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MOVIE REVIEW Cheap, lurching plot derails corny horror flick “The Skeleton Key” Starring Kate Hudson ★★ out of ☆☆☆☆☆ Marjorie Riddle FOR THE GAMECOCK “The Skeleton Key” will disappoint most viewers with its fragmented plot and mediocre thrills. Kate Hudson stars as Caroline Ellis, a 25-year-old nurse who quits her job at a nursing home to care for Ben Devereaux, an elderly stroke victim. Gena Rowlands plays Bens wife, Violet, a territorial woman who openly shows her hostility toward the young and vibrant Caroline. The story is set in New Orleans, and the normally picturesque and swampy, moss-covered region takes on a creepy feel soon after Caroline arrives at the Deveraux’s estate. Violet presents Caroline with a key that will open every door in the house — the skeleton key. Once given the key, Caroline proceeds to do the expected snooping around, finding a room that seemingly the key won’t open. Weird occurrences begin throughout the house — Violet tells Caroline not to hang mirrors, and Ben seems frightened all the time and even tries to escape from the house and falls off the roof. Caroline finally gets into the room that she could not open and finds remnants of voodoo practices — gross items in jars and pages of rituals. The rest of the movie basically unfolds the mystery behind these voodoo items and what they mean to the history of the house Irnd consequently what shis history holds for Carolines fate. While the endftig might come as a surprise, it' is- not completely unexpected considering the hints dropped throughout the movie. Hudson provides a decent performance as the inquisitive Caroline, but the lack of actual scary events that normally appear in such a thriller does not give her much to act with. The best part of the movie is not its supposed star but Rowlands. She is vicious and completely convincing as the stubborn and cold wife. The audience is not > supposed to like her character, but she makes it even easier to dislike her with her almost callous Indifference towards Caroline. The most frustrating aspects of the movie are that it does not flow as well as it should and that it makes potentially scary scenes anti-climactic and downright lackluster. While unexpected elements jumping out at people are not always the most original way to improve such a film, “The Skeleton Key” could have used more suspenseful moments, even if only to better engage the audience. The endings twist makes the movie more interesting, but even the twist feels like it lacks originality, making “The Skeleton Key” just another corny horror flick to be ridiculed. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc. edu -dlMfct&il IS LOOKING FOR USC STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE m IN A MODEL SEARCH. casting call pavlov's, 2000 b greene st, Columbia, sc thursday, august 25th, 2005 5-8 pm — For more information contact: CO-ED Style Director Kristyna Kane at 201-526-0203 or kristyna@co-edmagazine.com. Also accepting photos before we come to campus — please either e-mail them or send them to: Kristyna Kane, Style Director, CO-ED Magazine, 321 Newark Street, Fifth Floor, Hoboken, N.J. 07030 • ATTN: Miss CO-ED Contest I. Pointswsst • Individual Leases • Washer/Dryer in Every Apartment • Private Bedrooms • Ethernet in Every Bedroom • 24 Hour Emergency Maintenance • Cable with HBO w Commun ity Featules^S • Free Shuttle to USC • Free Tanning Bed • 24 Hour Computer Center • Resort Style Pool and Hot Tub • 24 Hour Fitness Center • State of the Art Theater Room Pol NTEWEST 1803) 739-0889 2T5 Spanctf B, Care*. SC