Ethan Zohn Movies

A sunny summer beach house serves as the unlikely stage for a series of brutal murders in director Robert Kubilos' blood-soaked tale of betrayal and revenge. Their marriage rapidly approaching and their relationship quickly crumbling, engaged couple Matt (Bob Guiney) and Raina (Trish Schneider) have a knock down, blow out confrontation in their remote Malibu beach house that drives Matt into the open arms of Raina's maid of honor Nicole (Trishelle Cannatella). When Raina discovers the spiteful duo in a compromising position, the violent struggle that ensues finds Raina meeting a grim fate at the bad end of a particularly sharp knife. In the following months, the darkened beach house sits perched silent and lifeless on the shore as pleasure-seeking vacationers go out of their way to procure less tragic accommodations. When 17 months have passed and unassuming vacationers Oliver (Steven Hill), Kirsten (Jenna Lewis), Seth (Reichen Lehmkuhl), and DQ (Johnny Fairplay) rent the beach house unaware of its bloody history, a demonic lust washes over the foursome forcing them to betray their romantic relationships. As the flesh-lust quickly turns to blood-lust and a local spiritualist (Ethan Zohn) warns the remaining trio that Raina's vengeful ghost holds malevolent power over the home, Kirsten, Murray, and Oliver are forced to struggle for survival against an unseen entity of murderous persuasion. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Season three of Survivor found the 16 latest castaways vying for a one-million-dollar prize in a new location: the Shaba National Reserve, 100 square miles of savanna in north central Kenya (during shooting, public access was completely shut off from this area). Whereas the 16 contestants in the previous season's Survivor endeavored to spend 42 days in the Australian outback, the new batch of castaways were marooned for only 39 days--ample time, of course, for the usual strong alliances and deadly rivalries to form. Amidst a setting of jungle overgrowth, desolation and precipitous cliffs, the players were divided into two tribes, the Samburuu and Koran (named after actual Kenyan tribes). Not only were the castaways in danger of being bitten by animal and insect predators as in previous seasons, but there was the very real possibility that someone could be gobbled up by a passing lion. But turnabout was definitely not fair play on this occasion: Unlike the previous two Survivor competitions, the players were not allowed to hunt down and eat the local wildlife, which was protected by the government; nor was the fishing particularly promising, what with the finny piscators ridden with nasty parasite. Thus, the castaways were obliged to go the nuts-and-berries route for sustenance, and they were none too happy about it. Another problem facing the "new 16" was the threat of such diseases as sleeping sickness and ebola. The ages of the castaways ranged from 22 (behavioral research analyst Kelly Goldsmith) to 57 (retired schoolteacher Kim Johnson). It could be argued that this was the hardiest bunch of survivors to date; noteworthy participants included experienced marathon runner Teresa Cooper and courageous cancer survivor Linda Spencer. Among the changes in the traditional Survivor format included the site of the weekly tribal council, which on this occasion was designed to resemble a genuine African village, replete with a circle of authentic-looking huts and "ancient" wooden carvings (created in the prop department). Of greater impact was the introduction of a plot-altering "twist" in the fifth episode, wherein the six best players from both tribes were ordered to switch sides and allegiances, with three members of the Samburuu going over to the Koran, and vice versa. Otherwise, it was business as usual, with the usual Immunity and Reward Challenges, the two tribes merging into the single Moto Maji tribe after the 21st day in the compound, and a different castaway being voted off the island at the end of each episode. Without giving the game away, it can be noted that the Ultimate Survivor turned out to be a young, New York-based professional soccer player. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi