12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
CEREBRAL GOOSEBUMPS, January 27, 2004
This review is from: Haunting of Hell House (DVD)
Since I'm only really familiar with Henry James' TURN OF THE SCREW, which reached the screen in 1961 as THE INNOCENTS with Deobrah Kerr ( a marvelous film), I wasn't sure what James intention was in this confusing, though interesting, film. It opens with Michael York (looking like a disheveled Ebenezer Scrooge) going to an old house and drinking a glass of wine. Okay...next, we meet a young couple who go to the same house, make out on the steps and then the girl tells her lover she is pregnant. Andrew Bowen as the young man is viscerally compelling and gives a performance that is not usually found in this type of movie. Aideen O'Donnell as the girl is likewise beautifully effective in a small role. Of course, the boy is worried about his parents' opinion of this common girl, so he arranges an abortion for her. The abortionist is not even a doctor, doesn't use any kind of anethsetic, except Laudanum, and of course, once the abortion is performed, young Sarah is not in good shape. John takes her to her room, and promises her he will be back with help. However, he doesn't, and she dies. That leads him into a nightmarish guilt trip, punctuated by ghostly visions, which leads him to consult York, who has been accused of killing his daughter (Claudia Christian).
From there on, it turns into a chase the suspected murderer, and an ending that is quite inexplicable.
In essence, this is a movie about guilt, and what it can do to you. There is more terror in the souls of these two men than in any Hell House.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A well made low budget ghost story., January 29, 2009
This review is from: Haunting of Hell House (DVD)
I stumbled onto this movie by accident. I thought it was a remake of The Legend of Hell House - apparently my brain melded Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House with the Richard Matheson's The Legend of Hell House. After getting it home and reading the back of the box, I quickly realized that was not the case. I went ahead and watched anyway, and I wasn't disappointed. It turned out to be a pretty entertaining ghost story with a bit of a gothic feel. It kind of reminded me of some of the Hammer Horror movies I watched on TV when I was a kid. The acting wasn't the best out there - Michael York was a bit hammy - but it didn't detract from the overall enjoyment of the movie. The set pieces and look of the movie set a very nice moody tone that kept you in the period, and there were no cars passing by in the distance or actors wearing digital watches as far as I saw. It was definitely no masterpiece by any stretch, but it did keep me from getting bored, and I never once looked at my DVD player's readout to see how much longer it would be until the movie ended.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
This is NOT a classic haunted house flick, October 17, 2005
This review is from: Haunting of Hell House (DVD)
Save your money if you're looking for a good haunted house flick. This isn't even a bad haunted house movie... it's just a bad movie. I was bored 15 minutes in, and it never got any better. First of all, the direction is poor, as is the cinematography... it looks poorly done and cheap... there's a story, if you stay awake to follow it. It sure doesn't move quickly. If you're looking to be creeped out, stay away. If you're watching because your class is reading the story... well then tell your teacher that the class should read a more interesting Henry James story.
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