Most everyone who has a workplace based job in America has most likely seen some sort of nepotism at work. This occurs when someone in power or a management position allows one of their relatives (typically their children) to get a desirable job or enjoy some sort of perk. The other employees typically resent this and the recipient of the gift often doesn't appreciate what they have been given. On the flipside, we sometimes see the offspring of successful people follow in their parents' footsteps. It's not surprising that they share similar traits and talents, but when they get their big break or burst onto the scene, cynical minds can't help but wonder if nepotism is at work. This occurs in Hollywood from time-to-time. Oliver Stone has been a successful director since the 80s and now his son, Sean Stone, has released a feature film entitled Greystone Park. Is this a work of passion or simply something done on daddy's dime?

Greystone Park opens with what looks like a real family dinner at Oliver Stone's house. The famous director entertains his guests with a story from his childhood, in which summer campers were told of Crazy Kate, a ghostly women with green eyes. Oliver's son Sean Stone is particularly effected by this tale and there is talk of facing one's fear. Sean, along with Antonella Lentine and Alexander Wraith, who were also at the dinner, decide to explore an old, abandoned local mental health facility, which is said to be haunted. Alexander claims to have visited there before and seen weird things. They arrive at the hospital and find a way in, amazed at how many artifacts have been left behind. As they deeper and deeper inside, they begin to hear strange noises, and then see shadowy figures. Soon, the trio realizes that they have gotten turned around in the maze-like hallways, as the odd occurrences increase.

So, the point here is that Writer/Director Sean Stone isn't breaking any new ground here as he trots out a tired storyline and what has already become a hackneyed filmmaking style. Greystone Park doesn't hesitate to trot out the staples of the found footage horror movie. We get a lot of shaky-cam action as the group runs up and down hallways. When they see something scary, we never get a look at it, as they turn and run. Other than the main premise (which is tenuous at best), Greystone Park doesn't really have a story. The trio wanders through the hospital and as thing get weirder, anxiety and distrust begin to grow. The movie does feature a twist/shock ending, but it doesn't really make any sense once you think about it.

At first glance, Greystone Park looks like a very, very lazy effort and things don't look very good for Sean Stone. Here we have the son of a multi-Oscar winning director trotting out his first movie. Unfortunately for him, the story and approach are tired and cheap looking. However, there is some talent at work here. As you watch Greystone Park pay close attention to the corners of the frame. Here you will catch glimpses of what look like the silhouettes of people and possibly monsters. As the trio first enters the hospital, someone makes an off-handed comment that the camera may be able to see things which they can't. Are these images playing off of that? Stone makes some obvious attempts at scaring with some loud noises and the group's sudden flights of fear, but it's these shadowy creatures which are far more creepy. Someone clearly put some work into this and the movie should have focused more on these creepy visuals.

Being the offspring of a famous, celebrated person can be a challenge and Sean Stone is surely going to get some grief from audiences and critics for yet another found footage where nothing happens. Although this isn't the worst found footage movie that I've seen, it's certainly very dull at times, which makes the few creepy visuals even more frustrating.

Greystone Park should've focused more on that creepy Raggedy Ann doll on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Arc Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 1.78:1 and the Disc carries an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 30 Mbps. Being a found footage movie, we don't get a steady look here. The dinner scene looks fine, showing a clear image and only a little grain. After that, we get the usual assortment of dark shots, blurred shaky-cam scenes, and digital pixellation. Of course, this is how the movie is supposed to look. The HD transfer has created some shimmering of the image, but the darker scenes aren't as dark as they look on DVD. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 2.0 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. This track makes good use of the various sounds in the hospital. The distant moans and bangings come from the rear speakers while the dialogue comes from the center. There are also some nicely placed stereo effects. The subwoofer effects really come into play whenever the group has to flee from something scary.

The Greystone Park Blu-ray Disc contains several extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY from Sean Stone, Antonella Lentini, and Alexander Wraith. "Sean Stone's Ghost Stories: The Making of Greystone Park" (7 minutes) is dominated by the cast discussing their own views on the supernatural and some odd occurrences which happened during the making of the movie. "The Locations of Greystone Park" (7 minutes) takes us on brief tours of the three main locations used in the film (two in New York and one in Los Angeles) and gives us some background on the places. The "Alternate Ending" (2 minutes) is far creepier than the ending on the finished film, and I'm not sure why they didn't go with this one.