House on Haunted Hill

Amazon.com

House on Haunted Hill is one of the new breed of waste-no-time thrill machines, like Deep Blue Sea, and a particularly effective example at that. The plot is pure contrivance: For a party stunt, a wealthy amusement-park manufacturer (Geoffrey Rush) offers five people a million dollars if they spend the night in a former insane asylum where the patients murdered the sadistic staff. But it turns out the five people who arrive aren't the five he invited--did his wife (Famke Janssen), who hates him, make the switch? From there events unfold with a smart combination of human and supernatural machinations; spooky jolts are dispensed at regular, but not entirely predictable, intervals. The visual effects owe a considerable debt to Jacob's Ladder, a much more ambitious movie; House on Haunted Hill just wants to get under your skin, and succeeds more than you'd expect. Rush is his entertainingly hammy self; Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, and Bridgette Wilson are attractive and reasonably straight-faced about it all; and Chris Kattan is genuinely funny as the house's neurotic owner. Some elements of the plot seem to have been lost in the editing process, but it hardly matters. More bothersome is that the scares go flat when computer effects take over at the end--the digital images just aren't as creepy as the more suggestive stuff that came before. But that's just the very end; most of the movie has a lot of momentum. Watch until the end of the credits for a final bit of eeriness. --Bret Fetzer

Description

When an eccentric millionaire offer a group of opposites $1,000,000 to spend the night in a so called "Haunted House" with a murderous past, they figure it is a quick way to get quick money and leave. All of them are sure it is some made up story just to mess with their heads a little and test their courage. But, once they stay in the house they start to think about the mistake they made in coming there when mysterious things start to happen.

Customer Reviews:

FREAKY, SCARY, AND CREEPY!!!.......2007-09-04

my kind of movie. it had the goodies that i like, enough to make me jump. the whole storyline was good. people would do anything for money. they got in to deep. crazy stuff starts happening, freaky looking creatures start appearing, torturous stuff, but i really liked it. i've watched it lots of times, and it still has that same effect on me. where my hair stands on end. crazy, but i love those kinds of movies. the actors were good, geoffery rush, brilliant man, love this guy and he can act no doubt. any role this man is great. on the priates of the carribean as well. they play there roles so well, it's just believable. i certainly think this is a good one to give you a scare anytime of the year.

Step right up for chills, spills and thrills!.......2007-06-29

Ladies and Gentlemen, and American Idol haters and fans, allow me to direct your attention to the big screen, where you'll bear witness to chills, spills and thrills that will haunt you till the day you die. Behold the "House on Haunted Hill," and let the nightmare begin!

As far as remakes go, this is the best I've seen. I saw this movie alone, and let me tell you, it was quite a thrill ride. The high gore level makes this movie really fun to watch. Jeffrey Combs is the greatest actor of all time. Buy/rent this movie, and see if you can survive a trip through a Haunted House for the second time in many years...if you dare. Highly recommended.

Why did I bother?.......2007-03-26

I kind of wanted to see this movie when it originally came out in theaters, but I never got around to it...I'm glad I didn't. This movie was really bad. Most of the scenes just didn't make any sense. The characters weren't likeable at all, I couldn't have cared less if they all got killed. The acting was awful and the script was just down right horrendous. Some of the worst lines came from chris kattan's character like, "this house is alive, we're all gonna die" and "you give me my money right now...I want it, so you give it". Thats the kind of bad script that I'm talking about. The only slightly decent thing in this movie is some of the special effects. I would also like to give credit to geoffery rush for trying to do the best he could with what he was given. All and all...don't watch this movie.

One of my favs!.......2007-03-10

This is by far one of my favorite movies. This is definitely not for the weak of heart though, lots of disturbing imagery.

There are some nice horror visuals here... and the story isn't too bad........2006-09-01

House on Haunted Hill is your standard "group killed off one by one but no one knows who it is" ghost movie, and on that level, it works, despite having "been there done that". With that said, there are decent performances, but what really saves this film is the horror visuals and special FX, which are a little 'trippy' considering a asylum doctor who appears on the monitor, and his head flicks back and forth very quickly. Yes, it was based on an earlier work but it works well here, along with the basic gore FX and dark castle/mansion setting.

