Rating: 
Summary: Scary, edge-of-your-seat horror flick!
Review: This one of the coolest movies ever. About an amusement-park owner named Steven Price (Geoffrey Rush) who decided to have his pampered wife's (Famke Janssen) birthday party in an old abandoned asylum. He rips up her own birthday list, then invites five strangers to the thing, offering each one $1 million dollars if they can stay alive through the night. The former asylum has a dark secret: 60 years previous, the strange, inhumane experiments performed on the insane who lived there got a little out of hand. No one was obviously watching the place, and so, all of the patients got out and killed almost all of the staff. The five invited to the party (Marissa Marr, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, Chris Katan, and.. I think it's William Malone but I'm not sure) think it's all fun and games... Until lockdown comes into play and shuts every door and window in the house. Now, unable to get out, they are finally realizing that the murder committed 60 years ago isn't done, and that some spirit still lives within the walls...This movie may not have been origional (because it is a remake of a classic) but it is still VERY scary and VERY good!
Rating: 
Summary: HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL Gets Under Your Skin
Review: This remake of the black/white version of House On Haunted Hill is better than the original. Very creepy story about people who are offered a large sum of money to spend the night in a former asylum that turns out to really be haunted by the doctors and patients who used to live inside the walls. The evil force of the house eventually decides to add more souls to it's body count number...and the fun begins. Plot twists galore and the cast is perfect! Much better than The Haunting!
Rating: 
Summary: No Fright Tonight
Review: A director choosing to revisit a story must decide if he will bring a fresh perspective or pay homage to what has come before. But when homage turns to fromage (that is, cheese), one must decide if the remake was worth making. In the case of House on Haunted Hill, the ghosts of the original 1958 film should not have been disturbed. Geoffrey Rush (Mystery Men) plays Stephen Price, a self-styled master of horror, who evidently gained his reputation creating thrill rides for amusement parks. On the occasion of his wife's (Famke Janssen) birthday, Price is throwing a scary party in the most ghastly of all places, an insane asylum where -- half a century before -- a mad doctor carried out grotesque experiments on the patients. After Mrs. Price prepares her guest list, Mr. Price throws it away in favor of his own. But after he leaves, someone or something changes the list yet again. As a result, the four guests are strangers to the Prices (and to each other), each one promised $1 million if he or she can survive one night in the House on Haunted Hill. (Can't you just hear the cheesy music and thunder?) This movie fails on so many levels, it's impossible to exactly nail down where it went wrong. The acting is over-the-top. The story itself is hokey. And all of the little details that should make it interesting are lost amid a story that can't decide which direction to go. To his credit, Rush is fun as Steven Price, but his performance is little more than an imitation of Vincent Price who acted in the lead role in 1958. The worst addition to the cast is Peter Gallagher (American Beauty) as Dr. Blackburn. Evidently Jeff Goldblum was unavailable or unwilling to do this picture, so the casting department did the next best thing. With Gallagher's wavy black hair and thick black glasses, he looks and acts like a cheap knock off of Goldblum's stereotypical scientist character (see Jurassic Park and Independence Day). Two nice cameos appear in the early part of the film. Singer Lisa Loeb plays a television reporter interviewing Price about his latest roller coaster. Fans of television's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" may recognize her cameraman as James Marsters, who plays the vampire Spike on the series. The story itself is never frightening, however. On a couple of occasions, it slips into the surreal, as when Melissa (Bridgette Wilson) watches through her camcorder as a doctor walks through an abandoned operating room. When she lowers the recorder, the room is empty. The moment is delightfully eerie, but the movie fails to capitalize on it. Instead, House on Haunted Hill relies on special effects to dazzle the audience into submission. But the effects fail because sometimes it's more frightening to NOT see the monster. As a result, when the "evil" in the house finally comes to life, it is a letdown. House on Haunted Hill had the advantage of opening on Halloween weekend, which no doubt contributed to its box office success. Although it doesn't provide much fright, it is mildly amusing in a cheap horror movie way. For seasoned horror fans, this movie will be a complete disappointment. For those who still get creeped-out by "Twilight Zone" reruns, this might give you a tingle or two.
