Fridae

We've all seen a hundred different takes on the haunted house movie, and it takes a lot of innovation for a movie in this category to feel fresh. Poltergay isn't entirely innovative, but the twist is quite novel � what if the ghosts are flaming disco queens? That's the scenario that faces Marc Modena, a happily married (and relatively hunky) man who moves into an old mansion with his wife Emma.

Left on his own for a few days, Marc starts to see and hear things that points to paranormal phenomena, but the people around him don't share the same visions and instead suspect that Marc's turned gay. Even Marc himself becomes convinced of his change in sexual orientation, which leads to disastrous results.

It soon becomes clear that the mansion is haunted by five very dead and very gay ghosts, who seems to have passed on some time during the heydays of disco. After getting to know the ghosts on a more personal level, Marc decides that instead of trying to get rid of the spirits, it might be better to aid them to move on to the next world... but even that is easier said than done.

Although Poltergay isn't a spoof, it certainly is more lighthearted than the usual horror movie, and with its tongue firmly planted in cheek, offers up a fair number of laughs while the plot unfolds. The characters are largely one-dimensional, in particular the gay ghosts, which have only one characteristic each � this may be a flaw in a more serious movie, but in this case is simply played for laughs.

Director Eric Lavaine may not be a seasoned hand, but there are no real glaring faults that can be observed in Poltergay. Clovis Cornillac has proven his acting chops in other movies, but in this film his range is rather limited, although that is generously compensated for by a handful of gratuitous flesh scenes, of the buffed up Cornillac either butt naked or wrapped in a tiny, weeny towel. Campness is firmly set by the Boney M classic hit Rasputin, which is played in the movie soundtrack more often that I cared to count.

For sheer campy fun, nothing in the cinemas currently can compare to Poltergay, and if you are intending to have a blast at the movies, this should rank very highly on your list. Now, where's my Best of Boney M CD?