Rating: 
Summary: Clunky but Spooky Fun
Review: Despite the editing flaws and some hokey camera work, this film is infinitely superior to the 1963 thriller "The Haunting", which seems to be accorded undue accolades simply by dint of being an earlier film.Pamela Franklin makes this film--her acting is convincing and interesting, even when the lines written for her are bad. If you are a fan of modern gore or slick, challenging, modern thrillers, this movie is not for you. But if you appreciate clunky films and classic "Creature Double Feature" fare, you will enjoy this film. Legend of Hell House is less about Haunting than it is about so-called "psychic power" and the nature of the human spirit. From that perspective it is amusing. Yes, there is a lot to forgive in this film, but unlike many other movies, it is entertaining once forgiven.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the better haunted house movies.
Review: Made in 1973, this movie still packs a few frights and the story is quite good. Basically this is writer Richard Mathesons take on Shirley Jacksons "The Haunting of Hill House". So this movie is almost like a remake of Robert Wises "The Haunting" by default and it does have similar situations and characters. Basically the premise of both books and films are almost identical. Various paranormal investigators go visit the Mt. Everest of haunted houses to see if they can prove the existence of ghosts. Is it a rip-off of "The Haunting" then? The answer is - Yes, there are definite blatant attempts by Matheson to lift plot elements from Jacksons novel. This leaves "The Legend of Hell House" director John Hough in quite a predicament because he is making a film from a book which is not entirely original but the good news is that he does pull through with a crackerjack of a horror film. Instead of implying the horror, like in "The Haunting", Hough pretty much goes straight for graphic scares and frights. In most cases he succeeds and this film is certainly streaks and bounds ahead of most other horror films. The other reason to see this film is for Roddy McDowall in what is probably his finest performance. The film is also full of surprises and there are plenty of plot twists and turns. The ending is also quite satisfactory. An excellent addition for any horror collection. Just do not be surprised with some plot elements that you have seen a million times before and do watch Robert Wises "The Haunting" if you can. They are both very similar in nature, but ultimately different films.
Rating: 
Summary: not scary enough
Review: This had the makings of a real classic. It was a pity the way it turned out. There were times I actually laughed at this. I agree with the reviewer who wondered why bringing it all out in the open suddenly makes everything OK. It never explained why this was the case. It seemed to be edited very badly in places and made us laugh at what could have been truly scary. This didn't scare me at all. I kept waiting but it just didn't happen.
Rating:
Summary: good, but not as good as the book
Review: The book goes into way more detail about everything and needs to be read before you see the movie. The movie is good and the house is spooky, but it lacks the depth that the book has. The only scene that was really creepy was the shadowy figure behind the shower curtain. Good, but not as creepy as the reviews say. I hope the Haunting (1963), which has terrific reviews, is better because I just ordered it.
Rating:
Summary: This movie was very well done.
Review: When I was a teenager I read the Legend of hell house and it was the scariest book I have read to this day. I feel the same way about the movie. I have never experienced such fright, And believe me I have seen them all.To this day the only other movie that scared me as much was "The Haunting" (Old Version) If you want a good scare enjoy, You won't be disapointed.
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps the best gothic ghost story ever
Review: It's simply a must have if you collect gothics or ghost stories, and it's REALLY good too. The mood and atmosphere is awesome and sustained throughout. This is one movie that DOES NOT die in the middle or lose steam towards the end. It's got a great premise, cohesive plot logic, good acting, compelling plot complications and a satisfying end that is perfectly plausible within the logic of the story. Indeed all of it is perfectly plausible within the logic of the story. That's what makes for a GREAT movie.
Rating:
Summary: ONE OF THE BEST HORROR MOVIES OF ALL TIME!!!!
Review: THIS IS A SPOOKY MOVIE WITH A CREEPY ATMOSPHERE AND CAMERA TECHNIQUES THAT WILL MAKE YOUR SKIN CRAWL!!
THIS IS A TRUE HORROR CLASSIC!!!!
ENJOY!!!
Rating:
Summary: Classic Haunted House Story
Review: This is just a good old haunted house story, totally enjoyable!! It really is a classic!! For fans of ghost stories and haunted houses - this is for you!
Rating:
Summary: The "Mt. Everest" of haunted houses
Review: The Legend of Hell House, though dated somewhat
by Hollywood's special-effect-heavy horror movies,
is still something too scary for the kids and a terrific
version of Richard Matheson's book "Hell House."
This primarily because Matheson insisted on writing
the screenplay himself after being so improperly
adapted to the screen in the past. Leading a small but
stellar cast, Pamela Franklin rises to the occasion with
her usual, solid performance in what I feel was her best film, following "Necromancy" in 1972 where she pulled a not-so-great
movie along simply by the power of her credibility. Roddy
McDowall is no slouch by any means, and Clive Revill is great
as the doubting-Thomas physicist who refuses to accept the
haunting at face value. True, the "killer cat" part won't
scare you much, but before this movie is over you will surely
believe a house can be haunted!
Rating: 
Summary: Decent film that could have been great
Review: Excellent acting and cinematography for a low budget film. Suspenseful story without a lot of depicted gore that kept my interest until the end (particularly the parts with the mental medium trying to help the ghost - scary!). My main criticism is with the ending itself - it was too abrupt, had little payoff and made little sense; I felt cheated. For instance, if the vault's walls were lead and could not be penetrated, why wasn't the spirit confined to that room/how could it influence other parts of the house? Why does simply exposing the secret make everything suddenly okay? Perhaps the novel does a better job explaining everything, but the film itself left me with more questions than answers. A little rewriting would have made this a great film. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it more than modern slash/gore movies.
| 
