sadistic, Chekhov's skill.
 Sinister / int_acecb17d
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1.0
 Sinister / int_acecb17d
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_acecb17d
 Sinister / int_ad1db87c
type
Oh, Crap!
 Sinister / int_ad1db87c
comment
Oh, Crap!: The third act is essentially a sustained version of this for Ellison; after fleeing back to his old home with his family and briefly believing they've escaped the horror, he's informed by Professor Jonas that Bughuul haunts images, not houses, and he hasn't deleted the digital files of the Super 8 reels he scanned from his laptop. He proceeds to find the restored Super-8 films in his attic and is then told by Deputy So-and-So that all the families that had been murdered previously lived in the house when the previous victims were killed, and were then killed after they moved out. This culminates when Ellison sees a green glow at the bottom of his coffee mug, and then Ashley appears...
 Sinister / int_ad1db87c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_ad1db87c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_ad1db87c
 Sinister / int_ad22fa80
type
Apocalyptic Log
 Sinister / int_ad22fa80
comment
Apocalyptic Log: Used and mildly deconstructed. The logs are actually made by the Bughuul's servants and are haunted by him. The logs are the cause of the apocalypse.
 Sinister / int_ad22fa80
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_ad22fa80
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_ad22fa80
 Sinister / int_adfd3165
type
For the Evulz
 Sinister / int_adfd3165
comment
For the Evulz: The reason why Bughuul makes the children kill their own families before spiriting them away, which he could have done at any time without involving said families, is up for interpretation. The way he makes them label the "Home Videos" with ironic titles, as well as the variety and creativity of the murders, hints at least a touch of sheer sadism and possibly to goad potential victims to watch the movies and unknowingly summon him. Furthermore, given that Bughuul is a deity of images, making visual records of his actions may strengthen him, or his control, or simply be a part of 'worshipping' him.
 Sinister / int_adfd3165
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1.0
 Sinister / int_adfd3165
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_adfd3165
 Sinister / int_b0cd3349
type
Fridge Brilliance
 Sinister / int_b0cd3349
comment
Dogs and snakes are shown as well. A bit of Fridge Brilliance, since all three were seen in places Bughuul had just been. Scorpions and snakes are also poisonous, fitting in with the mysterious poison used to paralyze the victims to allow for elaborate executions.
 Sinister / int_b0cd3349
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1.0
 Sinister / int_b0cd3349
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 Sinister
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Sinister / int_b0cd3349
 Sinister / int_b0d6dfa8
type
Sand Necktie
 Sinister / int_b0d6dfa8
comment
Sand Necktie: A variant using snow appears in Christmas Morning, where one of the children buries her family up to their face in snow to leave them to die of hypothermia.
 Sinister / int_b0d6dfa8
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1.0
 Sinister / int_b0d6dfa8
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 Sinister
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Sinister / int_b0d6dfa8
 Sinister / int_b11ac9f5
type
Abusive Parents
 Sinister / int_b11ac9f5
comment
Abusive Parents: Clint Collins. He's the reason Courtney and her sons are at the farmhouse to begin with.
 Sinister / int_b11ac9f5
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_b11ac9f5
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_b11ac9f5
 Sinister / int_b1f4c5bb
type
Enhance Button
 Sinister / int_b1f4c5bb
comment
Enhance Button: Played with. Once he has learned to record the Super 8 projections with a digital camcorder, Ellison uses the files to examine the videos frame by frame, capture stills, and print images. Zooming into Bughuul's face usually pixelates the hell out of it, but in one notable occasion it comes out in such clear detail, Ellison himself is startled by it. It's implied that this is Bughuul himself and not just a picture.
 Sinister / int_b1f4c5bb
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1.0
 Sinister / int_b1f4c5bb
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_b1f4c5bb
 Sinister / int_b3fda903
type
Touch of Death
 Sinister / int_b3fda903
comment
Touch of Death: Bughuul is revealed to have this ability, using it to reduce Zach to a skeleton after he fails to kill his family.
