Long Time Dead

Long Time Dead
Directed by	Marcus Adams
Produced by	James Gay-Rees
Written by	Marcus Adams Daniel Bronzite James Gay-Rees
Screenplay by	Eitan Arrusi Chris Baker Daniel Bronzite Andy Day
Starring	Joe Absolom Lukas Haas James Hillier Marsha Thomason Tameka Empson Mel Raido Lara Belmont Melanie Gutteridge Alec Newman Tom Bell
Music by	Don Davis
Cinematography	Nic Morris
Edited by	Lucia Zucchetti
Production company	StudioCanal Working Title Films Canal+ WT2 Productions
Distributed by	Universal Pictures (UK) Focus Features (USA)
Release dates	18 January 2002 (2002-01-18) (UK) 28 October 2003 (2003-10-28) (US)
Running time	94 minutes
Country	United Kingdom France
Language	English
Box office	$13,102,295[1]

Long Time Dead is a 2002 thriller horror film set in the United Kingdom in which a group of college students experiment with an Ouija board and inadvertently summon a djinn - an Arabic spirit of fire. The film stars Joe Absolom, Lukas Haas and Tom Bell. It was the directorial debut of Swindon-born Marcus Adams.

Plot

The film begins showing people using a ouija board in Morocco. Throughout the scene, something is seen from first person perspective coming at high speed towards the people.

The main film begins with four housemates (Rob (Joe Absolom), Liam (Alec Newman), Stella (Lara Belmont) and Spencer(James Hillier) ) deciding to go out and party. Also going to the party is Lucy(Marsha Thomason)(a friend of Stella's and Spencer's girlfriend), Webster (Lukas Haas), Joe (Mel Raido)(a new housemate of the first three) and Annie(Melanie Gutteridge)(Liam's girlfriend). As the night progresses, they all try to find the biggest buzz they can, until Spencer suggests a ouija board, saying it is the weirdest buzz he's ever had. The partygoers agree and participate, all placing their right index fingers on an upside-down glass with the alphabet and the words 'Yes' and 'No' written in a circle around the glass. Lucy tells them that under no circumstances should they remove their fingers from the glass early – otherwise the spirit they summon will not be able to return.

At first, the glass moves slowly, spelling out 'DJINN', but when Liam asks if it can predict the future, the glass sharply goes to 'Yes'. It then proceeds to spell out 'ALL DIE' and then Annie's name. Before the ritual can continue, however, Liam experiences visions similar to the prologue that causes him to run away. Annie goes to see him to check if he's alright, but Liam refuses to talk. Annie realises she has left her inhaler in the room that they used the ouija board in, and goes back to get it. When she gets there, she becomes frightened by noises. Eventually she sees something that the camera does not see, and it gives chase (as shown through the first person view that was used in the prologue). Finding Liam nowhere and with her exits barred, she attempts to climb over a glass roof to safety, but the thing giving chase grabs her legs and she falls through the glass roof into the party below, dying instantly. As the camera pans out, severe burn marks are seen on her legs.

The group are distraught by her death, but while Spencer goes to find some hash to calm himself down, Lucy goes back to her boat and does some research. She comes across a description of a djinn, explaining that it's made of fire. She learns that it can be banished by using lawful magic. She is suddenly disturbed by banging all around her, but it turns out to be a boatman who is telling her that the electrics are down.

Lucy and Spencer go to the house where everyone else lives and discuss the events of the night. Lucy suggests to the housemates that they may have summoned a djinn, saying the burns on Annie are signs of this being true. The housemates are still skeptical, so they watch the tape they recorded of the 'summoning' to check if anyone was pushing it. Soon after Liam freaks out in the video, however, the electricity in the house goes out. Webster and Spencer break into Becker (Tom Bell), the landlord's, flat and find a hidden shrine of sorts to the Djinn with grisly photos and newspaper cuttings. It is also revealed that Liam's father, Paul Brennan, had been in the same predicament once (as shown in the prologue) and killed his mother as a result. He pleaded insanity and was put in a mental hospital. Joe attempts to get information out of Liam about it the next day at college, but he gets angry and leaves. Stella also leaves soon after, and goes to the toilet. She starts to freak out about a burning smell when an unnamed female black student (Tameka Empson) tells her it's just a joint. Calming down, Stella goes to leave, but is pulled into another stall, where she is brutally murdered (the viewer can only see her feet lifting off the ground as they slowly become covered in her own blood). Her body is discovered by the female student. Liam goes to see his father to get answers but it quickly descends into a row. When Liam mentions Becker his father shouts that he is there to protect Liam. Liam leaves without hearing this.

