The Halloween holiday often seems to bring out the dregs of Hollywood horror films. Unfortunately, Bones is no exception. Interesting characters and witty dialogue are overshadowed by predictable gore and an overblown climax.

The year is 1979. Local hero Jimmy Bones (Snoop Dogg) rules the streets with an iron fist and a bleeding heart. Jimmy’s trusted friend Jeremiah (Clifton Powell) encourages him to meet with an enterprising crack dealer and his dirty-cop sidekick. Things go awry, and Jimmy is viciously murdered while his loving girlfriend, Pearl (Pam Grier), is forced to watch.

Fast forward to present day. Jimmy’s former neighborhood has become a derelict downtown of drug dealers and dirt bags, and the building that acted as Jimmy’s stronghold is now a symbol of darkness and dread. In an interesting twist of fate, the building is purchased by Jeremiah’s sons, Patrick and Bill (Khalil Kain and Merwin Mondesir), who intend to transform the broken fortress into a hot hip-hop nightclub.

In a visit to their new business, the brothers and their grunge-rock sister find a starving dog and bring it home to Jeremiah’s now plush suburban household. The catch? The more the dog eats, the closer Jimmy comes to being resurrected and exacting revenge on his murderers. Now it’s up to Patrick, Bill, an aged Pearl and her artistic daughter Cynthia (Bianca Lawson) to send Jimmy back to the world of the dead and do their best to keep Jeremiah alive.

Snoop Dogg makes an impressive leading-role debut. Clever and charismatic, he is dwarfed by a formulaic script and unnecessary special effects. Scenes where truckloads of maggots fall from the ceiling and severed heads share comical dialogue detract from what could have been an interesting ghost story.

Grier does a good job as a psychic still haunted by the memory of her lost lover, but the metaphysical twist does little to accelerate the convoluted plot. Halloween movie-goers are better off renting Creepshow 2 (1987), where the Indian-statue storyline covers the same ground with less dazzle and a higher fright factor.

Rating: R for a graphic violence, language, drug use and brief nudity. hours, minutes.