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House (Widescreen Edition)

House (Widescreen Edition)

List Price: $29.98
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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Limited Edition? Yeah, right.
Review: This is Anchor Bay we're talking about. Every last one of their "limited edition" DVDs have been re-released. Don't believe me? Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Army of Darkness: The Director's Cut and the television version of Halloween were all once available only in "limited edition" 2-disc sets. But once the initial supply ran out, single disc editions were released. Trust me, House 2 will get its own release sometime next year. Not that it matters; it's awful!Anyway, the picture and sound are great on both (even though it's mono), and the extra features are okay. My biggest complaint is the commentary track on the original film. These are the guys that wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the movie, and they know less about it than I do! They keep referring to Roger Cobb's grandma. It was his aunt, (...)!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A decent effort from Anchorbay
Review: Although their marketing strategies are somewhat undesirable the quality of the discs they make is not. Both of these movies are presented excellently with audio commentaries and trailers for each. Not as many extras as could have been hoped(hence the 4 stars) but still good enough for the price(when it includes the second movie).

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Two entertaining different movies from the same title.
Review: Horror novelist Roger Cobb (William Katt) has been having problems trying to forget the past life he had since his son has disappear and his wife just left him. Since his aunt killed herself in her own house. Roger moves back to his aunt house to finish his new book about his trumatic experiences in vietnam. Since roger is now living in the house of his aunt. Strange things has been happening to him and in every sense in a bizarre way of things.

DVD`s has a fine anamorphic Widescreen (1.85:1) Transfer and clear Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono Sound. This has fine running commentary track by director:Steve Miner (Friday the 13th Part 2 & 3, Forever Young), Writer:Ethan Wiley (House 2:The Second Story), Producer:Sean S. Cunningham (Friday the 13th, Jason Goes to Hell:The Final Friday) and Actor:William Katt (Carrie). House was an box office surprise back in 1986. This film has an good tongue in cheek humor and it`s unexpectedly impressive, imaginative and ambitious black comedy for a horror movie. Entertaining film. Grade:A- 25 years ago, Jesse (Arye Gross) parents has been murder by a mystery man. He returns to the house, where his parents were murder with his girlfriend (Lar Park Lincoln) and then his friends Charlie (Johathan Stark) and his girlfriend (Amy Yasbeck) are moving in the house also. Jesse discover, there`s something missing in the house and he find out a missing skull, which it`s worth money. Jesse & Charlie discover the skull could be bury in the cementary of Jesse`s great great grandfather named also Jesse (Royal Dano). Once they dig up his grave, Jesse & Charlie find out his still alive, because of the magical skull. Once Jesse & Charlie bring Jesse`s great great grandfather back to the house. Everything is starting to break loose another people from different dimensions of time, want to take the skull back in thier time. The three have to protect the skull from anothers.

DVD`s has the same Widescreen anamorphic transfer and the sound also for the film. There`s an amusing commentary track from the director:Ethan Wiley and Producer:Sean S. Cunningham. Which is much better in the commentary than the first film. This is well made entertaining film has nothing to do with the first film. Great fun. Grade:B+.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: 2 Great DVD's
Review: I love House. It was the very first horror movie I ever watched. I watched it for the first time with family that are no longer here. So it is in some ways a show very near and dear to my heart. This Dvd version is great. It is the clearest version of House that I have ever seen. It sounds great. And it has the most hillarious commentary. I spent all day yesterday watching House 1 and 2 and then listening to their commentaries. Both Dvd's had the producers commentaries. Im not as big a fan of House 2 as I am of 1. But its a free add on so Ill take it. But you can see how House 1 can be both scary and funny by listening to the people that made it. Funny guys. William Katt the star is on the commentary too. Great shows, good price, Must buy in my opinion.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Ding Dong!
Review: Perhaps one of the quintessential 1980s horror films, House makes its explosion onto the DVD format in this (relatively unadvertised) Anchor Bay Special/Limited Edition disc. The digital gurus at Anchor Bay's studios have given us another finely restored film, and the first 20,000 DVDs produced are actual limited editions with a bonus DVD that contains a restored House II: The Second Story. Fans, be speedy: these two-disc sets aren't going to last long, and this is House II's ONLY anticipated Region 1 release on DVD, ever. Once it's gone, it's gone.