Meanwhile, Joe and Webster sneak back into the house (now under police guard) to get the camera which recorded the ritual and Webster insists on watching it there. Joe goes to the kitchen to get a light for his cigarette. Meanwhile, Webster is thrown into a panic by something on the film. He goes to look for Joe. In the hallway he turns the lights on and realises he is standing in a pool of blood. He runs for the front door which is locked, so he rushes back upstairs to get the keys. He has to hide under the bed as he is being chased by the djinn. While the djinn does not see him, it dumps Joe's dead body in the room - his throat has been slit. Webster silently exits the room with keys in hand but steps on a broken light bulb, alerting the djinn. He races back down to open the door, but the djinn catches up and kills him before he can succeed.

Rob and Spencer return to Lucy's boat and tell her of Stella's death. Lucy demands that they perform the banishing ritual, so they return to the warehouse where the party was held. Liam attempts to catch up with them, but upon arriving at their boat, they have already left. Lucy, Spencer and Rob begin the ritual, but as they are performing it, a sudden burst of flame from the ouija board frightens them all off. Spencer runs off and tries to look around, but when he drops a large metal pole he alerts the djinn, who has already arrived, to his location. He hides in a cupboard. We then learn that the djinn has possessed Rob. The djinn walks off, making Spencer think he is safe, until he bursts into the cupboard from behind and kills Spencer after knowing he was there by smelling the blood on his cut hand on a shard of glass he's holding tightly in fear.

Liam enters the building, as does Mr. Becker, who is holding a petrol can. As Liam walks into the ritual room, Rob runs out, shouting "Liam, it's Becker, he's here!" but is interrupted by Becker who hits him with a bat and proceeds to douse him with petrol. Liam, thinking Becker is the djinn, runs in to save Rob, accidentally pushing Becker down some stairs. When he goes back to look Becker has disappeared. Later Becker reappears and Liam is about to kill him in revenge for Annie until Rob rushes in and stops him. Seconds later, Rob kills Becker in a panic when Becker attempts to choke him. They start to leave, Rob attempting to convince Liam there really was no djinn but Liam remembers Lucy and they go looking for her. Liam finds her hanged in the lift shaft. Rob reveals to Liam that he is the djinn, telling Liam that it's his turn as his father sent him somewhere terrible, so now Liam will know the pain that he has. Liam attempts to stab him, but Rob blocks it with his hand, which bleeds but also starts a small flame. As Rob taunts Liam, Liam realises through another flashback that fire will kill the djinn. He grabs the nearby lantern and wards off Rob with it, but as Rob attempts to fake being unpossessed (by crying and admitting fear) Liam tosses the lantern at him, setting him ablaze. Liam kicks him down the lift shaft, but a few seconds later he grabs onto Liam's shin (now heavily burned and scarred). Liam finishes him by shutting the lift door on him, causing him to fall all the way down. After a while Liam opens the door to check he is dead, but a burst of flame pushes him back, signalling his body has been destroyed.

Liam goes back to the mental hospital to see his father face to face, and they reconcile only for Liam to reveal he too is now possessed. He kills his father. The djinn, now free, sets off. As the camera rolls back from the cell, it is revealed that Liam had killed a prison officer to get in, and Liam suddenly appears in front of the camera, and reveals his eyes are now permanently like the djinn's.

Soundtrack

References

External links

• Long Time Dead at the Internet Movie Database
• Long Time Dead at AllMovie
• Long Time Dead at Rotten Tomatoes