Horror House on Highway 5 (1986)

"A cult classic never before released on dvd." "Wild and wacky horror at its finest." "Horror films don't get much stranger than this odd little effort...you may find yourself strangely engrossed." - Matt Serafini in Geocities Product Description

Laughs on Highway 5

I didn't expect a whole lot from this one, especially with the other reviews on this page but I was expecting a better DVD copy at least. There was obviously no mastering done and someone just dubbed this from a VHS cassette that was pretty worn down. I also didn't hear the Dolby Stereo that was mentioned in a previous review and the running time was more like 85 minutes and not almost 3 hours. I don't think I could have taken the quality for 3 hours.

The film was not disappointing really, it had all of the elements of a really cheap early 70's horror flick. No budget, poor audio, horrible acting but to me all those things are good! It succeeded at being exactly what I wanted in a cheesy cheapo, it was unintentionally funny, had a little nudity, violence and still was entertaining even with poor lighting and some really dark scenes.

The story has been exposed already so there is no need to go over all of that again but I will say that Dr. Mabuse and his cohort Gary were hilarious. The V Rocket was never really explained and how saying satanic passages in German while "ironing" a girl was just so hokey that I couldn't help but laugh hard! I suppose it raised some welts on the girl or something, I have no clue.

If the transfer was better I'd give the movie a higher rating but because this is about this particular release I can't do more than 3 stars. If someone else finds the original negative print and actually puts some time in producing a better copy, I would be glad to iron out a little more for this hidden horror laugh classic.

If your looking for a 90's studio release with CGI and big gore effects, this one will not work for you, but if you enjoy Last House on the Left or any of the early horror classics, this should fit in nicely. May 14, 2008

Horror Let Down

I am a big horror movie fan so I look at different sites for movies that I may not have heard of before and this movie (Horror House on Hwy. 5) happened to be one of the movies that I came across when searching here on Amazon. The reviews for this movie were mostly 3 stars so I bought it thinking that at least it would be a reminder of the lost 70s style of movies. But I should have known by the title alone that it would not be what I expected. Hopefully I will be able to make my money back on this turkey or even take a loss just to make room on my shelf for a good movie. Next time I will rent it before buying to make sure that I want to spend money to actually buy something like this one. February 16, 2008

Not without its charm

Given the lack of budget, the fact most of the actors have not appeared in any other film and a completely homemade feel of this film, I would ascertain it must have been a student project for film school. Given that assumption, the film manages to succeed modestly on a few levels. The lack of budget only enhances this type of film and most everyone in the film, including the antagonists, is at least likeable. The mood is too light, even comical, for most of the film. It never sinks into misogyny, even though several opportunities arise. While this makes the film more appealing, it does not necessarily make for an effective thriller. There is some quite terrible acting is displayed here; especially atrocious are Randy Daitch as the professor and Max Manthey as Gary. Additionally, Phil Therrien hams it up something awful as Dr. Mabuse, a man obsessed with carrying on the experiments of a German rocket scientist who had relocated to the area following WWII. The choice of naming the doctor after Norbert Jacques's criminal mastermind is intriguing, though the relationship is apparently perfunctory. As fortune would have it, a student from the local City College comes knocking on Dr. Mabuse's door, looking for information about our German scientist for her school project. The good doctor conspires to use this student for some bizarre experiments. He reads some incantations in what, one can assume, is supposed to be German (as a fluent German speaker, I could not recognize more than two words he reads) and orders his assistant, Gary, to brand the student with a hot iron. Alas, the dim-witted Gary has fallen in love with student Sally, who really only wants to escape this madness. (Rather wisely and perhaps presciently, Sally is listed in the credits only as "Irene F.") To compound matters, a killer is roaming the area concealed by a mask of Richard Nixon. The actor is listed as Ronald Reagan, which, obviously with intention, conjures thoughts of animosity toward these two Republican presidents. "You fascists!" screams Sally at her captors at one point. It is not apparent to me what point the filmmakers were trying to make, except to compare her oppressors with Nazis, Reagan and Nixon, and to make it abundantly clear these people are all wicked. There are no heroes, however, only victims. Despite some (ostensibly intentional) overacting throughout most of the early proceedings, the film does manage to build a modest amount of suspense toward the end. The other high point is Susan Leslie, who plays a student conducting research on rocket propulsion. Ms. Leslie is one of the most attractive actresses I have seen in recent memory and she appears to have some acting ability, so I find it unfortunate this film was her sole appearance.

