The Legend of Hell House
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Movie Reviews of The Legend of Hell House
Movie Review: Supernatural Forces Dominate Windowless Mansion
Summary: 4 Stars
Director John Hough masterfully presents the screen version of Richard Matheson's novel "Hell House" with a perfect cast to bring the ghost tale to terrifying life. The Belasco house sits ominously in the mist, foreboding, dark, and with no light save for occasional sun rays.
Dr. Lionel Barrett (Clive Revill), his mentally delicate wife, Anne (Gayle Hunnicutt), along with two psychics, physical medium Ben Fisher (Roddy McDowall), who just barely survived the last time to investigate the infamous abode, and young, religious, sexually-repressed mental medium, Florence Tanner (Pamela Franklin) arrive to once again find out what the hell is going on. Inevitably, things go awry not long after their arrival - Lionel and Florence constantly clash on their theories, Ben closes himself off from the mysterious, evil forces while Anne becomes increasingly nervous and victimized by the ghastly entity.
The obvious tension between Florence and Ben is very apparent from the beginning; I don't know if it can be considered sexual tension, but there is a definite electricity between them, particularly whenever Florence is injured and blamed by the doctor for all the poltergeist attacks. The house itself is decorated with a lot of reds, dark oaks and unmistakably suggestive furnishings, statues and books. The girl believes that there is more than one spirit in the house (she has made its acquaintance), while Dr. Barrett just believes that it is only leftover energy. The clashing of wills only gives the spirit more power. If these folks had any horror movie knowledge, they'd have run for the hills long before this!
Hough's directing style that would come to dominate his later sci-fi films is very much in evidence here - the high, dark camera angles, the strong, mysterious winds, the black cat, music, and even Roddy McDowall's gestures as he puts his hands to his temples.
As the mystery unravels before the viewer's eyes, the story becomes more taut and terrifying. If there ever was an evil place haunted by an angry, malicious specter, this is the place!!!
Movie Review: Pamela Franklin Shines!
Summary: 4 Stars
This is one of my favorite horror films. It is based on the novel, "Hell House" by Richard Matheson, not the novel "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson, though it is very similar to the movie "The Haunting" (the original version). I saw this film when it was first released in the movie theaters and watched again on DVD recently. I have seen this movie several times, and it still holds up today. Very well done and creepy. Pamela Franklin shines in her role, and is my favourtie performance of hers along with "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie." She began her film career with another ghost story film, "The Innocents" back in 1961. Unfortunately she retired from acting during the early '80s except for some occcasional voice over work. In this film she is quite beautiful. It's too bad they didn't get her and Roddy McDowell to do commentary on this DVD release. Speaking of Roddy, he does ham it up a bit in this film
and is often quite annoying. It's too bad somebody else wasn't chosen to play his role. That's my only complaint about this movie. I didn't read the novel until years later. It would be interesting if the right director remade this film, as long as they stuck closely to the original novel and didn't add a bunch of things that weren't in the book or turned it into a special effects film. I highly recommend this film, especially if you are a Pamela Franklin fan, as I am!
Movie Review: Middle road taken
Summary: 2 Stars
I did not enjoy the movie as much as I thought I would. They left out alot of the parts in the book where your mind could just picture it so clear and vivid. I did this as a read aloud, slightly modified with my students. I was really excited when I found a movie to go with it, and showed the class it. It's rated PG, which for the material of the book is really a clue as to them leaving out alot of stuff. My class enjoyed most of the book and felt the movie didn't do it justice. I agree.Movie Review: Wanna Buy A House... Cheap?...
Summary: 4 Stars
I remember sitting in the theatre back in '73, watching this frightening flick! I was 11yo, popcorn in hand, and pleasantly scared to death! I just watched it again last night, and while I didn't jump this time, I still had a blast. HELL HOUSE is a spooky old place, full of strange artifacts and imposing architecture. It's legendary owner, Mr. Belasco, was a ghoulish sadist w/ sickening habits and extremely twisted hobbies. Long dead, he now haunts the place, waiting for anyone foolish enough to enter it. Four investigators are offered 100,000 pounds to check into the Belasco house for a week in order to reveal it's darkest secrets. Fischer (Roddy MacDowell) is a physical medium, as well as the lone survivor of the last group that stayed in Hell House back in 1953. Pamela Franklin is a mental medium, well able to tune into the house's wicked wavelengths. Dr. Barret and his wife Ann are the scientists, looking to prove that Hell House's reputation can be explained by electricity and residual radiation. Of course, Mr. Belasco has some surprises in store for believers and skeptics alike! LOHH has loads of dread and evil stuff. The plot is both ghost story / haunted house tale and mystery. The final payoff is unexpected and original. Belongs right next to THE HAUNTING, THE CHANGELING, THE SHINING, SESSION 9, and AMITYVILLE HORROR on your spook-shelf... Movie Review: Memorable haunted house thriller
Summary: 4 Stars
Any haunted house thriller owes a huge debt to Shirley Jackson's THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and Robert Wise's different but equally evocative film "The Haunting". "The Legend of Hell House" based on Richard Matheson's bestselling novel (and a homage to Jackson)is turned into a no nonsense thriller by director John Hough. Featuring distorted camera angles, strong performances and (thankfully)a complete absence of CGI effects, "House" is still highly atmospheric and effective 32 years later. Those that are looking for gore and a lack of subtly and intelligence are instructed to purchase/rent the latest version of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" instead.
Dr. Lionel Barrett (Clive Revill)a physicist who has been studying the paranormal is given a plum assignment; prove to the new owner of the Belasco House that there is life after death by documenting the supernatural occurances there within a week and receive 100,000 pounds. He'll also get the funds to complete his new device designed to measure psychic activity scientifically prior to embarking on his mission to "Hell House". Barrett is saddled with Benjamin Fischer (Roddy McDowall) a psychic who was the only survivor of the last attempt to study Hell House and Florence Tanner a young medium. Ann (Gayle Hunnicutt)Lionel's wife insists on accompanying him on this difficult and dangerous investigation. What they discover defies explanation and what they discover about the house and Belasco himself is frightening and surprising.
Hough's stylish direction makes up for the slim budget of the film and the strong performances by veterans of British screen and stage add a grim sense of reality to the events. Interestingly, Pamela Franklin who plays Tanner also appears in another well regarded suspense thriller about ghosts--she plays the little girl in "The Innocents". The screenplay by Matheson is lean and effective adding to the eerie direction of Hough and the believable performances.
The transfer here is solid if unremarkable. I had hoped that Fox might spent a bit more on this cult classic to spiff it up for DVD release. There's some minor dirt and debris but the film itself looks petty good overall. There's nothing remarkable about the extras however--we get the film's original trailer as is typical of Fox for releases like this trailers for other Fox thrillers. It's that Hough wasn't asked to do a commentary track as he did a terrific one for his B-movie classic "Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry" (where, by the way, McDowall makes a cameo). If licensed out to Anchor Bay I'm sure we would have gotten a featurette or interviews but Fox doesn't do anything special for fans of the film here.
Still, I'm happy that this minor classic is available on DVD even if it isn't given quite the respect it deserves by Fox. Although the last third of the film doesn't quite hold up as well as the first 2/3rds, this is still a terrific movie that suspense thriller fans (I'd say horror movie but that implies a different audience today) will enjoy.