EXTRA ORDINARY (Film Review)

                                      Starring: Maeve Higgins, Barry Ward, Will Forte

                                         Directed by: Mike Ahern & Enda Loughman

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        Ghost hunters and clairvoyants of all shapes and sizes - some of them have the "feeling" for the other-worldly plane, and some...well, some of them should just stick to their day jobs (if they actually have one). In the horror-comedy Extra Ordinary, we dive into the universe of a woman who has been blessed with the gift of supernatural connection, but will she be able to apply it to save a woman who's in the Devil's crosshairs? Watch your step over the bodily fluids, please - I just mopped up but there still may be a stray entrail on the linoleum.

 Co-directed by Mike Ahern & Enda Loughman, the Irish contingent has constructed a film that employs more comedy than horror (not always a bad thing) and showcases the talent of a couple of stellar performances as well. The movie follows Rose (Higgins), a sweet-hearted driving instructor whose days of schlepping alongside potential licensed motorists are only half of her interesting existence. Her dearly-departed father (Risteard Cooper) was a successful ghost-hunter with his own TV show back in the day, and his last gift to his daughter was the ability to contact the spirit world - something that Rose would rather shove in the back seat and not be bothered with. The "out of sight, out of mind" tactic doesn't work so well when she's asked for assistance by a man named Martin (Ward) whose daughter is in a spot of trouble. Will Forte plays a former one-hit-wonder musician by the name of Christian Winter who dabbles in black magic and has asked ol' Beelzebub for the remedy to his situation.

  Well, the devil wants a sacrifice, and in return, he'll provide Christian the juice to re-make a name for himself at the top of the charts (isn't this how Justin Beiber got his start?) So here's Christian ready to seal the deal with the man downstairs, and he's locked in on Martin's daughter - does Rose have the know-how to prevent an oblation of the human soul, or has she refused the gift she was given for so long that's it's now ineffective against such a demonic force? Well don't look at me for the answer - I'm just the rented goon that types up the reviews! Trust me when I tell you - this is one movie that begs for some popcorn, soda (or other subjective liquids) and a stomach that can endure the laughter - it's so worth it.

  The tandem talents of Higgins and Forte are worth the price of admission alone, and their work in this presentation provides more than enough entertainment for even the pickiest of horror/comedy snobs. What the movie lacks in true scares is catapulted by its sense of humor, and I really believe that Extra Ordinary has in fact gone that little bit further than its goofball predecessors - the film will release in select theaters on March 6th so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for it.

FILM SCORE: 3.5 out of 5