While not great, this movie does serve as a fairly entertaining diversion: there is a little nudity (a rather attractive female with a fantastic body); an engrossing, albeit simplistic, storyline; some cool music, and the aforementioned Ms. Leslie. If you are a fan of horror, especially 70's and 80's cheapo horror, give this one a look. If you like your films with big budgets, extravagant effects and Hollywood stars, pass up this one.

One final note: I find it ironic that an obscure, independent film such as this is coupled on DVD with "The History of Hollywood Horror Films." Just one more odd thing about this DVD.
October 9, 2007

Why Horror House is Brilliant!

This movie is a brilliant, underground masterpiece due to it's surreal qualities, bizarre tone, atmospheric lighting and strange story. This film was made without taking itself seriously which is what makes it so great.

First, let me tell you what is DIFFERENT about the dvd release.

The DVD release, for some strange reason, abandons the entire soundtrack that makes the original version so effective. The original surreal score music is still there, but every single song from the original release has been changed. If you see this movie, you have to see the first release as that soundtrack moves along with the visual weirdness flawlessly, far more effectively than the "new" soundtrack. I also noticed they changed the end credits and removed all of the song credits that were in the original vesion. The only other difference is that the girl's dialogue in the beginning has been re-dubbed over her original version.

The storyline, while completely wacked out, has it's moments and there is plenty of visual weirdness and compellingly eerie moments. This is a movie you have to watch alone, in a dark room, with headphones on if possible so the soundtrack and sound effects can buzz in your head effectively as much as the visual cinematography and lighting tone.

Dr. Mabuse is a scientist with an agenda that he attempts to carry out with his friend Gary, a not so smart understudy of sorts, who seems to fall for a girl (Sally Smith) that Mabuse wants Gary to hold captive for some strange experiment which is never made completely clear and consists of a Mabuse chant with attempts to iron poor Sally with a hot iron.

When Dr. Mabuse gets frustrated with Gray and leaves to continue his father's work, Gary begins to bond with Sally as she remains chained up.

Meanwhile, Sally's classmates Louise and the pot smoking Mike Simpson trek into the woods nearby for an experiment they are conducting for a college research paper on the V-2 Rocket and it's inventor, Frederick Bartholomeo, which happens to be Dr. Mabuse's father, a raving madman wearing a Richard Nixon mask.

Bartholomeo roams the area, killing a few people in some interestingly lucid moments, which leaves the viewer wondering what the hell they just saw. There is nothing bloody here, and there doesn't need to be, because Horror House works on the mind, not blatant gore.

Eventually, Louise is the final student left, finding her way to the "red room" in the Horror House where a strange, unseen flying blade (which made me think of the silver sphere Phantasm) pursues her randomly.

Bartholomeo chases after Louise, determined to stop her from finding Sally and stopping the experiments of Mabuse and Bartholomeo.

The soundtrack is a masterpiece in itself - with psychadelic, rock-a-billy, and classic rock songs mixed with theme and background score that somehow perfectly compliments the visual scenery of the film.

I have literally seen this movie over 2,000 times...used to watch it once a day every day for a year straight. Yes I must be insane, but no matter how many times I see it, something new reveals itself or a new meaning is discovered in the highly disguised context of the story.

The only complaint about the DVD edition is that the releasing company should have provided more extras with commentaries, extra scenes, interviews or something of more substance than a generic documentary on horror movies.

Don't expect great film-making, expect a truly bizarre experience. September 18, 2007

Glorious...

HORROR HOUSE ON HIGHWAY 5 is one of my favorite low (nearly nonexistent) budget movies. We get gratuitous nudity, a psycho-killer in a Richard M. Nixon mask, and two moronic nazi / sadist / occultists trying to re-animate the dead Dr. Bartholomew (inventor of the mythic V2 rocket)! There's also a pot smoker guy and a scientist gal who use their launching devices as a make-shift minefield, and their experimental rocket as a handy bazooka! Watch for the garden-rake lobotomy too! Lots of twisted / stupid humor make this one a pleasure to watch! HHOH5 is my kind of insanity! God bless the makers of this delightful mass of ghoulish ghoulash... July 2, 2007

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