- The Washington Times - Tuesday, October 6, 2015

A popular paranormal film franchise returns to find medium Elise Rainier battling evil, years prior to helping the Lambert family’s infestation in Insidious: Chapter 3 (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Rated PG-13, $34.99).

Now on Blu-ray, the story offers a teenage girl trying to reach out to her dead mother and instead finding a demon sucking away at her soul.

Only a visit by the famed spiritual crusader (played by Lin Shaye) to an evil dark realm called the Further to confront the parasitic specter will possibly save the girl.

Writer of the “Insidious” series and co-writer of the original “Saw,” Leigh Whannell makes his directorial debut. He takes zero risks in this prequel and sticks to a jump-scare formula while tossing in a few creepy creatures that one might find in any local haunted attraction during the Halloween season.

Extras are limited, but they try hard to impress.

The most anticipated is an 11-minute interview with real psychic medium Michael J. Kouri. Well rats, it’s a dud. His pompous boasting of his work while walking though an unidentified haunted building and pointing out spiritual activity had my audience giggling rather than riveted to the screen.

I did appreciate a 20-minute overview of the production pounding home that, between the frights, viewers get an enjoyable origin story of the famed medium Elise and the meeting of her best ghost-hunting buddies, Specs and Tucker.

Also, a 9-minute look at the make-up and special effects required in creating the primary demon, a grotesque version of a burn victim wearing a breathing mask, is high in the creep factor.

Overall, “Insidious: Chapter 3” is worthy of a Blu-ray rental or on-demand viewing for fans of the series. It’s also perfect for a group of movie-loving teens looking for a few scares on a dark October night.

• Joseph Szadkowski can be reached at jszadkowski@washingtontimes.com.

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