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Malacoda takes a gander at HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL at an L.A. Screening Tonight

Published at:  Oct 15, 1999 12:37:43 AM CDT

Harry here, and WHHHHEEEWWWWW... Malacoda really really didn't like this film. Personally I've been hoping to like it, since it's the debut film from Robert Zemeckis and Joel Silver's horror production company. I thought the casting of Geoffrey Rush was promising... as was Famke who I like. But then there is that... lady from LOVE STINKS and THE SUBURBANS... I dare not speak her name. She's pretty in that... psychotic she-wench sort of way. I recently caught the trailer for this listed over at Dark Horizons and that one video cam shot is cool, but the rest seems like more of the same... Keep your fingers crossed, but just remember... you've been warned by Malacoda...




I just got back from a screening of the House on Haunted Hill in Westwood.
I'm going to cut to the chase here; this movie sucked. I can't think of
one redeeming quality. Many out there didn't like the Haunting....but this
was far worse.

First off, the story was awful. There were hints of interesting
developments, but they never paid off. It almost seemed as though each
scene was separate from the whole, and it gave a very disconnected feeling.
Nothing kills suspense and interest like a comedic intermission between
every "scary" moment.

The acting was mediocre. There was no character development, and I don't
think anyone in the audience felt a thing when one was knocked off. It
seemed as if the actors made-up their characters as they went along, and
tried to insert little bits of history and personality here and there.

Worst of all were the effects. Now, for me, good effects can save an
otherwise terrible movie. In House on Haunted Hill, they made it worse.
The movie was chock full of cheap shocks, like things popping out at the
characters/audience, and humorously non-frightening sound effects. There
was no suspense, just endless choppy attacks on the eyes and ears. And the
final, most horrible menace? Well, I've seen scarier and more detailed
baddies on Zena.

While I've never seen the original, I can't imagine that this movie does it
any justice.

Malacoda



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    Readers Talkback

  • Oct 15, 1999 3:58:31 PM CDT

    One Bad Review and You Give Up?

    by sorcerer

    Already you're saying it's bad just because this guy does? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I'm not particularly interested in this film (my own dream cast for a HOHH remake was better), and probably won't see it, but I'm not gonna say it's bad.

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  • Oct 15, 1999 4:26:54 PM CDT

    I'd rather watch Count Floyd's "Blood Sucking Monkey's From West

    by uncapie

    "Awoooooooooo!!!!! Very scwary, kids!"

    Reply to Talkback

  • Oct 15, 1999 6:56:16 PM CDT

    Did Malaconda see the same movie I did???

    by oscar d. wolf

    Sheesh. I was at the Westwood HOHH screening last night too, and I'm wondering if maybe Malaconda was facing the back wall instead of the screen. The new HOHH is not going to revolutionize the horror genre, I admit that. But the movie has killer visuals and one of the truly great genre scores of this decade (by Dane "Matrix" Davis, no less). It's no "Suspiria", but IT IS scarier than any of the "Scream/Last Summer" entries that everyone (seemingly) adores. IT IS creepier than Jan De Bont's "Haunting". IT IS morbidly funny. The cast is charismatic and attractive. And there is a goose-bumping plot surprise in every reel. Pardon my provinciality, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to expect from a horror flick beyond that. On Oct 29th, buy the ticket, soak the popcorn, and enjoy the picture. And you just might find yourself saying a quiet thanks to the filmmakers for not completely insulting your intelligence.

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  • Oct 15, 1999 7:25:35 PM CDT

    This movie was alright... yes there are *SPOILERS*

    by devils halo

    I too, attended the screening last night and while the story is pretty thin, it wasn't bad for something low budget (without out being tacky). So this is the Silver/Zemeckis low buidget horror company, Dark Castle eh? Has he done anything yet with the Silver/Donner low budget action company (that has seen the big screen)? Anyways, Joel himself was there to check out crowd reaction. I didn't have any balls to go up, introduce myself, talk about the film, and ask.. no.. beg for a job because I'm not supposed to be 'in the industry.' (Yes there are some spoilers, I haven't seen the original version of this so I don't know how much I'll be spoiling) I didn't get enough back ground on the house or Vannagut (Jeffrey Combs). Sure he was a mad doctor performing unspeakable experiments on the insane, but why? And what power did the house or the insane gain when they finally killed him? Was there something evil in the house prior? And I swear, this was my vision of Gotham's Arkham Asylum. And, if they, meaning the house, were truly out to kill the last remaining relatives of those that survived the prior inmate rebellion, why does Famke, Peter, the video guy die? Once again, if the purpose is revenge, why are there unneccessary deaths that have nothing to do with the intended? Plus that's one smart house if it can track down 'supposed' relatives, link up and hack your computer and change a guest list around to accomodate its needs, realizing that it was booked for a party by the intended victim's wife. Ok, now I'm ranting, there was a lot wrong with a movie that could have gone right. Short movie too, just under 90 mins. I guess all this movie did was show me that Famke was a bad choice as Jean Grey.

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  • Oct 15, 1999 7:31:21 PM CDT

    By the way, Geoffrey Rush..

    by devils halo

    I loved this guy's James Woods imitation thru the whole flick.

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