The pace is decent, and there are some memorable kills. I've seen worse, and at best, this is a slightly above average ghost film.

Average customer rating:

"House on Haunted Hill (1959) ... William Castle ... 20th Century Fox (2005)"
House party. **Dvd Special Features below**
Not gory like the 1999 version but still good
Schlocky yet creepy
The Beginning of "Horror"

House on Haunted Hill
Starring: Vincent Price , Carolyn Craig , Richard Long , Elisha Cook Jr. , and Carol Ohmart
Director: William Castle
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009X75DI
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Amazon.com

William Castle's gimmick-laden comic thriller is not so much a horror movie as a fairground funhouse come to life. Vincent Price stars as a deliciously silky millionaire married to a greedy gold digger (Carol Ohmart) who refuses to divorce him. When he turns his wife's idea for a haunted-house party into a contest--$10,000 to whoever will spend the night in "the only truly haunted house in the world"--it seems he may have found an alternative to divorce. Five strangers gather to test their stamina, Price hands each of them delightfully twisted party favors (loaded handguns, delivered in their own tiny coffins), and the spook show begins. Blood drips from the ceiling, zombielike apparitions float through rooms, severed heads and skeletons suddenly appear, and then a guest is found hanging in the stairwell. Full of screams and things that go bump in the night, House on Haunted Hill isn't particularly scary and often makes little sense, but, like a Halloween haunted house, the spectacle of spook-show clichés is quite entertaining, and Price makes a sardonic master of ceremonies. The original theatrical presentations featured a typically outrageous Castle-engineered gimmick: Emergo, which was nothing more than a skeleton that appeared to fly out of the screen and over the audience on a guide wire. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

"House on Haunted Hill (1959) ... William Castle ... 20th Century Fox (2005)".......2007-08-05

20th Century Fox present "HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL" (released: February 17, 1959) (75 mins) (B&W/Color Versions) - Under William Castle (Director / Producer), Robb White (Screenwriter), Carl Guthrie (Cinematographer), Von Dexter (Composer (Music Score), Roy Livingston (Editor), Dave Milton (Art Director), Jane Huizenga (Production Director), David D. Martin (Technical Director) - - - - - - our star Vincent Price plays Frederick Loren, an eccentric millionaire that invites five very different people to a haunted house for a party, and offers them $10,000 if they can stay the night --- As usual, Price gives a commanding performance and completely steals every scene he's in --- Elisha Cook in particular gives excellent support playing the wimpy owner of the house; much the same character that he played in the Stanley Kubrick masterpiece; 'The Killing" (1956) --- The rest of the cast is made up of unknown actors, but they also all perform to relatively high standards in their respective roles --- House on Haunted Hill is topped off by a brilliant double twist, and it is also given certain originality --- the atmosphere and uneasiness of this film makes for an incredible who done it story as you wonder who will get it --- The set is intoxicating inasmuch as you never really see all of it, nor is it really explained what such a dangerous acid pit is doing in such a precarious spot in the basement --- Throughout the movie, there is an abundant sense of dread that is perpetually present and it serves the film well in that it brings the house to life --- at every point in the film, the audience is made to believe that there is something unseen in the house that will cause bad things to happen --- Director William Castle and actor Vincent Price are at their best!

the cast includes:
Vincent Price ... Frederick Loren
Carolyn Craig ... Nora Manning
Richard Long ... Lance Schroeder
Elisha Cook Jr. ... Watson Pritchard (as Elisha Cook)
Carol Ohmart ... Annabelle Loren
Alan Marshal ... Dr. David Trent
Julie Mitchum ... Ruth Bridgers
Leona Anderson ... Mrs. Slydes
Howard Hoffman ... Jonas Slydes

