Cinema File: 'Orphan' falls short of becoming horror classic

A cursory glance at reviews I've written in the past will reveal I'm a dyed-in-the-wool horror fan, a fact I wear like a badge. I've seen my share of them, your share and probably that of the person sitting next to you as well. While I have my pet peeves and biases within my most beloved of movie genres, if the film causes my pulse to quicken and puts me on the edge of my seat, its job is done.

As far as subject matter goes, I can abide many things, but what I cannot stand is when a movie spends the better part of an hour ratcheting up the freak factor only to wimp out at the most crucial time. "Orphan" contains a very important plot element that I won't be a jerk by revealing here, but it makes a crucial mistake in the third act that means the difference between it being a bona fide modern classic and another fun but forgettable piece of merely competent filmmaking.

When it comes to horror movies, "the creepy kid" has to be in my top five list of tired, overused plot devices (zombies take the number one spot, followed closely by vampires and ghosts).

There are very few entries in this sub-genre even worthy of mention: "The Omen" (1976), "The Good Son" (1993) and "The Ring" (2002) spring to mind, but none come close to filling the tap shoes of the inimitable Rhoda Penmark from the 1956 classic "The Bad Seed." Portrayed by then 11-year-old Patty McCormack, the merciless, jealous, vengeful Rhoda is one of the most unforgettably frightening characters ever committed to celluloid. She's not the devil's daughter, nor is she an angry spirit striking out at unsuspecting mortals. She's just an evil little brat, and that's what makes her so memorably scary.

It wasn't until I did a bit of reading about Jaume Collet-Serra's new creepy kid film "Orphan" that I became aware the little girl in the movie indeed was a human monster not unlike Rhoda Penmark (and that I liked his 2005 remake of "House Of Wax," which unfortunately came out four years too early to take advantage of the digital 3-D craze).

"Orphan" really has a lot going for it. As far as lower-tier Hollywood thrillers go, the writing is unch