4/5 Good horror
  by The Tao of Netflix (Washington, DC)
I enjoyed this movie. In short, its the story of a new couple, an American girl and her Chinese husband, who travel to China to meet his parents. They travel during the feast of the 7th moon, and find that the Chinese belief in ghouls that come out on this holiday is true. No spoiler here, check out the box cover. While en route in a taxi to the parents, the couple finds themselves abandoned in an obscure, remote village, then scary things start.
Ultimately, this was very well done. I tend not to enjoy Asian horror at all, but this was an interesting hybrid. It was a chinese story told with an american female lead, and a story that is consistent with western horror concepts. The mood was creepy throughout, particularly at the end when she makes a certain journey. This journey (trying to avoid spoilers here) was particularly effective in its horror element; she takes a walk that has the potential to turn deadly at any moment, and the suspense was great. Further, the movie evolves just slowly enough; it takes a while to understand what is going on, and once you do, the heat turns up. Good acting, good concept, and high production values. Highly recommended.

1/5 LUNAR LUNACY
  by Michael Butts (Martinsburg, WV USA)
THE WORST IN THE LATEST GHOSTHOUSE RELEASES. WHY?
1. THE SPASTIC CAMERA WORK.
2. THE DIRECTOR'S LACK OF CREATIVITY.
3. IT'S SO DARK YOU CAN'T TELL WHAT'S GOING ON.
4. IT'S JUST A LONG CHASE AND ESCAPE MOVIE.
5. A SAPPY ENDING.
6. AMY SMART IS WASTED.
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY.

3/5 Moon Demon Nightmare!
  by Brian Lueth (Chicago, IL United States)
After the mega-success of The Blair Witch Project I remember quite a few people proclaiming that Eduardo Sánchez was one trick pony and he'd never go on to be a successful filmmaker. While it's certainly true that neither Sánchez nor Myrick have gone on to see the same success that TBWP received, they have indeed become filmmakers known for solid, dependable horror cinema.

Eduardo Sánchez's Seventh Moon is a nifty little J-horror-inspired flick that successfully utilizes the Hungry Ghost concept, offering viewers some thrilling sequences involving eerie locations, occasional gore and some visually stunning antagonists. I've seen the Hungry Ghost thing before, though not done as well, in films such as Kelvin Tong's The Maid and Danny Draven's Ghost Month and, in my opinion, Seventh Moon is the best thus far. The acting, especially from Smart, was quite good, the "ghost white" moon demons were spooky as hell and Sánchez did a bang-up job of weaving it all together into something alien and distinctly Chinese, despite being an American film.

Outside of The Children, Seventh Moon is one of the best Ghost House Underground films released. Admittedly the film could have used some history on the seventh month and hungry ghosts for those viewers not "in the know," the moon demons could have been explored more and the film could have used a bit less vérité camerwork but it still manages to stand on its own two feet.

Though not blown away, I really enjoyed Seventh Moon; the demons and their underworld reminded me quite a bit of the DEROS and their dimension from Shimizu's minor masterpiece Marebito. Go figure. Anyhow yeah Eduardo Sánchez did a damn good job on this low budget film and he didn't need to remake or ride a bandwagon to do it. If you're looking to grab a film or two from the 2009 Ghost House Underground series, do yourself a favor and purchase The Children and Seventh Moon.

3/5 Maybe we can still be friends
  by Eric Sanberg (Berwyn, IL United States)
I rented this movie because of the director's previous efforts. I liked Blair Witch enough (though somehow I haven't had the urge to see it again) but something about Altered really got to me. I thought "this guy can go places if he keeps this up." Well....this effort I liked for the most part but some of the previous reviewers, particularly Phillip Perron, were astute in pointing out the films flaws.

When the movie started I was about as impressed as I could be. I liked the filming. The dialogue sounded very natural to me and it did manage to build tension. The story of the newlywed mixed couple (him Chinese, her Anglo) on their honeymoon in China, who find themselves engulfed in a Chinese myth come to life, unfolded in a very realizable fashion. There were a lot of small devices, both seen and heard, that helped build the sense of terror and dread. I also felt it a wise decision to show the demons as near nondescript blurs running at a quick pace through the reeds.

As things progressed however the film started to break down. I wasn't as perturbed by the hand held camera as other viewers seemed to be, but it did get too dark and what was good dialogue in the beginning nearly disappeared as the film progressed. I don't want to say the story fell apart at the end but it just didn't do the first half justice.

This is by no means a bad movie and is well worth look for fans of the genre. I liked it more than most horror movies I've seen (and I've seen my share), but I doubt it will ever reach classic status. I do hope the director keeps going and honing his craft. He is by no means a hack and can hopefully bring greater twists to his projects.

2/5 A Mediocre Supernatural/Horror Movie - or "What's the Point"
  by Shawn Carroll
When this movie came out, I was genuinely hopeful. The concept of hungry ghosts is a central part of the tradition of Chinese Ancestor Worship, and had great potential for an excellent movie melding the supernatural and horror. The script writers even set it during an actual event in the Chinese year, a festival sharing much in common with the true traditions of All Hallows Eve. Unfortunately, that is as far as it went.

The film does not make the error that many movies make substituting gore for horror. There is enough blood to add to the suspense, and increase the tension that is central to this kind of movie. The script is serviceable. The protagonists never engage in the typical "how could they be so stupid" stereotypes of a true horror film. Their actions, at times foolish, were consistent with their characters as urban Americans enjoying their honeymoon in an exotic land. The actions of the other characters in the film are similarly plausible.

The problem is that the movie never really comes together. You vaguely like the young couple, and that's about it. You respect the actions of the only other real player in the movie towards the end, but I doubt he even has a total of ten minutes of screen time. The monsters are scary, and appropriately monstrous. None of this is the makings of great cinema.

My wife, upon the conclusion of the movie, asked me "What's the Point?" She meant it rhetorically, because we both had no trouble understanding what was going on during the movie. Yet that comment sums up succinctly my own reaction upon watching it. It wasn't a waste of 87 minutes of my life, and since the rental was free I don't feel ripped off. It's just very sad when this had the potential to be a very good movie.