Rating:
Summary: I was on the edge of my seat
Review: This movie is the only movie that made me a little scared and no movie usually makes me scared. So I give this movie a A+ for that. But overall the story line is a little rusty but I say this is a must see movie.
Rating:
Summary: A tour you won't forget
Review: Punch packed with eerieness and a hefty load of comedy "House on Haunted Hill" was a breath of fresh air into the slowly crippling horror franchise of the late nineties. Ironically it was based on an older film directed by William Castle. This remake proves worthy of its predecessor. Filled to the top with fear provoking imagery and situations, House manages to intellegently blend in heavy doses of humor in the mix. The plot is simple a group of people, has been invited to a birthday party. Much to their surprise the party is planed to end in a reward of 1,000,000 for whomever may survive the night. Why so? The House is more than than it seems. It is the location of a long dead insane asylum, which was the stage for a revolt against the demented doctors. The guests arrive and the two hosts find that they don't match those on the original list, but its too late now. The house has closed down and the night has begun! The fun goes on and boy does it get better as the time passes. The ghostly visages are creepy, the characters are quirky, but still manage to maintain their credibility. If there is a horror movie that deserves your attention it is this one. Unlike its early summer relative The Haunting, this icon will not disappoint or use so many computer generated effects that eventually become laughable. Horror and cinema fans can also look forward to Geoffrey Rush's dedication character, Steven Price. The DVD version sports excellent sound and picture that will keep fans happy. Also included are many an option from whence to plunge further into the movie, these including extra footage, trailers, commentary, et cetera. Don't miss it.
Rating: 
Summary: Spooky and Mildly Entertaining!
Review: While the plot does fall flat and some of the performances weren't that good. This little horror flick does have a lot to offer. Geoffrey Rush gives an amusing over the top performance that ultimately steals the show, I also enjoyed Chris Kattan in a really funny part. It does offer some genuinely scary moments, and some images of sadism and madness, which are elevated by great use of editing and sound. But other than that the movie does offer some laughable scenes that seem out of place, and the ending is not as scary as it should be considering what came before it. Passable if you are an undemanding horror buff. From a scale of 1-10 I give this movie a 6!
Rating:
Summary: A Most Amusingly Twisted Remake
Review: Bearing the same name, same plots, and same ideas behind the original "House on Haunted Hill", one would expect to see natural remake of a masterpiece (ok, perhaps only I was, but than again, perhaps not). And at first, it seems to ring true. However, quickly it is learned that this is not the same movie, but it is almost certainly as entertaining. Rush is not Price, never will be Price, and therefore cannot be expected to perform exactly the same as Price. While I contend that Price simply had the role by the same name immortalized, I must concede that Rush did bring a brilliant flare to the screen. This is not an academy award contending film, and his ability to shift from a career based mostly on nobility to something just a bit more sadistic is impressive. Jim Carrey managed the exact opposite. I saw a review on here not too long ago before I saw the movie that said "Campy is Fun" in the heading. I mention that because I'm not a big fand of campy films and therefore I somehow surmized from this one heading that I would not enjoy this movie. Now, I acknowledge the author of that heading and fully agree with him. Not to spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it, I will touch on certain plots while attempting not to give away much. The turn-arounds between Mrs. Price and Mr. Price are hilarious, especially when one thinks the other is dead and the film u-turns so the other consider the other to be dead. Much like the original, this movie milks the fight between wills for every scent its worth, only without the seriousness. Gallagher made me laugh by his manner in the film, he simply seemed so displaced. Mind you, I do not mean his acting (as most acting in this film should not be analyzed), but simply his charisma. The movie begins to lack in fun, though, when it loses its campy humor and jumps fully to supernatural toward the end. Not just supernatural, but ruins a terrific monster concept (the scene where Rush sees the dead mad doctor on the video screen after finding his employee's face... uh... removed... is the most memorable in the film). I wish they had stuck with the mad doctor instead of the all- encompassing darkness only because... well, what can be done with darkness? It can float and speak, the amusement of that dies out eventually. The opening scenes are splended (especially the rip off of Tower of Terror) and Chris Kattan offers an amusingly overdramatic peformance. The end, unfortunately, loses fuel and burns out. Still, it is a notable movie, perfect the for late night "gore" hunger.
