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8

FilipeNetoAug 22, 2018

This is a remake of William Castle's 1959 film, and tells of how an eccentric millionaire invites a small group of chosen to a haunted house, challenging them to spend a night there in exchange for a huge sum of money for those who survive toThis is a remake of William Castle's 1959 film, and tells of how an eccentric millionaire invites a small group of chosen to a haunted house, challenging them to spend a night there in exchange for a huge sum of money for those who survive to tell it. The rich man's idea is to get the ultimate scary experience, but it's spoiled when everyone realizes that the house is truly haunted. OK... the plot is not new, it has been seen several times in cinema. What makes this movie enjoyable is that it can really improve its predecessor and really scare us. Contrary to the formula of American terror, this film doesn't just make us jump, it does it every ten minutes and, in the middle, it creates a deeply tense and strong atmosphere that doesn't let the audience rest. There is intense gore but it's not a movie that only bets on that to scare us. The ending is disappointing, though. Rather than improving, the climax is extremely based on CGI. As far as the cast's work is concerned, the strongest actor is clearly the veteran Geoffrey Rush, with a characterization clearly inspired by Frederic Loren, a character played in 1959 by Vincent Price. Famke Janssen, Chris Kattan and Jeffrey Combs also pleased me. The soundtrack was well chosen, fitting well in the film, especially the song "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)", in a cover by Marilyn Manson.… Expand

51 of 51 users found this helpful510

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8

PerineumJan 13, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. House On Haunted Hill has a talented cast including Rush and Janssen. The special effects are awesome, the story is decent and there are nifty twists as well. In the end 2 of the guests survive and they get to split 5 million dollars.… Expand

35 of 35 users found this helpful350

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10

Emanate727Apr 5, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At around 18 mins, Famke Janssen performed her own stunt when the glass ceiling breaks. It was extremely important for Janssen to remain where she was and very still, yet even with her basically glued to the spot, the shard hit with so much impact that it bounced her head off the table as you can see on close inspection of the scene.… Expand

36 of 37 users found this helpful361

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10

BaskApr 24, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. William Malone got the idea to set the movie in a former insane asylum when he was filming an episode of Tales from the Crypt (1989) in a former asylum and noticed that crew members were running scared out of the basement, not wanting to film there.… Expand

35 of 36 users found this helpful351

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10

ConsortApr 24, 2021

This film and Thir13en Ghosts (2001) were Dark Castle Entertainment's first films, and a remake of horror filmmaker William Castle's films House on Haunted Hill (1959) and 13 Ghosts (1960). The studio took its name from him.

29 of 30 users found this helpful291

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10

LevitationApr 13, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Crazy credits

After the final credits, there is an additional scene that features Steven and Evelyn strapped down on Vannacut's vivisection table. The scene ends with Vannacut watching as one hears Steven and Evelyn's screams.… Expand

27 of 28 users found this helpful271

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10

AssonanceMay 4, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A decent, savvy horror remake. This is not a snoring remake. It is "R" rated, so parents beware, this is NOT the Price classic of 1958. Within the first scene there is gore (surgery on a wide awake man), violence (the inmates of the asylum break loose and attack the staff), and nudity (uniforms ripped open on the women). This is crucial to the plot (Hill House is not the same murder house from the original, it's a former asylum for the criminally insane where torture and experimentations are done on the inmates). A fire breaks out and all but five die.

Jump to present day. Multimillionaire Steven Price (is the name a nod to Vincent?) played by Geoffrey Rush, doing his best sideshow barker impersonation/Williams Castle impersonation, and wife (Famke Janssen) are having a party, in the restored former asylum. The guest's trip to the house is still via several hearse and from this point much of the original plot is maintained.

The part that bothered me about the arrival scene at the house, was the inappropriate song. It set the wrong mood, and I worried about what was going to be next. Thankfully, the rest of the score (except the end title) was strictly orchestral, and sent a nice dark mood to try to help to scare you. Applause to Don Davis.

House does rely rather heavily on special effects as do all the current re-makes. Is it really better or worse for it? I think it adds, and they didn't just redo the same show. It's spooky and a good Halloween movie, and a dark theater is excellent for it's effect. I am sorry, but there was nothing that I found really scary or horrifying. Of course, I haven't really been scared by a movie since I saw the Wolf Man (1941), with Lon Chaney jr, in 1958… Expand

27 of 29 users found this helpful272

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10

ProlificApr 25, 2021

Marc Blucas and Ivana Milicevic filmed a short "movie in a movie" sequence which was cut from the theatrical release, but appears in the deleted scenes section of the DVD release.

28 of 31 users found this helpful283

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10

tdebugAug 13, 2016

Oh, wow. 1.1, seriosly? This is the most underrated movie on metacritics. It is really not that bad! Sure it won't give you nightmares, but it has some story and humor and worth at least 7 point in my opinion.

