Rating: Summary: Great Horror Flick! Review: Of all these old films CASTLEROCK (Robert Zemicks company) are taking and remaking, this is the best one so far! The 50's version with "Vincent Price" in Black and White was a small hit back in its day, and it probably shouldve been included with this film as i think theyd both fit! This new version is not the same as the original, and thats not a bad thing!You shoudlve read reviews by now that explain the plot, so i'll skip that and just tell you this is a decent horror movie set in a haunted ex hospital that ....well, if your like me and see horror movies as funny, then youll be amused with the humor of the horror they make in this film! But of your easily scared like my girlfreind, then there a few scenes and FX that may sacre you :D The bonues features are worth a glance at, the deleted scenes are not too bad, and if you want my advice , get this with the original version....and you will see the great diffrence they made in this film, in improving the movie! It was better then the original IMO! and is one of my fav horror flicks, and I hope it would become one of yours too!
Rating: Summary: Has something other horror movies don't Review: With most horror movies, there's no alternate explanation to what's going on. By the middle of the movie, everyone HAS to believe in the ghoulie or zombie that's killing them off because no other explanation has been put forward that fits the facts. But in this movie, Geoffrey Rush's character designs thrill rides for a living - his guests are presented with chills, but are the scares just a set-up to get them to leave the house before dawn and thus lose the $1 million each? So the characters who insist (for a time) that nothing supernatural is going on have a very solid and believable alternative theory which works equally well as "the house is haunted." Now that's something you don't see much, and the characters come off (for the most part) as more intelligent because of it.
Rating: Summary: Congratu-Fricken-Lations! Review: No..that's not the original quote, but it works too. I really liked this movie for some reason. Granted, some of the gadgets that they showed that Dr. Vannacutt used to torture his patients scared the living daylights outta me, but hey, that's what a horror movie is all about. I saw it this morning, by myself, right in there in front of our bigscreened TV, and I'm planning to see it again on TV tonight. Yes, I liked it that much. All the cast and crew did a fantastic job, and I applaude them for it. I've never seen the original, but I highly doubt it would be anything like this. Before I wrote this, I read some of other people's reviews, most of which said this movie was a bust. Come on, people it wasn't that bad, and it certainly wasn't a bust. In order for a movie to completely suck (To me at least), it has to be along the same lines as "Babe: Pig in the City", now THAT movie sucks. Just give it a try. Watch it on TV sometime. It's probably on somewhere at some time or another. And if you don't like it, at least you didn't pay money to rent it.
Rating: Summary: not bad Review: IMHO, this is not a bad movie. it is much better than a lot of the teeny-bopper "horror" flicks being churned out today. the director does a great job of building the mood for 5/6 of the film--very suspenseful. the opening scene gave me chills the first time i saw it. anyway, it follows a good road throughout, but gets lost once the cgi effects kick in. i thought a much more creative ending should have been used, as sfx just come across as very formulaic, and give one the sense the director wanted to wrap it up asap. all in all, not a great movie, but better than a lot of the other crap out there today.
Rating: Summary: Surprisingly well made and eerie Review: A remake of the 1959 Vincent Price feature, House on Haunted Hill is a surprisingly well made and effectively eerie horror flick that wastes no time delivering the bloody thrills. From part of the same team responsible for the Tales From the Crypt series and films (Robert Zemeckis, Joel Silver, and Gilbert Adler), the film stars Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, Bridgette Wilson, Peter Gallagher, and Chris Kattan as strangers who are each invited to spend the night at what was once an insane asylum where the inmates wreaked grisly havoc on the sadistic staff (led by Jeffrey "Re-Animator" Combs). If they survive the night, each person gets one million dollars cash courtesy of theme park mongul Geoffrey Rush (paying wonderful homage to Vincent Price) and his devilish wife played by Famke Janssen. Theme such as story and dialogue are of no use here, the visceral thrills and eerie atmosphere are what makes House on Haunted Hill effective before it turns into a CGI fest at the end of the film. Look for singer Lisa Loeb and Buffy the Vampire Slayer's James "Spike" Marsters as members of the media towards the beginning of the film.
Rating: Summary: A cheap horror flick that doesn't need any thought. Review: Just sit and watch. Don't try to find out the qualities of this movie because you will be disappointed.Some of the FX are quite okay but generally, the whole movie is simply laughable. The characters are all ridiculous, the dialogues are more ridiculous than the characters. It means the screenplay was for sure a bad one. What do you expect after reading the movie title ? What a surprise to discover that the house is really haunted ! Oouaaahhh Very original ! Finally the lighting gets the reward of the worst ingredient in this somewhat pathetic recipe.