 Sinister / int_b3fda903
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_b3fda903
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_b3fda903
 Sinister / int_b5c56995
type
Corrupt the Cutie
 Sinister / int_b5c56995
comment
Corrupt the Cutie: We get to see this process, with Bughuul's corrupted children forcing Dylan to watch their films. When Dylan finally rejects them, the children reveal that their attempts to turn Dylan was sufficient to corrupt Zach.
 Sinister / int_b5c56995
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1.0
 Sinister / int_b5c56995
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_b5c56995
 Sinister / int_babc974
type
Sadistic Choice
 Sinister / int_babc974
comment
Sadistic Choice: The choice someone has (whether they realize it or not) after Bughuul starts pursuing them is to either move away and be killed brutally by their own child, or to stay in the house haunted by Bughuul and be terrorized by a Pagan god whose only goal literally is to mentally destroy his prey for the rest of their life.
 Sinister / int_babc974
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_babc974
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_babc974
 Sinister / int_bbd981ee
type
Child Eater
 Sinister / int_bbd981ee
comment
Child Eater: Bughuul, the "Eater of Children". It's more of a "consume your soul" type deal, but his followers apparently took it a bit literally. The 'eating' part appears to happen VERY SLOWLY - when Bughuul's former victims are seen, they appear to be in various stages of decomposition - presumably the reason there are only 5 of them is that the previous ones have been completely consumed.
 Sinister / int_bbd981ee
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1.0
 Sinister / int_bbd981ee
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_bbd981ee
 Sinister / int_be009bbc
type
Alliterative Name
 Sinister / int_be009bbc
comment
Alliterative Name: Clint and Courtney Collins
 Sinister / int_be009bbc
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1.0
 Sinister / int_be009bbc
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_be009bbc
 Sinister / int_be0ad6b7
type
Used to Be a Sweet Kid
 Sinister / int_be0ad6b7
comment
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Zach was a pretty average kid and seemed to be a kind older brother to Dylan before Bughuul took a hold of him, which makes his death a bit more tragic, even if he was the Asshole Victim.
 Sinister / int_be0ad6b7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_be0ad6b7
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1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_be0ad6b7
 Sinister / int_c04b1231
type
Jump Scare
 Sinister / int_c04b1231
comment
Jump Scare: Deputy So-and-So closely inspects a photo which has Bughuul in a shadowy corner, then Bughuul suddenly moves forward in that photo. A jump scare in a literal sense, as Deputy So-and-So quickly freaks out and stands after witnessing it.
 Sinister / int_c04b1231
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1.0
 Sinister / int_c04b1231
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 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_c04b1231
 Sinister / int_c2cedc1c
type
Big "NO!"
 Sinister / int_c2cedc1c
comment
Big "NO!": Zach lets out several of these, culminating in a very long one, after Deputy So-and-So destroys his camera, ruining his film.
 Sinister / int_c2cedc1c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_c2cedc1c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_c2cedc1c
 Sinister / int_c3b40ab8
type
Evil Redhead
 Sinister / int_c3b40ab8
comment
Evil Redhead: in the first film, Ashley (the only red-headed member of the Oswalt family) falls under Bughuul's thrall, ultimately sacrificing her family to him. In the second fim, three of the Ghost Kids have red (or reddish) hair: Ted (Fishing Trip) has reddish brown hair, while Emma (Christmas Morning) and Catherine (Trip to the Dentist) are both redheads.
 Sinister / int_c3b40ab8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_c3b40ab8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_c3b40ab8
 Sinister / int_c5249b29
type
Nice Guy
 Sinister / int_c5249b29
comment
Nice Guy: Deputy So-and-So is friendly, and polite. And when Ellison confides in him about the creepy things he sees, he doesn't patronize him when giving him reasons that there isn't anything supernatural going on.