92 of 107 users found this helpful9215

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10

RindApr 23, 2021

________________________________________________________,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

35 of 47 users found this helpful3512

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3

FitriAmirrolNov 19, 2010

The horrors of Haunted Hill might have worked for children, but sadly the true horror here is how ridiculous, rickety and perplexing the twist is, and despite the successful, seductive performance by Janssen, this gothic B-movie is aThe horrors of Haunted Hill might have worked for children, but sadly the true horror here is how ridiculous, rickety and perplexing the twist is, and despite the successful, seductive performance by Janssen, this gothic B-movie is a nauseating waste of time.… Expand

42 of 67 users found this helpful4225

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10

KadeemluvmusicSep 22, 2016

Seriosly Metacritic, you might wanna go to Rotten Tomatoes because House on Haunted Hill is indeed one of the best horror remakes of all time. Hell, it even almost this close by getting a 100% Tomatometer score. How come this only has a 25 rating?
.

35 of 58 users found this helpful3523

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7

Rox22Jan 25, 2013

A fairly good Popcorn horror flick. It's no masterpiece and nowhere near as good as the original. On its own, it is highly entertaining with some masterful & memorable performances by Geoffrey Rush & Famke Janssen. A shame about the theA fairly good Popcorn horror flick. It's no masterpiece and nowhere near as good as the original. On its own, it is highly entertaining with some masterful & memorable performances by Geoffrey Rush & Famke Janssen. A shame about the the ending as the CG effects are unconvincing and kind of ruin the flow of the narrative up to that point. Practical effects would have been far better in this instance as it worked really well for the rest of the film. Overall: A great movie to watch with a bowl of popcorn at home on a dark and stormy night.… Expand

39 of 73 users found this helpful3934

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0

Paramilitary400May 17, 2015

House on Haunted Hill is one of the dumbest thrillers from 1999. The movie intends it's thrills to be creepy and jolting but all the thrills fall flat. Even the acting form Janssen and Rush couldn't save this movie and they are outstandingHouse on Haunted Hill is one of the dumbest thrillers from 1999. The movie intends it's thrills to be creepy and jolting but all the thrills fall flat. Even the acting form Janssen and Rush couldn't save this movie and they are outstanding actors. Both those actors were miscast in this movie though because they don't star in horror movies. Why they wanted to star in a horror movie, I'll never know why. The only reason I can imagine that they starred in this movie is that they were desperate for a check and had no projects at the time.… Expand

27 of 142 users found this helpful27115

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10

DiameterApr 27, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Revealing mistakes Some of the warnings in the basement are in very bad German - it seems somebody just used a dictionary and translated the English lines word-for-word. For example, one sign has the phrase "Steh zurück!" which means something like "Stay back!". A correct translation would be "Zurückbleiben" or in this context "Eintritt verboten" ("No admittance").… Expand

14 of 14 users found this helpful140

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10

oustApr 26, 2021

Several scenes where cut from the movie due to pacing and other issues. Some of them were later released as bonus content on the DVD version of the film. These include Sara arguing on a movie set with her obnoxious film producer sister (theSeveral scenes where cut from the movie due to pacing and other issues. Some of them were later released as bonus content on the DVD version of the film. These include Sara arguing on a movie set with her obnoxious film producer sister (the real Jennifer Jenzen played by Debi Mazar) and discovering the invitation to the party in Price's strange Art Deco music puzzle box which he sent to her sister, Eddie rescuing Sara from Dr. Vannicut's corpse pit, and an epilogue featuring Mazar's Jennifer and a real estate agent Dick (played by Jeffrey Combs, who also plays Dr. Vannicut) arriving at the house after the events of the movie to look around.… Expand

13 of 13 users found this helpful130

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10

DefameApr 28, 2021

The original shooting script had an alternative ending where Steven Price had died from the Darkness atop the staircase instead of Pritchett and Eddie dies saving Sara from the Darkness instead of Price. When Pritchett and Sara make itThe original shooting script had an alternative ending where Steven Price had died from the Darkness atop the staircase instead of Pritchett and Eddie dies saving Sara from the Darkness instead of Price. When Pritchett and Sara make it outside, they are eventually found by the cleaning crew. There is a news segment of the TV series "Terrifying but True" about the events of the House on Haunted Hill where Sara is taken to an ambulance to have her injured feet tended to and Pritchett is interviewed by the police while paramedics take out various body bags filled with Melissa Marr's severed body parts.… Expand

13 of 13 users found this helpful130

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10

Chignon24May 9, 2021

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13 of 13 users found this helpful130

