House on Haunted Hill

House on Haunted Hill

Starring Geoffrey Rush, Fake Janssen, Ali Larter, Taye Diggs

Directed by William Malone

The Story:
Back in the early 1900s, there was a hospital for the criminally insane which was overtaken by the patients, which resulted in the deaths of several people.  The building was rumored to be haunted ever since, and adventure park owner Steven Price (Geoffrey Rush) rents the building for his trophy wife Evelyn's (Famke Janssen) birthday party.  They each create their own list of people to invite, but instead a supernatural force chooses five people seemingly at random, people neither Steven nor Evelyn ever met: Eddie Baker (Taye Diggs), Dr. Donald Blackburn (Peter Gallagher), Watson Pritchett (Chris Kattan), Sara Wolfe (Ali Larter) and Melissa Margaret Marr (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras).

When their guests arrive, Steven and Evelyn reveal that each of them will win one million dollars if they survive the night, and whoever dies or leaves will forfeit their money to the others still remaining.  Soon after, the building goes into lockdown, making it virtually impossible to escape.  Soon after the deaths begin, but is it all an elaborate stunt, or is the house on haunted hill truly...haunted?

The Synopsis:
Vincent Price is considered by many one of the most well-known and influential horror actors of all time, appearing in countless horror films in the golden era of cinema.  One of those films was 1959's "House on Haunted Hill," and even though it's incredibly dated, it's still widely considered as a classic horror staple.  During the 1990s, horror was hitting a low point where unique ideas were concerned, and the horror slasher superstars of the 80s (Freddy, Jason, Chucky, Michael) were growing stale and weak.  There needed to be a new resurgence in horror, and director William Malone felt that by updating "House on Haunted Hill" for a new generation, that would be the shot in the arm horror needed.

What resulted was an enjoyable enough film, but not one that was necessarily scary.  It was filled with gimmicks and over-the-top gore, but ultimately it wasn't scary and didn't pack that necessary punch it needed to.  Plus the movie really hasn't withstood the test of time, as the spirit entity looks by now like a cheap SyFy Channel original.

Where the film does exceed expectations is in the caliber of actors they recruited for the film.  At the center is Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, who played the eccentric, over-the-top Steven Price (an obvious nod to Vincent Price in his name alone).  He gleefully relished his role as the off-the-wall amusement park owner who is caught in a loveless marriage and prefers to scare people over anything else.  His antics were endearing and enjoyable, and you can tell he enjoyed making the film.  Bond girl (and future Jean Grey) Famke Janssen also dove into her role as the icy cold Evelyn with strong resolve and attitude.  Chris Kattan brings out a rare serious (albeit still rather humorous) role as Watson Prichett, who seems to know the house is haunted and they all would die. 

Unfortunately, the other lead roles that went to Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, Peter Gallagher and Bridgette Wilson-Sampras weren't as memorable nor enjoyable, as they each seemed to serve as mere wallpaper to the haunted house.  Finally, the house itself as a living entity was exciting to see, as we were greeted to a basement of terrors that were designed to shock and awe audiences.  It didn't really achieve that goal, but it was still enjoyable.

Ultimately, the story is reminiscent of previous classic outings such as "And Then There Were None" where the characters are picked off one-by-one, until only one could survive and take home the money.  There's a side-plot to the film where we find why these people were invited, but it seems as an afterthought to the entirety of the film.  What it boils down to is this: the film was just pure gore and fun, and nothing else.

The Summary:
While "House on Haunted Hill" didn't withstand the test of time, it's still enjoyable enough to be able to sit through with some friends and just laugh at the total absurdity of it all.

The Score: C+