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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Almost Great !, March 22, 2001
Released at almost the same time as the awful "The Haunting" I wasn't expecting much, but this movie delivers. A terrifically creepy and nasty opening and the jolting modern day introduction set us up nicely. An able cast is brought to the haunted house where unspeakable things were done to mental patients who's revenge we witnessed at the outset. Geoffrey Rush is great, doing a nice oily tribute to the inimitable Vincent Price (of the 50's version of this story). Great stuff follows with two plots unwinding simultaneously, the fake and the real "haunting". The images of the good "doctor" appearing in the camcorder and on the surveillance cameras was terrific. I wish the whole movie could have sustained the chills generated by the "just-glimpsed-then-gone" evil and the hackle-raising stare and smile of these apparitions. And, of course Geoffrey Rush's trip in the psychotic chamber is worth the price of admission alone. Unfortunately, someone decided they could forego the sinister doctor and his minions and victims for a big CG finish that ISN'T scary and ISN'T creepy. And so the movie ends with a bang that is actually a whimper. Too bad, they were really on to something in the buildup prior to that. Could have been great. But, the ending is only the ending, and the leadup to it has enough good stuff to make it worth a look.
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28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better the second time around., April 26, 2000
In my hasty review that appears before this one, I truly misjudged the 1999 film "House on Haunted Hill," pawning it off as a cheap teenage horror flick comparable to "The Rage: Carrie 2." However, I was gravely mistaken, for this movie is full of all the elements that make a horror movie great. Based on the 1959 film of the same name starring Vincent Price, the 1999 version updates characters and storyline to suit modern audiences with lavish special effects and superbly filmed horror sequences. The film begins during the house's years as a mental institution for the criminally insane, as Dr. Vannacutt is performing experiments on his patients as a way of eliminating them. The inmates soon take over the sanitarium, killing all but five members of the staff, who escape as the place burns down. Skip ahead to 1999, with Steven Price (Geoffrey Rush) honoring his wife Evelyn's (Famke Janssen) wishes for a birthday party at the Vannacutt Psychiatric Sanitarium, newly remodeled into a residential home. When they arrive at the house, they discover that the guests are not the ones they invited, and both of them deny inviting the people present. The thrills begin when the "lockdown" occurs, a mechanism that encloses all windows, doors, and other means of exit, trapping Price and his guests inside. What truly makes this movie enjoyable is the fact that for the duration of the film, we do not know whether Price or the house itself is wreaking the havoc experienced by those left alive. Geoffrey Rush is terrific as Price, giving the original character, played by Vincent Price, his due justice. Famke Janssen gives sass and haughtiness to the script as Evelyn Price, and her stance and attitude make her character's moves very unique and believable. Taye Diggs (Eddie Baker), Bridgette Wilson (Melissa Marr), Ali Larter (Sara Miller), Peter Gallagher (Donald Blackburn) and Chris Kattan (Watson Pritchett) are brilliant as the five guests invited to the bash, each one with their own style and ability. Sound effects, lighting and set design add creepiness and terror to the house itself, which never fails to scare its inhabitants. The ghostly apparitions seen by those in peril are fantasticly crafted, and increased camera speed and thundering noises set the tone for terror. The ending of this movie, while tying the plot together and giving the answers as an ending should, may come as a letdown to some. The special effects and CGI used to create the "smoke" that permeates throughout the house in search of its last victims isn't authentic enough to scare people, and one might stop to think, "Why didn't they just use real smoke altogether?" But the rest of this film is enough to make up for it end, and remains as one of the better creepy films of the horror genre. The DVD edition of the movie is a big plus, with a dual-layered widescreen format that hosts brilliant colors, solid blacks and natural fleshtones. The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound is excellent, and if you have a Pro Logic receiver like I do, it still delivers room-shaking sound. Special features are all the craze, with a comparison of the old and new versions, trailers for both versions of the films, audio commentary by the director, deleted scenes (including a very funny sequence that hosts Debi Mazar as Sara's boss), and interactive menus. Another winner from Warner Bros, and one of the better examples of movie remakes in this day and age.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Could have been a great modern horror, March 8, 2000
I had awaited a film that the Times reviewer had called, "so scary I actually had to look away". I didn't look away. It starts so promisingly I was thinking modern horror classic. Unfortunately, producers Joel Silver and Robert Zemickes did not have to courage to see it through. 1931. A glorious art-deco Asylum stands at the top of a hill. We watch as a nurse operates a hand cranked camera. It is trained on an operating table as a doctor operates on a still conscious patient. They notice a growing mass of faces watching from above. They continue the operation. Suddenly the patents burst in. The doctors are overrun and there the violence and imagery is quite shocking. The camera falls. The doctor screams as the knife is turned on him. Present day. Four limousines wind their way up the hill. We see beautifully framed shots of the participants as they glance at their invites. I'm thinking film-noir here and it fits perfectly. And here we must leave the narrative. For after setting the tone, the story and giving the audience some very unsettling images already, the film takes the downward turn that will continue to its conclusion. It backs away from a what could genuinely have been one hell of a ride. The set-up, the setting, the tone, the classic story (5 strangers must stay alive 'till morning to claim $1 million) was perfect; the execution is not. And who do we have to blame for this? Simple: the studio. Apparently, Warners wanted a sweet little horror/comedy. The director did not and with producers with the power of Silver and Zemickes, no pushovers by any means, it looks like they were in spilt minds themselves. What we get is a cheap, simply bad CGI finale. When will filmmakers learn that computer graphics can never be scary? But the original ending was indeed shot and all we do see, one brief shot of the mad doctor, provides one of the most effective moments of the movie. Alas, it was all ripped out. What we do have here is an initial 20 minute grounding that could have provided the basis for one hell of a creepy, very effective addition to the horror genre. What we do have is a disappointment. Roll on the uncut DVD version. * This is a title that can only be said as they do in the trailers: gravely voice and with a fast tempo.
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