But, is the 2 disc set even worth getting? House tells the story of Vietnam vet and writer Roger Cobb (William Katt) who, looking for solitude and a break from his ex-wife (Kay Lenz), decides to move into his aunt's old house after she commits suicide. Coincidentally, this is the same house where Cobb's son disappeared a couple of years ago - apparently one of the deciding factors in the divorce, and Cobb's current writing slump. After he checks in, all manner of strange things happen, from Vietnam flashbacks to ghostly goings-on.

As a horror film, House certainly holds its own against more serious slasher-fare. Like Sam Raimi's Evil Dead, House doesn't take itself as seriously as other movies in the genre, and the result is an oftentimes humorous piece of work (unintentionally or not). The horror elements are strong: you are never completely sure if the house is actually causing the events, or if the main character is slowly going insane. Unfortunately, the story is so disjointed that the main creep value is lost when baddies are revealed too early, and the final sequence turns into an action movie instead of a horror film. While farces aren't intended to be subtle, the subtle, layered effect created in the first 20 minutes is utterly ruined as soon as we see the monster, and from there on out everything either becomes more stereotypical 80s horror fare, or the comic version of the same. This problem doesn't render House unwatchable, but it certainly detracts, as if the director couldn't quite make up his mind about what way he wanted the movie to go.

The DVD, on the other hand, is fantastic. The sound, while in mono, is clear and crisp, and the video transfer is remarkable (although anything less from Anchor Bay would be a crime). The commentary track is loads of fun, and a 12-minute featurette on The Making of House provides a little historical context and amusement, too. Luckily, Anchor Bay didn't spare the bonus House II disc any of their normal bells and whistles, and again the sound (mono as well) is great along with the near-flawless video. The bonus disc also contains a full-length commentary which isn't nearly as entertaining as the other, but hey, neither is the movie. Fans of House (and House II, if anyone is willing to admit to it) will definitely want to get the Limited Edition as soon as possible, because House II is going to be gone for good once it sells out. Otherwise, if you liked House, and know what to expect from Anchor Bay, you know what to do - and at this price, it's hard not to.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: I have always liked this movie
Review: The first house is a good mix of horror and humor. It is a little scary at times, but not really horror. This is a dvd that you can watch over and over. It's just a fun movie. House 2 isn't quite as good, but still enjoyable. The 2 disc version is a limited edition of 20,000, so if your going to buy it, you better do it fast. It is already really hard to find. Worth buying.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: NOTHING BEATS A CLASIC!
Review: I was so happy to find out that "House" was finally coming to DVD. This is one of my all time favorite horror movies. In fact, this was the very first horror movie I ever saw when I was little.

William Katt plays a writer who is stuggling on a current project. When his aunt passes away, he decides to move into her house, being that it was the same house that he grew up in. It was also the house he lost his little boy in. He's about to find out that moving into the house was a BIG mistake.

Katt realizes the house is haunted and is trying to kill him, sending monsters, ghouls, and killer household applainces after him. But Katt isn't going to surrender that easily. He decides to take the house head on, and hopes to find his lost son.

The picture quality of the movie is fantastic. I did not expect to see so much sharpness and color from such an old film. The sound is also great, even though it's dolby digital mono. It sure doesn't sound mono!

"House" is a classic horror film, and is one of my favorites. Forget about "Scream" and all of those other horror flicks. This is an all time classic, and is a must have for anyone who enjoys scary films. Filled with horror and comedy, "House" is an easy five out of five stars.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Great Mixture of Jumps and Giggles....
Review: Steve Miner's House has always been an underrated, underlooked little film. Although not your average 'haunted house' film, there's plenty of jumps and laughs to be had here. House perhaps isn't the scariest movie around (okay, not even close), but the intent here is not to shock, if you're looking to be entertained for 90 minutes with some wildly funny special effects, a smirking sense of humor and several great performances, look no further than this little winner from 1985.

