While the very best sequels work well as stand-alone stories, the most forgettable are usually heavily beholden to a superior original and dont have enough invention to make an impression. Insidious third instalment takes inspiration from the third Paranormal Activity movie and goes the prequel route, filling in the blanks that audiences had previously been left to imagine for themselves. By no means a terrible film, but certainly not a great one, Chapter 3 exists solely to fill out the box set. The films most entertaining aspect came from God-fearing critics who took issue with the the concept of astro-physiology, where one travels to the afterlife after leaving ones own body. Make no mistake, wrote one viewer, the Bible is clear that anyone who even attempts to call upon the dead or consult the afterlife is an abomination. Youll remember that longer than the movie.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