BIOS:
1. Vincent Price
Date of Birth: 27 May 1911 - St. Louis, Missouri
Date of Death: 25 October 1993 - Los Angeles, California

2. Carolyn Craig
Date of Birth: 27 October 1934 - Green Acres, Long Island, New York
Date of Death: 12 December 1970 - Culver City, California

3. Richard Long
Date of Birth: 17 December 1927 - Chicago, Illinois
Date of Death: 21 December 1974 - Los Angeles, California

4. Elisha Cook Jr.
Date of Birth: 26 December 1903 - San Francisco, California
Date of Death: 18 May 1995 - Big Pine, California

5. Carol Ohmart
Date of Birth: 3 July 1927 - Salt Lake City, Utah
Date of Death: Still Living

6. Alan Marshal
Date of Birth: 29 January 1909, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Date of Death: 13 July 1961 - Chicago, Illinois

7. Julie Mitchum
Date of Birth: 23 July 1914 - Bridgeport, Connecticut
Date of Death: 21 February 2003 - Sun City, Arizona

8. William Castle (Director)
Date of Birth: 24 April 1914 - New York, New York
Date of Death: 31 May 1977 - Los Angeles, California

SPECIAL FEATURES:
1. Hilarious Audio Commentary by Mike Nelson of TV's "Mystery Science Theater 3000"
2. All-New Clorized Version
3. Restored Black and White Version
4. Original Theatrical Trailer, Carnival of Souls, Night of the Living Dead, Reefer Madness and The Three Stooges in Color.

If you enjoyed this film, check out other Legend Films including - "Killer Shrews and the Giant Gila Monster", "Plan 9 from Outer Space", H.G. Wells' Things to Come", "Little Shop of Horrors", H. Rider Haggard's "She" - (Fully Restored/Dolby Digitally Remastered) --- now in COLOR and Glorious Black and White --- with Legend Films to restore, colorize and release the earliest black and white films--- a patented coloring and remastering process makes the picture perfect more vivd than ever .

Hats off and thanks to Barry B. Sandrew Ph.D. (Founder, COO, CTO & Board Member) and his Legend Films Staff --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage era of the '20s, '30s & '40s --- order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on DVD --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out Legend Films where they are experts in releasing long forgotten films and treasures to the collector --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 75 mins on DVD ~ 20th Century Fox ~ (9/06/2005)

House party. **Dvd Special Features below**.......2007-08-04

This is not the "superdeaf throwdown jizzam of the year" Kid N' Play had in mind. I realize this is a classic and I love horror classics such as Nosferatu, Cat people, Night of the Demon, Bride of Frankenstein, The haunting, The Black Cat, The Night of The Hunter, Peeping Tom, The Fall of The House of Usher (1928), I walked with a Zombie, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Dracula to name several favorites. I name this many to show you what i was kind of expecting while watching this for the first time. It also ranked # 37 on Bravo Channel's Scariest Movie Moments series, which i thought a well done show, at #37 The house on Haunted Hill beat out a slew of horror classics and numerous terrifying films. I'd also like to add that while i watched this "horror" movie tonight it was actually thundering and lightening the entire movie and I own a house in a small town with no street lights, so the stage is set for some good horror, and that's what i expected. Perhaps this is why i was let down, the one scary part in my opinion that also happened to be the same part on Bravo's list was freaky yet with an explanation to follow and that was about it for me.
Now, as i write this review and contemplate what i saw I'm starting to warm up a bit, actually maybe not, perhaps if i expected something along the lines of an older version of Army of Darkness, or a gimmicky fun b movie along those lines I think i would've been pleased instead of slightly let down.
So, is this mysterious Aztec looking sprawling mansion haunted or are there other evils at play? Is it a game and if so who is playing who? I'll let you find that out. Hopefully reading this you can get in the right frame of mind for the right kind of horror you get.

**Dvd Special Features (from the back cover)**
-Hilarious audio commentary by Mike Nelson of Tv's "Mystery Science Theater 3000"
-All New Colorized Version
-Restored Black and White version
-Original Theatrical Trailer and Press Book
-

Not gory like the 1999 version but still good.......2007-02-26

Millionaire Fredrick Loren played by a young Vincent Price invites five strangers to a party in the House On Haunted Hill. With his delectable wife Annabel in tow, he has set the strangers a task of sorts, if they can spend one night locked in the house he will give them $10,000 each, however there is a bit of a catch to this seemingly generous offer, the house has seen several brutal murders and is reputed to be haunted.

One of the guests in the house was even related to one of the victims and he is emphatic that the whole house is haunted and that they are all doomed because of what they are doing.

At midnight the door is locked and everyone in the house waits to see what will happen next, and very soon all are locked into a game of terror and murder as the House on Haunted Hill takes on a life of its own, but there is a twist in the tale that is deliciously surprising as it is fun.

I enjoyed this film, it wasn't overly suspenseful, but there are enough scenes to make you jump every now and then, the special effects were none-existent and there was a lot of screaming and shrieking from the character Norah a young woman who appears to be being targeted by the ghosts in the house.

All in all a hokum of a movie but great fun all the same.

Schlocky yet creepy.......2007-02-06

Vincent Price. A haunted mansion house. Spooky caretakers. And a giant pile of money to any of the guests who lives through the night. What's not to love?

"The House on Haunted Hill" is one of those rare horror movies that seems as fresh as if it were made yesterday. The script is clever, the acting is solid, and while the direction is a bit on the hammy side, the plot is clever enough to keep viewers riveted until the final twist. It's horror, myster and dark comedy all in one.

Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) decides to host a macabre birthday party for his devious wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmart), in the "House on Haunted Hill." He invites a test pilot, a columnist, a secretary and the house's unbalanced owner, and offers each one ten thousand dollars if they stay all night. Chandeliers fall, doors slam shut, and they get to see the wine vat full of acid.

But as the night goes on, poor Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig) begins to see specters and rotted heads. The others think she's hysterical -- until Annabelle is found hanging in the hallway, dead. The unfortunate guests start to suspect that Loren brought them there to murder them (except for the owner, who blames ghosts). But the truth is far more complex and sinister....

William Castle made a lot of slightly kitschy horror movies like "13 Ghosts" and "The Tingler," but this clever twist on haunted-house movies is probably his best work ever. Okay, that dancing skeleton is unintentionally funny, as is the gliding crone. But most of the time, it provides some in-your-face chills and great work from Price.

This movie has solid dialogue ("Do you remember the fun we had when you poisoned me?") and some truly wicked exchanges between Price and Ohmart, as spouses who completely loathe one another. Castle's weird sense of humor shows up in the coffin-shaped boxes, the vat of acid, and the organ playing itself.

But the most impressive aspect of "House" is that it's not just another ghosts-terrify-screaming-idiots movie. It's more of a mystery, before the crime is committed. We're never quite sure if there really are ghosts haunting the place, or if the humans are the ones who are really causing all this trouble. What's really scary is that the humans are more frightening.

Vincent Price is definitely the star here -- creepy, intelligent, debonair, and he has an acid comment for every occasion ("Don't stay up thinking of ways to get rid of me. It makes wrinkles"). Ohmart runs a close second with her seductive, devious trophy wife; the other actors do solid jobs as well, although Craig doesn't do much except shriek periodically.

It's should be noted that the Alpha Video version of this is a good inexpensive version to buy. Many public domain movies are in rotten condition, but the print for this is clear, sharp and unmarred. There's only one problem: everything is tinted slightly purple. I'm not sure why, but if you can ignore it, it's worth getting.

"House on Haunted Hill" is a deserving vintage horror movie -- a twisty plot, and Price doing his best creepy-might-be-villain act. A must-see.

The Beginning of "Horror".......2007-01-11

When I first saw this movie in a theater as a boy I thought it was the scariest movie ever made. When I watched it again fifty years later I found it initially trite, but then I realized why the 1999 remake paid such tribute to Vincent Price. It had many firsts in it's genre, and what it didn't do first it did best (generally). It set the benchmark for "Horror" and wasn't surpassed in fright by anything other than "Splatter-Flicks" until the evolution of computer animation. This is where it began.

Return to House on Haunted Hill (Unrated) [HD DVD]

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Return to House on Haunted Hill (Unrated) [HD DVD]

Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000UUX2ZK
Release Date: 2007-10-16

Description

Sarah Wolfe was the only living survivor from the massacre at the Vanacutt Mansion, but no one believed her claims that ghosts were responsible for the gruesome murders that took place there. Now her recent and questionable suicide leaves her sister, Ariel, no choice but to devote herself to finding out who - or what - was responsible for her death. Ariel discovers that Sarah sent her the diary of the sadistic Dr. Vanacutt just before she died, offering clues to the diabolical evil that resides within the house. But the diary also makes Ariel a target in a deadly treasure hunt that leads a group of unwitting victims back to the Vanacutt Mansion, reawakening the terror imprisoned within the house on the hill. This time, the house and the evil spirits inside are out to make sure that no one leaves alive.

Return to House on Haunted Hill (Unrated) [Blu-ray]

Average customer rating:

Return to House on Haunted Hill (Unrated) [Blu-ray]

Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000UUX2YG
Release Date: 2007-10-16

Description

Return to House on Haunted Hill (Unrated)

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Return to House on Haunted Hill (Unrated)
Starring: Righetti , Palladino , and Vincent
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000UUX2Z0
Release Date: 2007-10-16

Description

Vincent Price: House on Haunted Hill/Last Man on Earth/The Bat

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Last Man on Earth

Vincent Price: House on Haunted Hill/Last Man on Earth/The Bat
Starring: Vincent Price
Manufacturer: Pop Flix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EQ47K4
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Description

Hero of horror Vincent Price stars in three silver scream classics! In House on Haunted Hill (1958, B&W, 75min), an eccentric millionaire (Price) invites several of his enemies to a party at his creepy mansion. Each guest who survives the night will receive $10,000 - but will anyone be alive to collect the reward? In Last Man on Earth (1964, B&W, 86 min.), a nightmarish apocalyptic vision of a zombie invasion, a global airborne virus has transformed Earth's population into vampire-like creatures. Scientist Robert Morgan (Price) is the last living soul on earth. He hunts the sleeping monsters by day, but at sundown he becomes the hunted, stalked by zombies thirsting for his blood. Murder, mystery and terror reign in The Bat (1959, B&W, 80 min.), a bone-chilling thriller starring Price, Agnes Moorehead and Darla Hood. A creaky haunted house has a hidden fortune of stolen money, and the bodies pile up as a mysterious prowler known as "The Bat" tries to uncover the loot.

Customer Reviews:

Last Man on Earth.......2007-01-17

My hubby liked this movie the most because of the 50's and early 60's cars shown parked and being driven in this sharp B and W movie. Vincent Price is wonderful...this movie is the obvious precursor to Night of the Living Dead, and Charlton Heston's The Omega Man. This is a wonderfully acted, greatly photographed early film. This is truly a gem.

Discontinuities have to be forgiven, this is the proto-ur-zombie movie. It is not bloody, but has it's psychological moments.

Average customer rating:

"House on Haunted Hill (1959) ... William Castle ... 20th Century Fox (2005)"
House party. **Dvd Special Features below**
Not gory like the 1999 version but still good
Schlocky yet creepy
The Beginning of "Horror"

House on Haunted Hill
Starring: Vincent Price , Carolyn Craig , Richard Long , Elisha Cook Jr. , and Carol Ohmart
Director: William Castle
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: 0790744309
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

"House on Haunted Hill (1959) ... William Castle ... 20th Century Fox (2005)".......2007-08-05

House party. **Dvd Special Features below**.......2007-08-04

Not gory like the 1999 version but still good.......2007-02-26

Schlocky yet creepy.......2007-02-06

The Beginning of "Horror".......2007-01-11

The House on Haunted Hill/The Bat/The Last Man on Earth

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The House on Haunted Hill/The Bat/The Last Man on Earth
Starring: Vincent Price
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00008G8QE
Release Date: 2002-05-28

