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Back in 1959 B-Movie Horror director William Castle released the cult-classic 'The House on Haunted Hill' a movie which using shock tactics in the theatres scarred the pants off cinema goers.
But with todays audiences, movie makers have to go the step further to make cinema goers even ... Read review
House on Haunted Hillis one of the new breed of waste-no-time thrill machines, likeDeep ... more
Blue Sea, and a particularly effective example at that. The plot is pure contrivance: For a party stunt, a wealthy amusement-park manufacturer (Geoffrey Rush) offer...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
House on Haunted Hillis one of the new breed of waste-no-time thrill machines, likeDeep ... more
Blue Sea, and a particularly effective example at that. The plot is pure contrivance: For a party stunt, a wealthy amusement-park manufacturer (Geoffrey Rush) offer...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Unspeakable things happened at the Vannacutt Psychiatric Institute for the Criminally ... more
Insane - experiments that brought human torture to new depths of depravity. Secrets that died with their victims and the practitioners of the demonic acts that masque...
The house has a second story, even more terrifying than the first! When a new group of ... more
unsuspecting visitors enter the legendary House On Haunted Hill, they come face-to-horrifying-face with an unimaginable, unrelenting evil. Trapped with the spirits of the sadistic Dr. Vannacutt (Jeffrey Combs) and the insane asylum inmates who died there, the newcomers discover one by one that this time the house won't let anyone leave alive.
The house has a second story, even more terrifying than the first! When a new group of ... more
unsuspecting visitors enter the legendary House on the Haunted Hill, they come face-to-horrifying face with an unimaginable, unrelenting evil. Trapped with the spirits of the sadistic Dr. Vannacutt (Jeffrey Combs) and the insane asylum inmates who died there, the newcomers discover one by one that this time the house won't let anyone leave alive.The welcome mat is out. Do come in.
Production Year: 1998 - Horror - Director: Steve Miner - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Michelle Williams, Adam Arkin, Adam Hann-Byrd, Janet Leigh, L.L. Cool J.
Advantages: A good remake of the 1959 cult classic Disadvantages: Not many special features
...Castle released the cult-classic 'The House on Haunted Hill' a movie which using shock tactics in the theatres scarred the pants off cinema goers.
But with todays audiences, movie makers have to go the step further to make cinema goers even jump slightly and with the remake of William Castle's classic, Dark Castle Entertainment have succeded in producing a film that makes you jump, swear and even hide behind a pillow, ok, so not everyone ... ...where the fun begins, the house locks down and the guests are trapped, with only each other and the house to contend with.
Price informs them if the survive the night they'll be rich, IF they survive......
HAS IT GOT SPECIAL FX AND SOUND?
The special effects in 'House on Haunted Hill' are quite spectacular with the gore been gory and at times you expect something to happen and it doesn't and just as you ... more
As some of you may of noticed I have already written ops on Dark Castle Entertainments 'Thir13en Ghosts' & 'Ghost Ship' so here is my op for their first outing.
Back in 1959 B-Movie Horror director William Castle released the cult-classic 'The House on Haunted Hill' a movie which using shock tactics in the theatres scarred the pants off cinema goers.
But with todays audiences, movie makers have to go the step further to make cinema goers even jump slightly and with the remake of William Castle's classic, Dark Castle Entertainment have succeded in producing a film that makes you jump, swear and even hide behind a pillow, ok, so not everyone will, but believe me if you turn of the lights out and watch the movie in the dark, it certainly puts a chill down your spine.
SO WHAT'S THE FILM ABOUT?
One night twisted theme park millionaire Steven Price (Geoffrey Rush) plays a twisted party for his wife (Femke Janssen) at an abandoned istitute for the criminally insane. But unknown to Price, the guest list that he made is changed by someone or something, upon arrival to the house, with a twisted version the 'These Dreams' performed by Marilyn Manson, the nervous caretaker takes the five guest up to the house, now this is where the fun begins, the house locks down and the guests are trapped, with only each other and the house to contend with.
Price informs them if the survive the night they'll be rich, IF they survive......
HAS IT GOT SPECIAL FX AND SOUND?
The special effects in 'House on Haunted Hill' are quite spectacular with the gore been gory and at times you expect something to happen and it doesn't and just as you relax it happens, throwing you right of guard, much like 'Thir13en Ghosts'. The DD5.1 mix is used very well, filling your room with sounds from the house, such as screams and whispers coming from all around you and at times I swear you can hear the house breathing, creepy.
As the film progresses you can feel the tension building up between the characters and after a while you really start to feel for them as they are picked off one by one, the acting is really good and not wooden, which a change for a horror movie.
The only problem with any film like this is once you've seen it the shock value goes and the second time you watch it, it's not so jumpy, but, it's still an enjoyable film, the story really plays well and it's having a good story that makes you watch 'House on Haunted Hill' more than once.
WHAT ABOUT THE SPECIAL FEATURES?
Ok, here we go, sadly there aren't that many special features on this DVD besides some interesting Behind-The-Scenes Documenteries and deleted scenes there isn't that much, Filmographies, Trailers and that's about it really.
Shame really but saying that, not everyone buys the DVD for it's special features, they are really just a bonus with the film, that's my point of view anyway.
