House on Haunted Hill (1999)
Director: William Malone
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Ali Larter, Taye Diggs
Primary genre: Supernatural
Secondary genre: Horror
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The year of 1999 saw two high profile haunted house films “terrorizing” the big screen. “House on Haunted Hill” battled “The Haunting” with the latter emerging victorious at the international box office due to its big stars and flashy (but unconvincing) special effects. Both films felt like a waste of potential, yet time has been kinder to the Joel Silver and Robert Zemeckis produced “House on Haunted Hill” as it relies on ominous visuals to do the work with a more hardcore horror approach unlike the PG-13 friendly blockbusterisms of its competitor.
While the original film kept its cards close to its chest and decided to reveal only what is going on at the final act (i.e., whether the house is actually haunted or an elaborate set up by Price and his wife to get rid of each other), here it is only a matter of time for our ghouls to start disposing characters left and right. To be fair, Malone and Dick Deebe try to spice up their characters although their attempts are unsuccessful. With the exception of Geoffrey Rush and Famke Janssen (who seem to be having a blast) and a few twists and turns around their relationship and subsequent actions, the rest of the cast have nothing to work with. They are reduced to glorified archetypes rightfully dethroned by the protagonist duo although Chris Kattan is the only one who barely manages to inject some personality to the get-me-out-of-here owner of the cursed place.
Rush is at the front and center channeling Vincent Price’s (the legendary horror actor) attitude (and looks) towards his performance wiping out his fellow cast members with tremendous (if not OTT) gusto. He has excellent banter with Janssen in some of the few moments where the scripts feels ‘alive’. Yet there is a sentiment that is populated throughout the film where emotional heights are never achieved as most of the sequences feel like a prelude for something bigger that never arrives.
What could have been a masterclass in tension and an atmosphere of dread is distorted by fast paced sequences, quick editing and swift death resolutions with a lack of actual scares and emotional interest from our part. Malone employs traditional tricks to an oversaturated effect such as blinking lights, whispers and distorted vocals at almost 100% rate rendering something initially effective pointless.
The script (co-written by director William Malone) does have its fair moments of inspiration. The opening credits are appropriately creepy complemented by Don Davis’ (“The Matrix” trilogy) church and choir inspired score and the use of distorted screams in the sound mix while the set up bears a disturbing Lovecraftian feeling that echoes throughout this sort of film with its ideal setting; a former asylum for the criminally insane.
Malone’s vision offers some freaky visuals, a decaying production design and deliciously macabre make up effects along with a “villain” reveal that is quite unique in terms of presentation (resembling though the climax of “The Haunting”).
“House on Haunted Hill” is by far not a terrible movie. There are some redeeming qualities scattered around, yet the feeling that this could have so much more is hard to shake. The lack of actual tension is perhaps the biggest offender here but if you decide to go along Rush’s genius performance and decide to enjoy certain visual aspects of it, you might have a good time.
Visually inspired but emotionally empty
+Freaky production design
+Appropriately creepy score by Don Davis
+Rush’s charismatic turn
+Some disturbing visuals
+Few twists to spice things up
-Besides Rush and Janssen, cast has nothing to work with
-Lack of tension
-Lack of scares
-Lack of the original’s ambiguity
-Flashy direction and editing