Natty Knocks

_From the ashes of “Halloween 4”_ When three kids in a town in SoCal observe a possible murder at an abandoned house, it morphs their Halloween into a real scary time, as secrets of the abode’s past emerge. “Natty Knocks” was helmed by the director of one of the top entries in the Halloween franchise, “Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.” It also includes the actress who played Jamie Lloyd in that movie (Danielle Harris), as the mother of two of the kids. The overall ‘feel’ is similar to "Curse of Crom: The Legend of Halloween" from the year prior with the exception that it adds a lot of cussing, mostly by the teens, plus a sex sequence at the very beginning. I liked how the story slowly unravels its mysteries, with Robert Englund showing up as a character that offers key insights from the past. I’ve heard criticisms about this or that in the story, yet everything is explained if you pay attention. For instance, why do the women in the prologue burn to death so-and-so? Is it really because she’s a witch or is it something more mundane? And how is it that they get away with the crime? Brunette Charlotte Fountain-Jardim (Britt) and blonde Anuschka van Lent (young Natty) stand out in the feminine department. More should’ve been done with them, although enough is, I suppose (barely). The climax is serviceable but needed tweaked for smoothness and more entertainment. Still, there’s enough good in “Natty Knocks” to make it work catching if you’re in the mood for a modern Halloween flick. If the creators would’ve worked out the couple issues, I would definitely give it a higher grade. It runs 1 hour, 34 minutes, and was shot in various locations around Los Angeles, including Culver City, West Los Angeles, and Pasadena (The Paseo mall), with a couple of bits done in Las Vegas, Nevada (probably 2nd unit work). GRADE: B-