 Sinister / int_c5249b29
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_c5249b29
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_c5249b29
 Sinister / int_c5b47b36
type
Offscreen Moment of Awesome
 Sinister / int_c5b47b36
comment
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Between the movies, Deputy So-And-So has been tracking down the homes that were connected by the murders and burning them to the ground to prevent anyone else from being affected.
 Sinister / int_c5b47b36
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_c5b47b36
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_c5b47b36
 Sinister / int_c67af1b0
type
Big Bad Wannabe
 Sinister / int_c67af1b0
comment
Big Bad Wannabe: Clint Collins is a menacing Abusive Dad and husband with connections to the law, but is in way over his head in the world of the supernatural. His son, Zach, as well. Must be genetic.
 Sinister / int_c67af1b0
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_c67af1b0
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_c67af1b0
 Sinister / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 Sinister / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: At one point, Dylan and Zach watch an old horror movie (Night of the Living Dead) before Courtney, not wanting them to get nightmares, switches it off; much to their dismay. She leads them to bed shortly afterwards.
 Sinister / int_c75df49a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_c75df49a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_c75df49a
 Sinister / int_cb70651c
type
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane
 Sinister / int_cb70651c
comment
Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Trevor's night terrors are one of the ambiguities - is he having night terrors because of Bughuul, or is it just a coincidence? In-universe, this is why Ellison persists in spite of the creepy things he sees: since This Is Reality, and many of the things he sees can have mundane causes, he doesn't assume anything is supernaturally wrong until it is no longer "maybe".
 Sinister / int_cb70651c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_cb70651c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_cb70651c
 Sinister / int_cbd2bfa3
type
Glory Days
 Sinister / int_cbd2bfa3
comment
Glory Days: During one late night, Ellison watches an old VHS of a TV appearance during his first book tour, when he was a new hotshot author. He apparently has many, many tapes of himself.
 Sinister / int_cbd2bfa3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_cbd2bfa3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_cbd2bfa3
 Sinister / int_cbe687ab
type
Corrupt Corporate Executive
 Sinister / int_cbe687ab
comment
Corrupt Corporate Executive: Clint Collins, who is both an abusive parent and an agricultural magnate according to the newspaper clips about the marriage between him and his estranged wife.
 Sinister / int_cbe687ab
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_cbe687ab
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_cbe687ab
 Sinister / int_cd83fa5b
type
Spoiler Opening
 Sinister / int_cd83fa5b
comment
Spoiler Opening: Once again the first thing we see is footage from one of the films that will be introduced later. This time the family is strung up like scarecrows and set on fire.
 Sinister / int_cd83fa5b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_cd83fa5b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_cd83fa5b
 Sinister / int_cdfe12c3
type
Nothing Is Scarier
 Sinister / int_cdfe12c3
comment
Nothing Is Scarier: The "Lawn Work" reel, which has you waiting on the edge of your seat, knowing what WILL happen, but the Scare Chord will still make you jump. Ellison and Deputy So-and-So's conversation in the living room after Ellison falls asleep with the baseball bat. It's just the two of them discussing the goings-on of the past few days, but the tension in this scene is damn near unbearable. The cinematography also features a lot of shots where the characters have their backs to a long dark corridor, and viewers kept expecting something to appear.
 Sinister / int_cdfe12c3
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_cdfe12c3
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_cdfe12c3
 Sinister / int_ce30e201
type
No Mouth
 Sinister / int_ce30e201
comment
No Mouth: Bughuul, the creature/entity, wears some sort of mouthless mask, or its mouth appears to be sewn shut.
 Sinister / int_ce30e201
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_ce30e201
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_ce30e201
 Sinister / int_d01b1c12
type
Opaque Lenses
 Sinister / int_d01b1c12
comment
Opaque Lenses: The camera pulls away from the "Sleepy Time" home movie, but shows the actual murder through the reflection on Ellison's glasses.