William Katt plays bestselling author Roger Cobb, a writer whose made a living penning gruesome horror novels. It seems however, of late, Roger has fallen on hard times. His son was kidnapped right out of his backyard one afternoon, he and his wife (Kay Lenz) are divorced and Cobb has developed quite a case of writers' block. He's been struggling to get his latest novel written, a story about his personal experiences in Vietnam. He's got a rapidly approaching deadline to meet and to top it all off, his elderly aunt has committed suicide leaving Cobb to inherit the big, spooky home in which she lived.

The house, as it is, is the same home where Cobb's son was abducted from years ago, despite warnings from his aunt claiming the house alive and the culprit behind the abduction, Cobb never took these 'ramblings' very seriously-until now.

To combat his demons and get his book written, Roger moves into the house and immediately, strange things begin to happen. He's attacked by garden tools, there's a creature living in an upstairs closet, a big, purple witch running about and demon children living in the chimney-and this doesn't begin to scratch the surface! To top it all off, Roger's nosy neighbor (George Wendt of Cheers fame) thinks he's gone insane and keeps a watchful (and comical) eye on him.

House is a horror movie, but it's one that will make you laugh more than scream. It contains a few jumps, but overall, is none too scary. Where House is strongest perhaps, is in its portrayal of its main character. Roger Cobb is a fully fleshed out character haunted by demons of his past while frantically attempting to bury them. It's not until the evils of the house force him to confront his past demons that Roger can begin, once again to assume control of his life. While House is a horror film, it's also a well written (by Fred Dekker-helmer of Night of the Creeps-what happened to this man?) story of a man obsessed with finding his missing child.

House may not be everybody's cup of tea, there are moments which some viewers may find just too silly, others may find it rather dull and too 'dated'. Genre fans and overall movie goers with an appreciation for a well-written film won't want to miss this film. A nice place to visit, a great film to own on DVD!

-For the record, the DVD transfer is beautiful, and the first 20,000 copies include House II: The Second Story which, is also a great film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Surprise bonus movie!!
Review: I loved seeing this movie when I was younger. Very campy, funny and at times scary. ....This DVD was a pleasant surprise. I stumbled across the fact that it was being released and pre-ordered it without knowing anything about the features that were to be included. I received the DVD and noticed a sticker on the front that said: 20,000 copies will also have House 2: The Second Story included as a bonus. Nothing else on the jacket/clamshell mentioned it. I opened the wrapper and looked inside...low and behold. They secretly stored two seperate DVDs in there, one for each movie. It's not promoted anywhere. Get this DVD. 2 movies for the price of one!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: List this one under Guilty Pleasure
Review: Remember when you first got cable? Our connection opened a whole world to me. A world populated by Killer Clowns from Outer Space and Canabilistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers who lived in Funhouses at Camp Crystal Lake. Late at night I would sneak out into the den at the back of the house and watch those movies that my parents swore would scar me for life with the sound turned down low enough so that I wouldn't be discovered. This was one of those flicks that got my alarm set for 2am. I haven't seen either of the House movies in a long while but remember watching them with a fondness that "normal" folks would probably relate to The Wizard of Oz on Thanksgiving every year. Popcorn in a crinkley plastic bag that made too much noise and was covered in orange powder that at the time I assumed was some sort of cheese-like substanceaccompanied by a 2 liter of Jolt soda so I wouldn't fall asleep and be discovered the next morning. That's how you have to watch these movies. Late at night, all alone, with the sound turned way down surrounded by junk food hoping you don't get caught. The plot wasn't important then and isn't important now. It made no sense anyway. What makes this movie enjoyable is the absurd black comedy: The corpses that just won't die no matter what you do to them, The portals that open up without rhyme or reason, the unbelievable bad timing of the neighbors and the jungles of Vietnam that lead to a swimming pool in the back yard. It's disjointed, absurd and an absolute waste of time, (not unlike this review) but I wouldn't want this movie any other way.


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