OPENING across the country this week is the spine tingling horror-fest Thirteen Ghosts.

The movie begins in typical creepy fashion, at night in an old abandoned scrapyard.

This is where we find eccentric millionaire Cyrus Zorba (F Murray Abraham) attempting to capture a malicious ghost, but in the ensuing mayhem Cyrus is killed by the evil spirit.

In his will, Cyrus bequeaths all his worldly possessions to his nephew Arthur (Tony Shahloub) and his two children Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth) and Bobby (Alec Roberts).

The inheritance includes his fortune, and a very unusual house, along with a group of very bitter and hateful ghosts that reside in the basement.

The family, along with the babysitter, soon discover the glass-house is not what it seems, as it begins to behave, quite literally, like a living puzzle.

It begins to release the 12 imprisoned ghosts one at a time, and they quickly realise they have to solve the mystery of the 13th ghost before they are trapped or become ghosts themselves.

Horror, blood and gore - this movie has it all, the cast is slightly wooden at times, but they can be forgiven when the ghosts appear.

The film is filled with excellent effects, there are continual screams, crashes and moans - this is overlaid with a thumping soundtrack that keeps the tension to an almost unbearable level. It has some grotesque ghosts that might scare even the most harden horror fan.