Product Details

• Actors: Charlotte Burke, Jane Bertish, Samantha Cahill, Glenne Headly, Sarah Newbold
• Directors: Bernard Rose
• Writers: Catherine Storr, Matthew Jacobs
• Producers: Dan Ireland, Jane Frazer, M.J. Peckos, Sarah Radclyffe, Tim Bevan
• Format: NTSC
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Vestron
• VHS Release Date: January 10, 1990
• Run Time: 92 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302038448
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,501 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

VHS Video**Approximately 92 minutes**Ben Cross and Glenne Headly star as the parents of troubled 11 year old Anna (Charlotte Burke) in this nightmarish fantasy thriller."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strange, beautiful, disturbing movie, March 2, 2002

By 

Victoria L. Hardy "Victorian fashion enthusiast" (Bristol, RI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Paperhouse [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A moody 11 year old girl draws a picture of a house. Then she starts to dream about the house. After she discovers that she can change the dream by changing the drawing, she falls ill and becomes trapped in her dream-which turns into a nightmare...
This is a strange, often disturbing, thought-provoking film by the director of Candyman. I might not exactly classify it as a horror movie, but it is very dark, and worth seeing.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Odd but strangely watchable, March 25, 2006

By 

Kali "bengaligirl" (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paperhouse [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I agree that this is not the best film in the world but it is still not as bad as some people are making out.

It is quite atmospheric in its own way and the little girl played by the unknown Charlotte Burke portrays the lonely Anna with surprising depth. You can tell she is lonely and unhappy, her father is away and she is not well so she spends a lot of time in bed, whiling away the hours by drawing.

Anna soon finds herself dreaming about the house she has drawn, and in the house is a boy who she becomes friends with. In her bid to help her dream friend she adds things to her drawing but in doing so endangers not only him but herself.

Their only hope is to get away from the house but the house is surrounded by sinister stones that are moving toward the house and its captive occupants and in desperation Anna draws a helicopter to come and rescue them and it is here we are realise that Anna's dreams have their basis in reality and only her father can save her just as only she can save her friend in the paper house...

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful and haunting film., January 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Paperhouse [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I do not like horror, but I love this movie! It is scary, true, but it earns its scares honestly, by exploring in-depth the inner life of a troubled young girl. The day she turns 11, Anna falls ill and, while unconscious, enters a drawing she has made. As she changes the drawing, the dream world also changes - what's more, it seems to affect her waking life. The young girl playing Anna gives a fine performance, and the film is visually very beautiful. It captures perfectly an atmosphere of dream sliding into nightmare - and is also notably honest about the complexities of early adolescence. It respects the imagination and courage of children. Different - but, if you like it, you'll want to see it more than once.