''Dead Souls'' is a 2012 film directed by Colin Theys, based on the novel of the same name by

Michael Laimo Michael Laimo (born 1966 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American horror author. He has been nominated for several Bram Stoker Awards. Two of his works, '' Deep in the Darkness'' and ''Dead Souls'', have been made into feature films; his short story ...

Synopsis

On his 18th birthday Johnny is surprised to discover that he was adopted, and that he has inherited his birth family's farm in Maine. He decides to accept this inheritance and travels to the farm, where he finds that the house has been abandoned and that a squatter named Emma has been living there. Johnny also learns that his entire birth family was killed in the house and that it contains secrets that put his very life in danger.

Cast

Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained stro ...

as Johnny Petrie *

Magda Apanowicz Magda Apanowicz ( ; Polish: ; born November 8, 1985) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her roles as Andy Jensen on the ABC Family series ''Kyle XY'', as Lacy Rand in the Syfy science fiction drama series ''Caprica'' and as Emily (born ...

as Emma *

Bill Moseley William Moseley (born November 11, 1951) is an American actor, primarily known for his performances in horror films. His best-known roles include Chop Top in ''The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2'' (1986), Otis B. Driftwood in Rob Zombie's ''Firefly ...

as Sheriff Depford *

Geraldine Hughes Geraldine Hughes (born 1970) is an actress from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Born in West Belfast, Hughes has appeared in films such as '' Duplex'', ''Rocky Balboa'', and ''Gran Torino''. She also played Mary Todd Lincoln in ''Killing Lincoln''. ...

as Mary Petrie *

Noah Fleiss Noah Fleiss (born April 16, 1984) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor, making his film debut as the eponymous Sam Whitney in ''Josh and S.A.M.'' (1993). Subsequently, he played the title character in '' Joe the King'' (1999 ...

as Mack *

Jaiden Kaine Jaiden Kaine is an American actor. He is known for his roles in '' Killing Lincoln'' and ''The Vampire Diaries ''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, ...

as Andrew Judson * J.H. Torrance Downes as Benjamin Conroy * Elizabeth Irene as Faith Conroy * Kyle Donnery as Daniel Conroy * Bridget Megan Clark as Elizabeth Conroy

Production

Michael Laimo first published his book ''Dead Souls'' in 2007 through

Leisure Books Leisure Books was a mass market paperback publisher specializing in horror and thrillers that operated from 1957 to 2010. In the company's early years, it also published fantasy, science fiction, Westerns, and the Wildlife Treasury card series ...

. The novel was optioned for film and John Doolan was brought on to adapt the novel into a screenplay. Colin Theys was confirmed as director and actors Jesse James, Bill Moseley, and Magda Apanowicz were named as its stars. Filming took place in

Canterbury, Connecticut Canterbury is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 5,045 at the 2020 census. History The area was settled by English colonists in the 1680s as ''Peagscomsuck''. It consisted mainly of land north of Norwich, so ...

during April 2012. To prepare for his role Moseley read both the script and Laimo's novel, which he enjoyed. Brian Spears handled the film's special effects; he stated that his main priority for the film were the movie's ghosts, which were "the reason I took the job".

Release

''Dead Souls'' premiered on

Chiller A chiller is a machine that removes heat from a liquid coolant via a vapor-compression refrigeration, vapor-compression, adsorption refrigeration, or absorption refrigerator, absorption refrigeration cycles. This liquid can then be circulated th ...

on October 12, 2012, followed by a release on home video through

Scream Factory Shout! Factory is an American home video and music company founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases include previously released feature films, classic and contemporary television series, animation, live music, and comedy ...

on June 25, 2013.

Reception

Critical reception for the film was predominantly negative. Common criticism for ''Dead Souls'' focused on the characters and script. HorrorNews.net panned the film, writing that it was "one of the more inept ghost stories to come along in quite a spell, compliments of Chiller TV. At least SyFy knows how to polish a turd." Common praise centered on Moseley.

References

External links

* * {{Rotten Tomatoes, dead_souls, Dead Souls 2012 horror films 2012 films Films shot in Connecticut American horror films Films based on horror novels