Review of House On Haunted Hill, The

Introduction

The House on Haunted Hill took my fancy when I saw the trailer – I like a good horror film – you know the sort you watch in the dark and scare yourself s***less so even going to the toilet half-way through is a major trauma.

This movie is a remake of an old 1959 movie that I don’t recall ever watching, so I didn’t know much about the movie when I sat down to watch it.

Basically, an entertainment park entrepreneur invites guests to a birthday party for his wife, and offers them $1m if they can survive the night at an abandoned mental institution with a horrifying history (now, if someone offered me $1m to survive a night, I’d be deeply suspicious…) Basically, although the host thinks he’s in control of the proceedings, it soon becomes apparent that he isn’t and when everyone becomes trapped inside the asylum, the horror begins.

Video

The 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen is excellent throughout the movie, showing plenty of detail with no sign of grain or dirt.

Visually, the film is good, with the creepy asylum reproduced well both outside and inside. The interior sets look good, and help to create an unnerving atmosphere.

Effects wise, the various methods of despatch look quite good, but the end sequence is basically garbage – computer generated “spirits” just aren’t scary I’m afraid – I’d would much rather some drooling beast chasing people about, or a crazed madman with various nasty weaponry. Something looking like a kaleidoscope effect with some Photoshop filters applied just doesn’t cut it.

Audio

The sound on “The House on Haunted Hill” is excellent.

I have watched the film twice – once on my own Dolby Digital 5.1 system, and once on a friend’s Dolby Pro-Logic system. Obviously the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack sounds better with the full-range stereo rear channel, but the Pro-Logic soundtrack is also excellent, with plenty of use made of the rear channel. Both soundtracks fill the room with the various howls, sounds, screams and unnerving noises.

The dialogue is always clear and understandable throughout the movie with both soundtracks.

Features

There’s a reasonable choice of extras on offer – a director’s commentary, a behind the scenes documentaries, deleted scenes, trailers and DVD-ROM materials.

Conclusion

Overall, “The House on Haunted Hill” has its moments, but at the end of the day is ruined by a computer generated “spirit” at the end that isn’t scary at all, and a very lame ending.

The film has plenty of promise, with a very creepy location, a reasonable cast and the potential for the party guests to be knocked off in a variety of unpleasant ways. However, there’s not much new here, and to be honest the soundtrack is more scary than anything on screen.

An excellent picture and superb sound are backed up by reasonable extras, but at the end of the day, this is an unsatisfying movie.