Sunday, October 20, 2013

Terror In The Haunted House


1958 ***1/2 (SBIG)

Poor Sheila tormented by a recurring nightmare of a haunted house; she seeks help from her beloved husband Philip when she is released after many years in a sanitarium. Philip believes she needs to get away from it all and takes her to Florida.

Formidable house? Kinda looks like someone's grandma's house.

When they arrive, Sheila freaks out seeing that the house Philip rented is the very house from her dream. She frets over whether it is just a strange type of premonition-like dream or if there is some repressed memory from her past. Most disturbing of all, Philip seems to know the score and she wonders if he is up to something sinister after discovering that he has disabled their car and they are now stranded at the secluded house.  



Filmed in Psycho-rama Terror in the Haunted House is loaded with quick flashing subliminal “scares”. Only they aren’t very scary at all, in fact they are pretty hilarious.


Like this guy that pops up several times. For some reason he makes me think of an old Jerry Lewis character.

Aaah, there he is!


Was it required that every psychiatrist office be equipped with one of those hypno-spinny things back in the 50’s? I bet JPX has one just for the novelty of it. Anyway, this film was loaded with chuckle-worthy scenes throughout and I enjoyed the hell out of it from the cheesy acting to the silly effects and the paper-thin plot. Truly a classic from a time when gimmicks were a selling point and the theater experience was always an adventure.

5 comments:

AC said...

you know I love SBIG!

JPX said...

I watched this one a few years ago and think it's hilarious that the director thought that those subliminal "scares" would be scary. You are so right to compare that to Jerry Lewis!

Johnny Sweatpants said...

JPX you need to get one of those spinny things for your office post haste!

Catfreeek said...

Oh come on JSP, you know he already has one.

Octopunk said...

Oh my GOD he has a RAT in his MOUTH!

I just looked at JPX's review of this and I pretty much said the same thing.

They should try this again with genuinely disturbing images.

Malevolent

 2018  ***1/2 It's 1986 for some reason, and a team of paranormal investigators are making a big name for themselves all over Scotland. ...