This goes out to all those kids of the 90′s who peered over pillows to watch Are You Afraid Of the Dark? on Nickelodeon only to lie awake at night wishing they had just waited for the next run of Rugrats.
The art of ghost story telling is all about building suspense and delivering the perfect “boo!” moment. Psychological thriller movies have trained audiences to sit on the edge of their seats, trying to peer around dark corners with bated breath. Our hearts beats fast as the music’s tempo speeds up and we jump when we hear a scream. The plot is confined to a movie’s characters and a couple of hours, but a really good story will follow you.
That’s the idea behind a new movie project called Haunting Melissa by producer Neal Edelstein. Technically the movie will be released on May 16, but because mobile tech rules everything, it’s coming to an iPhone, iPod, or an iPad near you.
A quick synopsis. Melissa (Kassia Warshawski) believes she is being haunted by her recently deceased mother. The story is told through a series of video bites that will be released to followers through push notifications, but aside from the initial release date, there is no schedule as to when these snippets will be released.
Edelstein, who also produced The Ring (#scarring), came up with the project in 2011 and the film went into production about 18 months ago. You can download the app and watch the first installment for free, but find out the conclusion, you have to pay up. You can buy the subscription for $6.99 (or $14.99 for HD) and you will receive notification as new pieces to the story are released. Or, if you’re unsure how far you want to see the story through, you can purchase the chapters individually for 99 cents a piece.
To keep things interesting Edelstein says that there are some scenes that are shot differently and could eventually be released later as the story goes on. This means you could rewatch a chapter and notice someone standing in the window who wasn’t there when you first watched it. And like traditional thrillers, you’re sure to jump, but you really never know when.
Grab your iPad and gather round the fire, readers. This summer’s getting spooky.
By Lizzy Duffy