OVERALL
I would personally say that 'House on Haunted Hill' is the best of the Dark Castle movies so far, it's going to take a bit for Dark Castle to top this one as the other movies, 'Thir13en Ghosts' & 'Ghost Ship' seemed to have gone a bit lame compared to this one, but overall I highly recommend 'House on Haunted Hill' for horror fans everywhere, even if you not a horror fan 'House on Haunted Hill' is a fun, scary, jumpy roller coaster (no pun intended to the Price character intended) ride that is strangely enough, enjoyable, or maybe that's just me.
...a night in the haunted house and come out alive will get a million dollars.
This is a remake of a 1958 film, but has been vastly improved and is thoroughly more enjoyable. As with other modern Horror movies (Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer), there is plenty of dark humour to lighten up the mood of the film. There also enough twists and turns in the story along with some very scary moments which make you jump, that there should be something ... ...are plenty of surprises in House on Haunted Hill. The only real negative about the film is the ending, which succumbs to the standard Hollywood ending, rather than surprising you with something knew.
The main character in the film is Stephen H. Price, played by Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean). His character has been based on the character played by Vincent Price in the original and Rush has done a worthy job of picking up on the look and ...
christianfilmcritic 07.02.2006
· Read full review
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Advantages: Has many twists that keep you guessing. Disadvantages: None.
This is one of the first DVD's I purchased and had to watch via my PC originally as at this time I didn't own a standard DVD player. As it turned out it was the better option as the disc has a mini game built in and other links to stuff around the inter net.
The film is a remake of an old classic but is brought to life with the superb special effects of modern filming and obviously more entertaining actors/actresses.
It begins with old footage of a hospital for the insane back in 1931, which we find is actually the house from the title, originally run by a mad surgeon.
The inmates escape and a mass killing and mutilation spree follow. This is how and where the rumours of ghostly goings on come from. But are they just rumours?
Enter the real cast starting with Price, a man with the need for speed so to speak. He runs ...
Advantages: scary gorey good story good looking girls get nude Disadvantages: non
available in hd dvd
my out of 10
sound effects 10-10
surround sound 10-10
cast 9-10
story 9-10
gore 15-10 its gorey as hell
nudity 10-10
scare 9-10
visual effects 15-10
nudity quality 10-10
actors 9-10
cast
Amanda Righetti ... Ariel Wolfe
Cerina Vincent ... Michelle
Erik Palladino ... Desmond
Tom Riley ... Paul
Andrew Lee Potts ... Kyle
Jeffrey Combs ... Dr. Richard Benjamin Vannacutt
Steven Pacey ... Richard
Clyta Rainford ... Harue
Gil Kolirin ... Norris
Andrew Pleavin ... Samuel
Chucky Venice ... Warren
Tatina de Marinis ... Ariel's assistant
Rated R for strong bloody horror violence, language and brief sexuality/nudity
George Zlatarev
Stilyana Mitkova ... Sara's Ghost
Laia Gonzàlez ... Nurse Ghost
Oksana Borbat ... Beautiful Woman ghost
Xeniya Ferenko ... Beautiful Woman Ghost ...
Advantages: Very Original, Very Scary Disadvantages: Could have better special effects but the actors make up for it
After all the 'post-modern' horror spin-offs from Scream, finally a film that lives up to the term 'horror'. "House On HauntedHill" impressed me because it doesn't pretend to be intelligent or witty. When I watch a horror film I want drama, tension, and lots and lots of blood and gore. What really sets this apart from any other horror films I've seen recently is the cast: there is a chemistry between the actors that gives strong and realistic performances in the tense scenes. The dark atmosphere of the film comes from the actors rather than special effects, while the film's script is very good as horror movies go. Although not the most terrifying horror film, it is still has a lot going for it. More original than most, and a hell of a lot more enjoyable, the 'House on HauntedHill' is a great DVD. ...
A group of people are invited to stay for one night in a haunted house - the reward... a million dollars each.
Remake Of
House On Haunted Hill ( 1959 United States of America ), House On Haunted Hill ( 1959 United States of America ), House On Haunted Hill ( United States of America ), House On Haunted Hill ( 1959 United States of America )
Director Commentary, A Tale Of Two Houses, Deleted Scenes, Behind The Screams, Scenes From Escape From The House, Essays, Interactive Menus, Scene Access, Trailers, Web Events, Chat Room Access
Aspect Ratio
1.85 Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Professional reviews
Review
"...Creepier than you expect..." (Entertainment Weekly, p.71, 26/11/1999)
"...A slicker and scarier piece of work..." (Variety, p.87-93, 01/11/1999)
DVD Description
Steven Price (a very hammy Rush) is a wealthy amusement park owner who invites several strangers to his shrewish wife's birthday party, this year held in the abandoned Vannacutt Institute for the Mentally Insane. There, he offers a prize of one million dollars to each party-goer who can spend the entire night in the creepy and cavernous building. As Mr. and Mrs. Price play a bitter game of cat and mouse, the guests begin to think there are more ominous forces at work, especially after the body count begins to creep higher and higher. A remake of the 1958 low-budgeter starring Vincent Price.
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