House on Haunted Hill (1999)

House on Haunted Hill is one of the new breed of waste-no-time thrill machines, like Deep Blue Sea, and a particularly effective example at that. The plot is pure contrivance: For a party stunt, a wealthy amusement-park manufacturer (Geoffrey Rush) offers five people a million dollars if they spend the night in a former insane asylum where the patients murdered the sadistic staff. But it turns out the five people who arrive aren't the five he invited--did his wife (Famke Janssen), who hates him, make the switch? From there events unfold with a smart combination of human and supernatural machinations; spooky jolts are dispensed at regular, but not entirely predictable, intervals. The visual effects owe a considerable debt to Jacob's Ladder, a much more ambitious movie; House on Haunted Hill just wants to get under your skin, and succeeds more than you'd expect. Rush is his entertainingly hammy self; Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, and Bridgette Wilson are attractive and reasonably straight-faced about it all; and Chris Kattan is genuinely funny as the house's neurotic owner. Some elements of the plot seem to have been lost in the editing process, but it hardly matters. More bothersome is that the scares go flat when computer effects take over at the end--the digital images just aren't as creepy as the more suggestive stuff that came before. But that's just the very end; most of the movie has a lot of momentum. Watch until the end of the credits for a final bit of eeriness. --Bret Fetzer Amazon.com

2.5 stars out of 4

The Bottom Line:

The ending scene is fine and the setting (an abandoned mental hospital) inspired, but the rest of this remake is tepid and uninvolving with bad special effects. January 1, 2009

An Awesome Remake!!!

I think this is really good remake of a classic horror film! It's a little different from the original, but that's okay. Evelyn Price wants her birthday party at the house on Haunted Hill. She makes her husband, Steven write out a guest list. Somehow, 5 different people show up that were not on the list. Steven makes them an offer; whoever stays the whole night, and don't die, they will receive one million dollars. Throughout the night, creepy things happen. They see ghosts, and they are being killed. Who will survive? It just goes to show you that 'evil loves to party!' I highly recommend HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL!!! December 5, 2008

fantastic remake!

This movie was really well remade! Its just as spooky and has a great story to go along with it! If you like scary movies, give this awesome geoffrey rush, famke jansen and ali larter remake a chance! October 15, 2008

House on Haunted Hill

The Gore was good, the story line was so so. The 2nd one was better. August 18, 2008

Just So-So

I watched this movie after a night out, I admit that it was better then expected, but its not a must see or even good Horror movie. It will keep you mildly entertained and you are not required to do a whole lot of thinking.

So if your in the mood to kill a little time or just vege-out this is your pick. If your looking for an great horror flick or are a fan of all out gore you'll be disappointed. August 4, 2008

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