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10

Carouse97May 14, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very entertaining with fun twists. This is a remake of William Castle's 1959 film, and tells of how an eccentric millionaire invites a small group of chosen to a haunted house, challenging them to spend a night there in exchange for a huge sum of money for those who survive to tell it. The rich man's idea is to get the ultimate scary experience, but it's spoiled when everyone realizes that the house is truly haunted. OK... the plot is not new, it has been seen several times in cinema. What makes this movie enjoyable is that it can really improve its predecessor and really scare us. Contrary to the formula of American terror, this film doesn't just make us jump, it does it every ten minutes and, in the middle, it creates a deeply tense and strong atmosphere that doesn't let the audience rest. There is intense gore but it's not a movie that only bets on that to scare us. The ending is disappointing, though. Rather than improving, the climax is extremely based on CGI. As far as the cast's work is concerned, the strongest actor is clearly the veteran Geoffrey Rush, with a characterization clearly inspired by Frederic Loren, a character played in 1959 by Vincent Price. Famke Janssen, Chris Kattan and Jeffrey Combs also pleased me. The soundtrack was well chosen, fitting well in the film, especially the song "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)", in a cover by Marilyn Manson.… Expand

13 of 13 users found this helpful130

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10

Catenary44Jun 6, 2021

$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.$.
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4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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10

Vicinity578Aug 13, 2021

House On Haunted Hill has many spooky visuals, jump scares, surprises, a talented, recognizable actors such as Janssen, Rush, Taye Diggs, Chris Kattan, James Marsters, and Max Perlich. This movie was really underrated upon its release inHouse On Haunted Hill has many spooky visuals, jump scares, surprises, a talented, recognizable actors such as Janssen, Rush, Taye Diggs, Chris Kattan, James Marsters, and Max Perlich. This movie was really underrated upon its release in 1999. I love horror thrillers and this is one of the slickest I have seen. This is a must see for those who haven't seen it yet or heard of it, A-.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

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10

Aversion68May 1, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This remake borrows some elements from the original 1959 film including the limo-like Cadillac funeral cars in procession at the beginning of the film which bring the guests to the house, the promise that whoever survives the night gets the money, the house being automatically locked down after everyone arrive, a man jumping to save a woman from the falling chandelier, the mini-coffins with handguns in them, the idea that the wife and her lover are trying to drive a woman from the group insane enough to kill the wife's husband, both husband and wife faking their deaths, and the character of Pritchett (named Pritchard in the original). The other main characters are also inspired by the characters from the original, but they deffer from them in some ways as well, unlike Pritchett. However, the biggest difference between the two versions of the film is that the original focuses almost entirely on the love triangle murder plot and the ghosts, which are never shown, are completely secondary to the story since they don't hurt or kill anyone or impact the plot in any way. Other key differences include the surprisingly small body count in the original, and the fact that the house in that version of the story is not an asylum so there are no mad doctors, patients or nurses. Also, the slightly ambiguous ending of the original film has no big supernatural climax.… Expand

14 of 15 users found this helpful141

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10

Chassis28May 7, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Eddie: I've never in my life met an executive who could tie their shoes, much less rewire an entire building.

Sara: There's always exceptions.

Eddie: No. Come on, what's the truth?

Sara: The truth is if we keep taking rights, we're going to have to end up where we started.… Expand

13 of 14 users found this helpful131

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10

Embalmer98Jun 8, 2021

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13 of 14 users found this helpful131

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10

Xlyophone199May 5, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. At the end as Eddie flips through the $1million checks, they have the same check no. 131138.… Expand

13 of 15 users found this helpful132

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10

Autopsy904Jun 13, 2021

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12 of 16 users found this helpful124

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10

Missile44Sep 8, 2021

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1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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2

inaneswineNov 14, 2017

Geoffrey Rush's employers must have as deep pockets as his character to allow him to appear in this brainless dross. Gore and stupidity take front seat here, while plot, characters and even good fun are absent.

1 of 13 users found this helpful112

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6

Meth-dudeOct 16, 2017

Despite it's silly premise, laughable CGI effects, over the top ending and the shaky acting and despite the fact that it's a remake of a beloved 1950's horror movie starring the great late Vincent Price, I still think it held it's own. It wasDespite it's silly premise, laughable CGI effects, over the top ending and the shaky acting and despite the fact that it's a remake of a beloved 1950's horror movie starring the great late Vincent Price, I still think it held it's own. It was quite entertaining and enjoyable to watch. Sure it was stupid and predictable, but the bloody kills more than make up for it.… Expand

0 of 39 users found this helpful039

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0

makarosuJan 27, 2022

Худший фильм в моей жизни, так как он просто невероятно тупой и нудный. Мне вот интересно, что употребляли сценаристы когда это писали, и откуда им пришла в голову идиотская идея сделать главного злодея очень плохо нарисованный дух, в которыйХудший фильм в моей жизни, так как он просто невероятно тупой и нудный. Мне вот интересно, что употребляли сценаристы когда это писали, и откуда им пришла в голову идиотская идея сделать главного злодея очень плохо нарисованный дух, в который попадают все к сдох разумеется кроме очкарика который спасает негра… Expand

0 of 15 users found this helpful015

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2

AmateurfilmVWROct 10, 2022

House on Haunted Hill is cheesy and not very scary. Is it the worst thing ever? no but it's not very good either.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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