Eddie Murphy and Marsha Thomason are Jim and Sara Evers, a high-powered husband and wife realtor team. Sara is invited by Mr. Gracey (Nathaniel Parker) to visit his home for the purpose of listing the property. On the way out of town for the weekend, the entire Evers family, which includes son Michael (Marc Jefferies) and daughter Megan (Aree Davis), stop by the Gracey place, which proves to be a gothic, ante-bellum mansion back in the Louisiana bayous. There's a creepy cemetery stretching to the horizon out back. They're greeted by the sinister butler Ramsley (Terence Stamp). A convenient downpour closes the road, and the Evers must stay the weekend. Serious bummer for them as Master Gracey covets Sara's bod (in a G-rated sort of way).

Is this a scary movie? It provided a couple of frissons. Children may find it more frightening.

Is it amusing? Reasonably so. Eddie Murphy's humor is the constant which holds it all together. And there are a couple more chuckles coming from un-dead housemaid Emma (Dina Waters), who makes cookies, and the disembodied head of gypsy fortune-teller Madame Leota (Jennifer Tilly), who inhabits a large crystal ball.

The special effects are more or less up to the current standard, which makes them at least good overall. I particularly liked the household spirits, which morph in and out of a swirling ectoplasmic smoke that was quite well done.

The acting is, for the most part, adequate. Young Davis as the unflappable Megan occasionally steals the show and was my favorite player. Stamp tries so hard to make Ramsley ominous that he just comes across as wooden. Thomason is wholesomely pretty, but not much else.

Is this a great film? Not by a long shot. Is it even memorable? Nah. The plot is contrived and silly. But you won't feel cheated if you see it even at today's extortionate prices. And the kids will probably enjoy the hell out of it.