Almost Invisible (2010)

**_Surreal, jumbled house-in-the-woods horror on a micro-budget_** Several students at a community college in the ‘burbs of DC accept the invitation of an outcast Goth girl to party at her parents’ house while they’re away. The youths get out-of-hand as strange, sinister things start happening. "Almost Invisible" (2010) is a spare change Indie that mixes the plot & budget of “Sheltered” (2010) and “The Lonely Ones” (2006) with the hallucinatory style, scantily-clad women and ghostly happenings of “Death Tunnel” (2005). But it lacks the well-written coherence of the two former flicks and the professionalism of the latter. Meanwhile the spectral angle is reminiscent of “Carnival of Souls” (1962). The rockin’ soundtrack is great and the writer/director knows how to shoot women (no pun intended), plus he’s skilled with artistic effects/editing, similar to “Death Tunnel,” just on a way lower budget. The cast is serviceable for non-actors and a few of the females are very attractive, with Hillary Barnett standing out as Jeopardy. (There’s some nudity, so be forewarned). Unfortunately, the storytelling desperately needed improved to flesh out the potential and make the story more coherent, not to mention compelling. By the end everything is vaguely explained, but the story is tedious up to that point despite the entertaining highlights noted above. Some viewers complain about not discerning the dialogues, but that’s not a problem if you utilize the subtitles. Examples of no-budget Indies that take the basic cabin-in-the-woods scenario and do it effectively include "The Lake on Clinton Road" (2015) and "Crazy Lake" (2016). The film runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in Oakton, Virginia, which is 10-12 miles west of the Potomac River & Washington DC. GRADE: C-