Watch house on haunted hill (1959)1/2/2023 ![]() ![]() unless you want a proper scare the film really isn’t scary outside of maybe the jump scare or two early on. Rentals include 30 days to start watching this video and 48 hours to. The film is enjoyable for Vincent Price alone but it’s also good to simply enjoy it as almost a haunted house ride before turning into the mystery element with some good twists at the end that were nicely foreshadowed.Īs said the film is in public domain so it shouldn’t be too hard to find and maybe it’s something you can watch this Halloween night…. William Castles gimmick-laden horror thriller is a fairground fun house come to life. After they get locked in to the house the tone of the film changes from being less haunted house and more a murder mystery one but there were hints laid at the start so it doesn’t come off as too abrupt. Watson constantly terrified of the ghosts dwelling in the house that he believes are coming for all of them. The house and story plays out to a degree like an old fairground haunted house, with creepy cookie stuff going on. They are also accompanied by his wife Annabelle played by Carol Ohmart and it’s clear from their interactions there’s little to no chemistry in romance. Vincent Price on a lobby card for House on Haunted Hill (1959), directed by William Castle. The movie later developed a cult following. His narration gives us an introduction to each of the guests. House on Haunted Hill, American horror film, released in 1959, that was produced and directed by popular B-filmmaker William Castle, who was known for his theatre gimmicks. A great choice for both family movie night or a sophisticated Halloween howl-very recommended! Gary F.Anyway, Vincent Price playing eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren has invited a bunch of people to a haunted house party, offering them each 10000 dollars if they survive the night. And I'll go further than that: of all his memorable appearances, I do believe this was among Price's best. Of all the Castle films, THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL is my personal favorite, and it should rate very high with fans of cult, camp, and Vincent Price. Shot in and around one of Frank Lloyd Wright's more famous structures, the grainy "late show" look of the film (due more to accident and age than deliberate intent) is very entertaining, the cinematic devices (everything from disembodied heads, irises, and jump-cuts) are very appealing, and the sound track (which sounds like a mix of piano bass keyes, synthesizer, and soprano vocals) is exactly what you'd want for this obvious but extremely entertaining flick. In addition to Price and Ohmart, the film is also surprisingly atmospheric. Together they elevate the film well above what you might otherwise expect, and when combined with the largely wooden supporting cast and some of the silliest this-is-supposed-to-scare-you effects imaginable the result is a cult classic with plenty of camp appeal. ![]() While the story itself doesn't hold many surprises, the script is unexpectedly witty, and Price plays it in a slightly prissy, very high-camp manner with a tremendous dose of the black humor for which he was so famous-and the little-known Carol Ohmart is every bit his match, snapping out memorable lines ("Darling, the only ghoul in the house is you!") in every scene. The catch: the doors lock at midnight, after which there is no escape until the caretakers return in the morning. Millionaire Price and his wife Carol Ohmart give a "haunted house party" for five strangers chosen at random and promised ten thousand dollars if they last the night. Like most Castle films, HAUNTED HILL's plot reworks a well-worn theme. By most accounts Emerg-O caused more laughter than chills, but fortunately Castle never relied on gimmicks alone: he also liked bona fide stars, and for HAUNTED HILL his star of choice was none other than the legendary horror star Vincent Price. William Castle liked to promote his films with gimmicks, and the gimmick for THE HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL was Emerg-O: at the peak of the action, a glowing skeleton "emerged from the screen" and flew out over the audience on a wire.
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