AFI FEST Los Angeles International Film Festival 2009

When their single mother (Teri Polo) uproots 17-year-old Dane (Chris Massoglia) and his 10-year-old brother Lucas (Nathan Gamble) from New York City to the sleepy town of Bensonville, the boys’ summer fun grinds to a halt. But the drudgery is disrupted when they find a seemingly bottomless hole under a locked trap door in the basement. As any curious kids would, they engage in a series of tests and experiments, only to learn that the dark pit seemingly goes on forever. Having worked in the exploitation genre with Roger Corman (PIRHANA) and in special effects on Steven Spielberg films (GREMLINS, INNERSPACE), and as a true fan of cinema of the fantastic (evident in MATINEE, his tribute to gimmicks master director William Castle), Joe Dante understands how to make a 3-D film. Rather than simply relying on clichéd “coming right at ya” gags, Dante grabs the spectators and pulls them into the action by using the 3-D element for depth and perspective, crafting an immersive cinematic experience.

–Colin Geddes, Toronto Film Festival Program Book