(1973)Physicist Lionel Barrett is commissioned by the new owner of the notorious Hell House to attain proof of life after death. Barrett, along with his wife Ann, psychic Florence Tanner and physical medium Benjamin Franklin Fischer agree to stay at the house for one week for a large sum of money. Fischer was the sole survivor of the last excursion to Hell House 20 years prior and is the only one who knows what they are in for.
The former owner of the house, Emeric Belasco was a monster of a man. Notorious of his own rite having been host to all sorts of sexual deviations and heinous physical indulgences withing the walls of his home. He even went so far as to brick up the windows so that no one could see the torturous acts going on inside. It is believed that his evil, impure soul is the source of the vicious haunts connected with the house.
Hell House scared the living crap out of me as a kid. It was the instigator of many nightmares and I believe the source of my obsession with the paranormal, which intrigued me all throughout my teens. I have been on a mission this year to dig up some of the films that I best remember for scaring the poop out of me when I was young and Hell House has to be at the top of that list. I am happy to announce that it still packs a punch to this very day.
There is a great scene with this little fella in it too. Yay for cats! Meow
We have discussion of the slow paced horror films of the '70's, but this movie does not fall into that category. They waste no time in giving up the goods. Barrett is given the proposition and in the next scene they are driving to Hell House. The first evening in the house Florence Tanner holds a séance and is shocked to find out that she channeled a physical manifestation when she has always been a purely psychic medium. She forms a bond with the spirit of Daniel Belasco, the tortured son of Emeric. This spirit becomes protective of her and nearly kills Lionel Barrett in a violent eruption of supernatural force. This is a great scene, not for the effects which are quite simplistic. It's the agression that they represent. The group is having a pleasant dinner when Florence and Lionel begin to argue. As her temper flares the table starts to shake and the dishes rattle. Suddenly the dishes start hurling themselves toward Barrett, he ducks and his chair is pushed back. He looks up to see the chandelier coming down, rolls barely avoiding the strike and a burst of flame flares out of the fireplace toward him. Florence screams at the spirit and the violence stops, but it is clear that it had no intention on stopping until Barrett was dead.
Add to that a fine performance from Roddy McDowell as the nervous Mr. Fischer and you have one great film. Does anyone else here think Cornelius when you hear Roddy McDowell speak? Anyway, JPX add this to that list of great haunting films. Although our JSP reviewed this some time back with a much lower opinion, it still comes high up on my list. Perhaps he didn't dig those late night channel 38 movie loft flicks like I did or maybe I'm just sentimental. I'm very happy that it stood the test of time, as far as I'm concerned anyway.
4 comments:
Wow! This movie is like your origin story, Cat.
I wasn't a Planet of the Apes kid, but I do like me some Roddy McDowell.
It is Octo, it came on about once a year and I waited for it too. This scared the bejeezes out of me as a kid. I think JSP would have rated it better if Christopher Lee had made an appearance :P
I like Roddy McDowell too.
I'll definitely defer to your opinion here Catfreeek. My review was from '04 when I wasn't taking this very seriously. I don't remember even watching this movie.
This is amazing - I read this book a couple years ago and kept wondering what it would be like to make a movie of it. Apparently, a film version has already been made! 26 years ago! Wow. I've got to check this out now. Thanks for reviewing it!
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