Rating: Summary: Will definitely give you nightmares Review: The other morning, I got told that I was shouting in my sleep. And after watching this movie, I was surprised I didn't wake up screaming in the night! After it finished I had to switch on all the lights! It's a good thing I only have drawers under my bed, otherwise I'd be acting like a kid again, thinking there's monsters under my bed! I hadn't previously heard of this film, or at least I don't remember hearing about it. It seemed very similar to The Haunting (the finale of which scared the living daylights out of me). I thought this looked quite good, but was expecting it to be your average slasher flick. Boy, was I surprised! It gave me the heebie jeebies, and had me jumping at the slightest noise, and muttering about "having words" with the person who lent me it. I don't appreciate being scared! A good scary movie is always good though, although not just as you're about to go to bed! This reminded me of a story I once read, from a Point Horror book. Both the story and film are very similar in ways that they're both set in a place where they can't escape, and are getting paid for the privilege. Having read this book, I unfortunately managed to work out the connection between the criminally insane institute, and the rest of the film. That was kind of a disappointment, as I can never normally work out who the killer is in films etc. The start is kind of confusing, and very strange. And keep watching right to the end of the credits, as you'll see another very strange scene! The actors are great in this, and I was pleased to see Ali Larter, although she's playing a character not dissimilar to her character in the Final Destination movies. Famke Janssen looked terrific in the dress she wears, with everything up around her neck - I need that dress! Taye Diggs is great too, and Chris Kattan looks very much like Rick Moranis. Peter Gallagher was definitely a highlight, until I realised that the big Elvis-style quiff and the black rimmed glasses reminded me of someone definitely not as good-looking - Stephen King. Was this intentional? And am I the only one who can't get that image out of my head now? To start the film off, you get scenes set in the institute for the criminally insane, and then you get transported to the present day. And if you don't have a head for heights, turn away, as you get some terrifying shots of a very high rollercoaster! And a big boo-boo was made - if you wear glasses, you're supposed to take them off. The reporter at the start has her glasses on. (Believe me, I know I've had to take my glasses off to go on a rollercoaster - there wasn't much point since I kept my eyes closed throughout!) This movie would have been great to watch in the cinema, or with someone who has a great sound system. There are constant rumblings, which would probably make your chair shake, given a good old subwoofer. There are loads of terrific special effects, especially at the finale, where the director pulls out all the stops, and blows his whole budget. The very end lets the whole film down, but I won't spoil it. Lets just say it's very predictable. A great little horror movie to scare the pants off you, and will have you thinking about it forever. Definitely a great idea for a party too, although I don't think I would go that far!
Rating: Summary: WTF??? Review: If I could I would give this film a 1/2 star. Most of the time I waiting for Vincent Price to rise from his grave and punish all of the people responsible for this film. The movie starts off promising enough, there's a cameo by Lisa Loeb as a reporter, she always cute. The movie starts basically the same way as the original, only this time there's a pre-opening opening. This was created for the people who would ask questions like "Where did he get his money?" and "What does he do for a living?" during the movie. But really it was partly made a filler that doesn't really add to the story, but hey at least Lisa Loeb is it. Then there's the plot... It's basically like the original only they decided to jazz it up by making sure the house had real ghosts and cutting out wacky stuff like suspense and descent dialog. The dialogf is so bad you can't even make fun of it. I mean each sentence no matter how awful is said with no emotion. Well, I guess if you already got paid why bother to work. Then they added Chris Kattan to the cast. I don't know why he's there. Mostly because he's not used as comedic relief, if that was ever possible. You'd think this movie would at least try to me campy and fun to compensate. No, instead it trys to rely on the visuals, which are too good for this movie. Worst of all, there are big-ass holes in the plot. What's the deal with thoses ghosts? How did they get there? Shouldn't they be in a plastic surgery horror movie?
Rating: Summary: Sweet Dreams (Nightmares) Are Made Of This Review: Get invited to a birthday party, where you get the gifts....you only have to risk your very life. One Million Dollars to spend one complete night in this house, which was a prior insane asylum/hospital. The movie is a good one...one in which i have watched more than once. A good movie to get your girlfriend hugging up on you real close...which is always a bonus :) Watch this one on a dark stormy night. Lots....and lots of bonus materials. Six behind the scene mini documentaries, deleted scenes, footage from the classic movie and premires, trailors, audio enhancements for dvd roms, , special essays and a host of other goodies for use. A good movie, not great, not bad....but theres defeinately a whole lot of good and a whole lot to be pleased with on this one.
Rating: Summary: BETTER THAN "THE HAUNTING" Review: A couple of differnt haunted house movies came out about the same time, this one, and the nuch more publicized remake of the haunting. Steven Price (a very hammy Geoffrey 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. This is also a remake of a1950's movie starring Vincent Price. Unlike the Haunting, this movie has some very genuine creeps and disturbing images. Chris Kattan of Saturday Night Live is especially good as the very nervous asylum caretaker. Better than the critics would have you believe.
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