Rating:
Summary: Better the second time around.
Review: In my hasty review that appears before this one, I truly misjudged the 1999 film "House on Haunted Hill," pawning it off as a cheap teenage horror flick comparable to "The Rage: Carrie 2." However, I was gravely mistaken, for this movie is full of all the elements that make a horror movie great. Based on the 1959 film of the same name starring Vincent Price, the 1999 version updates characters and storyline to suit modern audiences with lavish special effects and superbly filmed horror sequences. The film begins during the house's years as a mental institution for the criminally insane, as Dr. Vannacutt is performing experiments on his patients as a way of eliminating them. The inmates soon take over the sanitarium, killing all but five members of the staff, who escape as the place burns down. Skip ahead to 1999, with Steven Price (Geoffrey Rush) honoring his wife Evelyn's (Famke Janssen) wishes for a birthday party at the Vannacutt Psychiatric Sanitarium, newly remodeled into a residential home. When they arrive at the house, they discover that the guests are not the ones they invited, and both of them deny inviting the people present. The thrills begin when the "lockdown" occurs, a mechanism that encloses all windows, doors, and other means of exit, trapping Price and his guests inside. What truly makes this movie enjoyable is the fact that for the duration of the film, we do not know whether Price or the house itself is wreaking the havoc experienced by those left alive. Geoffrey Rush is terrific as Price, giving the original character, played by Vincent Price, his due justice. Famke Janssen gives sass and haughtiness to the script as Evelyn Price, and her stance and attitude make her character's moves very unique and believable. Taye Diggs (Eddie Baker), Bridgette Wilson (Melissa Marr), Ali Larter (Sara Miller), Peter Gallagher (Donald Blackburn) and Chris Kattan (Watson Pritchett) are brilliant as the five guests invited to the bash, each one with their own style and ability. Sound effects, lighting and set design add creepiness and terror to the house itself, which never fails to scare its inhabitants. The ghostly apparitions seen by those in peril are fantasticly crafted, and increased camera speed and thundering noises set the tone for terror. The ending of this movie, while tying the plot together and giving the answers as an ending should, may come as a letdown to some. The special effects and CGI used to create the "smoke" that permeates throughout the house in search of its last victims isn't authentic enough to scare people, and one might stop to think, "Why didn't they just use real smoke altogether?" But the rest of this film is enough to make up for it end, and remains as one of the better creepy films of the horror genre. The DVD edition of the movie is a big plus, with a dual-layered widescreen format that hosts brilliant colors, solid blacks and natural fleshtones. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound is excellent, and if you have a Pro Logic receiver like I do, it still delivers room-shaking sound. Special features are all the craze, with a comparison of the old and new versions, trailers for both versions of the films, audio commentary by the director, deleted scenes (including a very funny sequence that hosts Debi Mazar as Sara's boss), and interactive menus. Another winner from Warner Bros, and one of the better examples of movie remakes in this day and age.
Rating:
Summary: it's ok!
Review: I was so excited thinking that this movie was going to be really scary, but i am disappointed to say that it wasn't!I admit there were some parts that were scary!This is the only reason i'm giving it 3 stars!I thought the movie was just plain GROSS!Ok it need to be a little sick to be an actual HORROR movie which this was not! it was a perfectly good waste of money and of time! SO if you really have nothing to do than that's fine but if your looking for a real SCARE you should look elsewhere cause this movie is not for you!
Rating:
Summary: A lot of fun hurt by ending
Review: Geoffrey Rush and Famke Janssen give hilarious performances in this fun filled ride. The crew spent on lot of time created a truly creepy experience. There were two problems that kept me from giving this movie 5 stars. First, the ending was very poorly done and gave the impression that the writers ran out of ideas. Second, many of the perfomances by the secondary actors, in particular Taye Diggs, were rather flat. I did have some problems hearing the voice audio also, perhaps it sounds better with surround sound.
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