 Sinister / int_d01b1c12
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_d01b1c12
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_d01b1c12
 Sinister / int_d0692227
type
Spooky Photographs
 Sinister / int_d0692227
comment
Spooky Photographs: …and digital stills, paused footage, woodcut prints, paintings…
 Sinister / int_d0692227
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_d0692227
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_d0692227
 Sinister / int_d0f0a80d
type
One-Word Title
 Sinister / int_d0f0a80d
comment
One-Word Title
 Sinister / int_d0f0a80d
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_d0f0a80d
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_d0f0a80d
 Sinister / int_d2c0e2ed
type
Schmuck Bait
 Sinister / int_d2c0e2ed
comment
Schmuck Bait: The Super 8 reels and projector, which Bughuul leaves in the attic whenever a new family moves in. Taken even further when Ellison moves his family back to their old house, and Bughuul leaves the "Extended Cut" endings in his attic. His curiosity gets the better of him once again.
 Sinister / int_d2c0e2ed
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_d2c0e2ed
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_d2c0e2ed
 Sinister / int_d2d520f4
type
Our Ghouls Are Creepier
 Sinister / int_d2d520f4
comment
Our Ghouls Are Creepier: Though he's never called a ghoul, Bughuul is quite similar to the demonic ghouls of Arabic folklore and the Gallu of the ancient Mesopotamian religions.
 Sinister / int_d2d520f4
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_d2d520f4
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_d2d520f4
 Sinister / int_d67e900a
type
Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job
 Sinister / int_d67e900a
comment
Fallen-on-Hard-Times Job: Ellison's motivation for sticking around the house and not informing the police, despite the fact that he has discovered hard evidence of a serial killing. Scenes throughout the movie showed that his previous book Kentucky Blood was a great hit. He was unable to write a second big hit, and was unable to sustain the mortgage on his big mansion. He refuses to demean himself into writing textbooks, and hopes the murders can be his next big hit. The extent of this is only revealed near the end, where their old house is shown to be a two-story mansion.
 Sinister / int_d67e900a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_d67e900a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_d67e900a
 Sinister / int_d8573ef9
type
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!
 Sinister / int_d8573ef9
comment
Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Clint. And he's not afraid to use said connections to get his way.
 Sinister / int_d8573ef9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_d8573ef9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_d8573ef9
 Sinister / int_d965507b
type
Tragic Mistake
 Sinister / int_d965507b
comment
Tragic Mistake: After he watches the first reel, Ellison understandably calls the police to report it. However, after being taunted by the sheriff earlier and realizing this could be his next big break, he hangs up, screwing everyone in his family.
 Sinister / int_d965507b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_d965507b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_d965507b
 Sinister / int_dbca2c99
type
Red Herring
 Sinister / int_dbca2c99
comment
Red Herring: If you've figured out that Bughuul seduces children and gets them to murder their families, the recurrence of Trevor's night terrors might make you think he's the next target. Nope. It's Ashley.
 Sinister / int_dbca2c99
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_dbca2c99
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_dbca2c99
 Sinister / int_dca70c44
type
Reasonable Authority Figure
 Sinister / int_dca70c44
comment
Reasonable Authority Figure: So-and-So shows he still has shades of this despite not being a deputy anymore, when the state police cops sent by Clint Collins came by to regain custody of Courtney's children until Deputy So-and-So comes to the family's defense and with the knowledge he learned before when he was still in the force, points out that the cops do not have a proper warrant to do that.
 Sinister / int_dca70c44
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_dca70c44
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_dca70c44
 Sinister / int_de6bd03e
type
Trashy True Crime
 Sinister / int_de6bd03e
comment
Trashy True Crime: Though Ellison is a fairly sympathetic protagonist with a respectable writing career, several elements of the plot cast shadows on his character and profession. Despite his claims to want justice, it's clear that his only motivation for writing his true crime book is to revive his flagging career. At least one of his previous books had incorrect conclusions that damaged the case. The sheriff tells Ellison that his decision to move into the victims' house for research was extremely tasteless. And when Ellison uncovers bombshell evidence in his investigation, he makes the deeply questionable decision to keep the info for his book instead of turning it over to the police.