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The ghosts are waiting... or not

House on Haunted Hill
Starring: Leona Anderson , Jr. Elisha Cook , Carolyn Craig , Howard Hoffman , and Julie Mitchum
Director: William Castle , and Rosemary Horvath
Manufacturer: Legend
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000R7HXZG
Release Date: 2007-09-04

Description

Vincent Price stars as a suave, eccentric millionaire married to a beautiful and greedy gold digger. Together, they are hosting a party in a sinister haunted house. Five guests are invited to spend the night and each will get $10,000—but only if they survive until morning.

Customer Reviews:

The ghosts are waiting... or not.......2007-07-30

Vincent Price. A haunted mansion house. Spooky caretakers. And a giant pile of money to any of the guests who lives through the night. What's not to love?

"The House on Haunted Hill" is one of those rare horror movies that seems as fresh as if it were made yesterday. William Castle spins a creepy, slightly schlocky, clever little haunted house story, which is just intriguing enough to keep viewers riveted until the final twist. It's horror, myster and dark comedy squashed together.

Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) decides to host a macabre birthday party for his devious wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmart), in the "House on Haunted Hill." He invites a test pilot, a columnist, a secretary and the house's unbalanced owner, and offers each one ten thousand dollars if they stay all night. Chandeliers fall, doors slam shut, and they get to see the wine vat full of acid.

But as the night goes on, poor Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig) begins to see specters and rotted heads. The others think she's hysterical -- until Annabelle is found hanging in the hallway, dead. The unfortunate guests start to suspect that Loren brought them there to murder them (except for the owner, who blames ghosts). But the truth is far more complex and sinister....

William Castle made a lot of slightly kitschy horror movies like "13 Ghosts" and "The Tingler," but this clever twist on haunted-house movies is probably his best work ever. Okay, that dancing skeleton is unintentionally funny, as is the gliding crone. But most of the time, it provides some in-your-face chills and great work from Price.

This movie has solid dialogue ("Do you remember the fun we had when you poisoned me?") and some truly wicked exchanges between Price and Ohmart, as spouses who completely loathe one another. Castle's weird sense of humor shows up in the coffin-shaped boxes, the vat of acid, and the organ playing itself.

But the most impressive aspect of "House" is that it's not just another ghosts-terrify-screaming-idiots movie. It's more of a mystery, before the crime is committed. We're never quite sure if there really are ghosts haunting the place, or if the humans are the ones who are really causing all this trouble. What's really scary is that the humans are more frightening.

Vincent Price is definitely the star here -- creepy, intelligent, debonair, and he has an acid comment for every occasion ("Don't stay up thinking of ways to get rid of me. It makes wrinkles"). Ohmart runs a close second with her seductive, devious trophy wife; the other actors do solid jobs as well, although Craig doesn't do much except shriek periodically.

"House on Haunted Hill" is a deserving vintage horror movie -- a twisty plot, and Price doing his best creepy-might-be-villain act. A must-see.

Average customer rating:

Return to House on Haunted Hill
Starring: Return to House on Haunted Hill
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Vacancy

ASIN: B000UUX2YQ
Release Date: 2007-10-16

Description

Sarah Wolfe was the only living survivor from the massacre at the Vanacutt Mansion, but no one believed her claims that ghosts were responsible for the gruesome murders that took place there. Now her recent and questionable suicide leaves her sister, Ariel, no choice but to devote herself to finding out who - or what - was responsible for her death. Ariel discovers that Sarah sent her the diary of the sadistic Dr. Vanacutt just before she died, offering clues to the diabolical evil that resides within the house. But the diary also makes Ariel a target in a deadly treasure hunt that leads a group of unwitting victims back to the Vanacutt Mansion, reawakening the terror imprisoned within the house on the hill.This time, the house and the evil spirits inside are out to make sure that no one leaves alive.

DVD:

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