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House on Haunted Hill (1999).

posted 2 years ago by TheMan18 (12562)
7 replies | jump to latest

Hi, briefly speaking, or not, what did we all think of this late 1990s supernatural horror movie remake, directed by William Malone and starring Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs et all?

If you ask me, while I certainly don't consider it a masterpiece by any means or even on par with William Castle's very good late 50s original 40 years earlier, I actually found it overall to be a surprisingly OK and decent 6/10 horror accomplishment, and although its nothing too spectacular or amazing, it just about does a decent job.

And as far as modern horror remakes go as well as various say other offerings from "Dark Castle" entertainment, including overall, such works as the mostly average "The Haunting" (also from 1999), "Ghost Ship" (2002), the rather poor "Thirteen Ghosts" (2001) and others, its actually fair and adequate, and probably the best movie of that bunch.

Sure, it does have some flaws here and there, including the pacing issues, some rather stereotypical characters and some of the horror elements also seem derivative and also lifted, besides from the 50s original HOHH, from other works like "Jacob's Ladder", "Ghost", some of David Lynch's films, Tales from the Crypt, other haunted house horror movies, Lars von Trier's "The Kingdom" and even from the likes of Tool, Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson videos - and Manson is also featured on the soundtrack. Some of the horror also seems a little uneven and the end is rather predictable with that ghostly darkness at the end.

In many ways, the movie is like a more adult version of "The Haunting" (1999) remake by Jan de Bont, albeit, whereas that movie mostly featured ghosts coming to life via various objects and whatnot, this one had more blood and gore, torturous medical experiments, explicit killings (what happens to that camera girl is particularly stomach churning), strong language, some sexual references, creepy supernatural beings (especially Jeffrey Combs of "Reanimator" fame) and ghosts, body corrosions etc and even some conflicts between characters themselves.

And Geoffrey Rush is adequate but seems to frequently channel "James Woods" with his over the top scenery chewing and performance. And its also decent as far as works of its director William Malone go, of which I haven't seen all of his 100% filmography but it hasn't been too great at all and at least one of his movies "Feardotcom" (2002) was truly TERRIBLE overall. And its 2007 sequel "Return to the House on Haunted Hill" was average - 4/10 for that, and a definite step down from this one.

OK here's my ten cents. :)

[–] Alocirp (680) 2 years ago

[deleted]

[–] bobbydallas (8099) 2 years ago

i enjoyed House on Haunted Hill back in the day
recently watched it.. and i think it's a decent flick.

what more can you ask for from a late 90s "horror" movie
Famke & Taye are legends

[–] [deleted] 2 years ago

I like the original 1959 one better.

[–] TheMan18 (12562) 2 years ago

Me too, definitely, but I'm still glad the remake was not a disappointment, as imperfect and flawed as it was though.

[–] TheMan18 (12562) 2 years ago

But how was this one, from 1999, was it any good to you hownos, or was it disappointing?

[–] TheLovelyAnomaly (619) 2 years ago

It's been a long time since I've seen it, but I remember it falling apart near the end. One of the interesting things about the original was that is never specified whether the ghosts were real or not. In the remake there's no such ambiguity.

[–] TheMan18 (12562) 2 years ago

True.

Not to mention, the very sadistic and bloodthirsty nature of those ghosts who at times carve out their victim's faces, chop them into pieces, suck out their spirits and perform medical tortures on them, corrode their bodies etc.

P.S. What to you is more scary and terrifying, the objects coming to life via ghostly spirits in "The Haunting" (1999) or the blood drenched horror performed by supernatural ghosts and monsters of this one - House on Haunted Hill, also 1999? Also, for instance, would either experience, say ghosts and figures coming to life from beds, walls, floors, curtains and ceilings from The Haunting and say the "Saturation Chamber" that Geoffrey Rush experiences in House on Haunted Hill (by the way, was that Saturation Chamber also haunted?) with gore and weird monstrous creatures, beheadings etc, be as equally terrifying, were it to be in real life?

P.P.S. In addition to all of this, though to be fair its also derivative of Fincher's "Se7en" (1995) but some of the gore and horror plus dark imagery and dark places almost pre-date the stuff we later see in the "Saw" movies. Minus the outright supernatural of course.