 Sinister / int_de6bd03e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_de6bd03e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_de6bd03e
 Sinister / int_dea5ae31
type
Doomed Protagonist
 Sinister / int_dea5ae31
comment
Doomed Protagonist: Every single member of the family dies or is taken by Bughuul.
 Sinister / int_dea5ae31
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_dea5ae31
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_dea5ae31
 Sinister / int_e0c470a1
type
The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You
 Sinister / int_e0c470a1
comment
The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You: The very last shot is a Jump Scare where Bughuul appears and stares out of the screen. He's looking at you.
 Sinister / int_e0c470a1
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_e0c470a1
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_e0c470a1
 Sinister / int_e2ccee25
type
Animal Motifs
 Sinister / int_e2ccee25
comment
Animal Motifs: Judging by the Middle Age woodcut prints, Bughuul is associated with scorpions. Dogs and snakes are shown as well. A bit of Fridge Brilliance, since all three were seen in places Bughuul had just been. Scorpions and snakes are also poisonous, fitting in with the mysterious poison used to paralyze the victims to allow for elaborate executions.
 Sinister / int_e2ccee25
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_e2ccee25
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_e2ccee25
 Sinister / int_e49686
type
The Hero
 Sinister / int_e49686
comment
The Hero: Deputy So-and-So has adopted this role, following the trail to try to prevent anyone else from falling victim to Bughuul.
 Sinister / int_e49686
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_e49686
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_e49686
 Sinister / int_e5fd8bc2
type
Hate Sink
 Sinister / int_e5fd8bc2
comment
Hate Sink: Clint Collins is a mundane horror in a not-so-mundane setting. He beat his wife, Courtney, and his son, Dylan, all while feeding into the corruption (which Bughuul exploits) of his other son, Zach. Later in the movie, he stuffs some food down Dylan's throat, and when ex-Deputy So and So tries to warn him to leave the house he'd just moved his family back into, he beats him to a pulp and then boasts about how he's going to "fuck [his] wife". Considering that he's an abuser and Courtney lives in fear of him, it should be pretty clear what this entails.
 Sinister / int_e5fd8bc2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_e5fd8bc2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_e5fd8bc2
 Sinister / int_e794cb54
type
Powered by a Forsaken Child
 Sinister / int_e794cb54
comment
Powered by a Forsaken Child: A rather literal example, in that Bughuul eats the actual corrupt souls of children, hence "forsaken".
 Sinister / int_e794cb54
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_e794cb54
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_e794cb54
 Sinister / int_e7e558
type
The Oner
 Sinister / int_e7e558
comment
The Oner: Used to heart-stoppingly good effect in "Lawn Work", the majority of which is one long shot angled downward on a moving lawnmower. You know damn well the mower's about to run over something it shouldn't, but thanks to the perspective of the long take, there's no warning before the inevitable happens.
 Sinister / int_e7e558
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_e7e558
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_e7e558
 Sinister / int_e9e35e8f
type
Exact Words
 Sinister / int_e9e35e8f
comment
Exact Words: At the beginning of the movie, Tracy tells Ellison he'd better not be moving the family to live near the scene of a murder again, and he says he's not. Which is true. They're not going to live near the house where the murder happened, they're going to live in it. Tracy is less than impressed when she realizes.
 Sinister / int_e9e35e8f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_e9e35e8f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_e9e35e8f
 Sinister / int_eb251937
type
Dirty Cop
 Sinister / int_eb251937
comment
Dirty Cop: The cops in Clint Collins' back pocket, going so far as to fake a legal order to take custody of the kids.
 Sinister / int_eb251937
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_eb251937
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_eb251937
 Sinister / int_eb81c601
type
Big Damn Heroes
 Sinister / int_eb81c601
comment
Big Damn Heroes: Just as Zach is about to burn the rest of his family to death on their crucifixes, Deputy So-And-So bursts out of the cornfield in his truck, strikes the boy head-on, and unties the survivors.
