An excerpt from my review, which will run Thursday. Look for the video review on aznightbuzz.com Thursday as well.

“Over Her Dead Body” is a bad movie. I get that. Its premise is dumb, the writing is sorta lame and its star, Eva Longoria Parker, is annoying in her lead role as Kate, the ghost of a self-obsessed bride-to-be who comes back to spoil her intended husband’s romance.

But it’s one of those movies you want to dismiss but can’t bring yourself to turn away from. By some force of cinematic magic it hooks you, stringing you along for its dopey, ridiculous story and sucker punching you with the occasional clever zinger. Despite itself, “Over Her Dead Body” works. Remember when you were 15, so stuck up and embarrassed by your parents you had to walk 20 steps ahead of them at the mall, but secretly you loved them? I feel the same way about the movie.

Jeff Lowell, who penned the screenplay for “John Tucker Must Die,” makes his debut as writer/director in the ghostly comedy.
Lowell was smart to cast two unheralded but dynamic actresses in key roles. Lake Bell shines as Ashley, the psychic who starts off by conning Kate’s widower, Henry (Paul Rudd), into thinking she’s really communicating with Kate. Soon enough, she no longer needs to lie about the encounters.

Lowell’s other find was Lindsay Sloane as Henry’s sister, Chloe, a slippery con artist who pops up intermittently with a different reckless scheme, further complicating her bro’s life every time. As entertaining as the movie is, every time Chloe shows up you wish the narrative would forget the main thread and follow Chloe off on her misadventures. That’s how effective Sloane is at stealing each shot with breathless glee.