Reel Horror

House on Haunted Hill asin: B00003CWRF

The 1999 version.

A house that used to be a mental hospital has been closed for years. It was closed down after a scandal. The head doctor of the hospital was himself rather sick and experimented on the clients in the most evil and macabre ways. With this bizarre history, we understand that there are a lot of ghost inside the house.
Some years pass by. An eccentric millionaire buys, or rent, the old hospital. Then he invites a group of people to join him in a game inside the building. “The ones whom survives the night, will get a bag full of money” is the simple rule…

When I pressed “play” on my remote, I soon discovered that this could be one of the scariest movies I have seen in my adult life. I was certain that it would give me nightmares. The doctor from the past is so evil and creepy. The “ghost” scenes succeed in not stepping in the usual ghost behaviour – clichés. You can feel the sickness of the doctor’s brain. And Director William Malone is balancing perfectly on the thin line between a normal and an insanity world.

One of my all times favourite horror movies scene is when that guy get locked inside the little narrow room/chamber. Brrr…..

I tell you, this is a potential classic horror movie.

Of course it has to be destroyed in the later part of the movie. When the evilness of the house comes alive in the shapeof a “smog”. It looks so silly. It looks corny and finally, it looks turkey. Why, William Malone, why??? So close, yet so far from a perfect demon. It may be excused, because this is a remake of a movie from 1958, and I guess that director have to be truthful to the original script. If there is a smog in the first version. Anyway, the weak ending will cost you the doghead gold star.

It is a good horror movie and I recommend it.