 Sinister / int_eb81c601
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_eb81c601
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_eb81c601
 Sinister / int_eb8ec7c8
type
Jerkass
 Sinister / int_eb8ec7c8
comment
Jerkass: The abusive father and husband Clint Collins very much follows this trope.
 Sinister / int_eb8ec7c8
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_eb8ec7c8
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_eb8ec7c8
 Sinister / int_eba6a077
type
Cain and Abel
 Sinister / int_eba6a077
comment
Cain and Abel: Zach is the Cain to Dylan's Abel.
 Sinister / int_eba6a077
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_eba6a077
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_eba6a077
 Sinister / int_f3d5d15f
type
Creepy Child
 Sinister / int_f3d5d15f
comment
Creepy Child: All of the corrupted children showing Dylan their films. Zach being a pawn for Bughuul.
 Sinister / int_f3d5d15f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_f3d5d15f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_f3d5d15f
 Sinister / int_f482730a
type
No Peripheral Vision
 Sinister / int_f482730a
comment
No Peripheral Vision: One scene has a ghost-girl's face appear to the left of Ellison's, only for him not to notice. This is used to establish he can't actually see them.
 Sinister / int_f482730a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_f482730a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_f482730a
 Sinister / int_f88f2449
type
Downer Beginning
 Sinister / int_f88f2449
comment
Downer Beginning: The opening scene of the first film is one of the most horrifying on-screen murders ever shown in a movie.
 Sinister / int_f88f2449
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_f88f2449
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_f88f2449
 Sinister / int_f9439c84
type
Haunted House
 Sinister / int_f9439c84
comment
Haunted House: Subverted. It's the images of Bughuul that are haunted - including the images on the hero's laptop, which aren't deleted until after he runs back to his once-safe home.
 Sinister / int_f9439c84
featureApplicability
-0.3
 Sinister / int_f9439c84
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_f9439c84
 Sinister / int_ff6ae1f6
type
Evil-Detecting Dog
 Sinister / int_ff6ae1f6
comment
Evil-Detecting Dog: Ellison is spooked by a stray dog which wanders into his yard and growls at him. The camera shows that it is in fact growling at the ghost kids standing behind him.
 Sinister / int_ff6ae1f6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_ff6ae1f6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
hasFeature
Sinister / int_ff6ae1f6
 Sinister / int_ffad4e9f
type
Shown Their Work
 Sinister / int_ffad4e9f
comment
Shown Their Work: The filmmakers did research on the looks and aesthetics of the Black Metal music genre in order to create Bughuul's look and symbol, to make them look distinctive from the genre. This also helps if keen listeners of the Black Metal genre are able to hear snippets of Norwegian Black Metal-Experimental band Ulver in the first and second film. The fashions that the missing kids wore used to be a trend in their respective period. (for example, the raincoat in 'Lawn Work' used to be popular in the 80's)
 Sinister / int_ffad4e9f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_ffad4e9f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_ffad4e9f
 Sinister / int_name
type
ItemName
 Sinister / int_name
comment
 Sinister / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Sinister / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Sinister
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Sinister / int_name
 Sinister / int_name
itemName
Sinister

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Sinister
hasFeature
Author Avatar / int_7c42f659
 Sinister
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Based on a Dream / int_7c42f659
 Sinister
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Bloody Horror / int_7c42f659
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Curiosity Killed the Cast / int_7c42f659
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Curse Relay / int_7c42f659
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Death by Genre Savviness / int_7c42f659
 Sinister
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Films of 2010–2014 / int_7c42f659
 Sinister
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Haunted Headquarters / int_7c42f659
 Sinister
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High-Voltage Death / int_7c42f659
 Sinister
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Kill It with Ice / int_7c42f659
 Sinister
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New House, New Problems / int_7c42f659
 Sinister
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Snakes Are Sinister / int_7c42f659
 Sinister
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Things That Go "Bump" in the Night / int_7c42f659
 Sinister
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Trashy True Crime / int_7c42f659
 Sinister (Music)
seeAlso
Sinister