Horror Movie Review: The Haunted Casino (2007)

The Haunted Casino aka Dead Man’s Hand is one of those special Full Moon films where every aspect; good, bad, cheesy, awkward, silly, or fun, come together to create a memorable experience. It is not a stone-cold classic by any stretch, but it does entertain, provided you can be patient.

Written by August White and directed by Charles Band, the film has a hefty cast that includes the likes of Scott Whyte, Robin Sydney, Wes Armstrong, Kristyn Green, Jack Maturin, and Jessica Morris, as well as genre legends Michael Berryman and Sid Haig.

The story is very simple as Matthew finds out that he has inherited a casino from his late uncle. So, what’s a young man with a new piece of property to do? Grab his girlfriend and friends and go check it out. Arriving to find a derelict building that has seen much better days. So obviously, being a sensible person and having no experience with running a casino, Matthew decides to sell it and make a tidy sum of money.

It wouldn’t be much of a film if he did that, now would it? Instead, he thinks he can renovate and return it to his former glory. Starting with them spending the night within its walls.

Of course, that’s a mistake because this is a haunted casino and the ghosts that inhabit it have strong hands and great poker faces. Though, waiting for them to arrive sure makes watching the film feel like a bit of a gamble. It’s why I used the word ‘patient’ at the start of the review.

The Haunted Casino is a slow film, but thankfully, a lot of the slowness is dedicated to the characters, fleshing them out and making them matter that bit more. Sure, there’s nothing standout about any of them, but thanks to a bit more effort to make them real, they all end up being quite likable. It’s a strange thing to enjoy in a horror film but seeing them wander the dark and dusty casino rooms while just talking, worked for me. Especially as there are some really fun lines here and there, and the cast are game.

I understand that I’ll be in the minority here and the time spent doing this could be seen as boring by others. However, it’s atmospheric build that pays off nicely when the ghostly things kick in.

This is where The Haunted Casino really gets good though as the film bluntly reveals the ghosts and lets them have their fun, in the style of The Shining. Think, instead of a ghost making you a drink, they’re dealing you cards. Although the stakes are a hell of a lot higher and they’re not playing fair. The latter part of the film is very enjoyable, and we even get some significant blood and gore.

As I said, nothing world-beating here, but in the extensive Full Moon catalogue, it stands out.