House (1985)

Nice effects though.

Did you people see the same film I saw?

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

I liked the story enough to get me to the end. and it wasn't like the other horror/comedy's i saw. it all depends on how you like these kind of movies i think.

The successful writer Roger Cobb (William Katt) is trying to write a book about his experience in Vietnam, but he is blocked after the disappearance of his son Jimmy and the divorce from his wife, the actress Sandy Sinclair (Kay Lenz). When his beloved Aunt Elizabeth (Susan French) is found dead hanged in her bedroom, Roger inherits the house and moves to live there. His snoopy neighbor and fan Harold Gorton (George Wendt) gets close to Roger and learns that his aunt claimed that the house is haunted. Further Jimmy disappeared in the swimming pool on the back of the house. While writing his memories from the Vietnam when his pal Big Ben (Richard Moll) was captured and tortured by the Vietcong, weird things happen in the house and soon Roger leans that the place is a gateway to a hellish dimension. "House" is one of the best haunted house films ever made. The plot is funny and recalls "Twilight Zone", with surrealistic situations. William Katt is great in the role of the writer that wants solitude but finds monsters while haunted by his past. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "House - A Casa do Espanto" ("House - The Frightening House")

Saw this when I was a youngster. Watched it recently, still great. They don't make movies like this anymore!!! Saw this when I was a youngster. Watched it recently, still great. They don't make movies like this anymore!!!Saw this when I was a youngster. Watched it recently, still great. They don't make movies like this anymore!!!

Somehow I always get the feeling that they just aren't capable of making a really good horror flick anymore, but thankfully sometimes I'm surprised. Unfortunately that happens less and less so most of the time if I want to see a good horror I have to bust out my DVD collection. One of these older classics is House. Back in its day it was one of the VHS era's big films, it's out on DVD too but it didn't sell as well. It's a hidden cult horror. It doesn't have the following of say Evil Dead, but people who like the genre probably know about it. The film was made by Steve Miner, Sean S. Cunningham and Roger Corman. The first two names should be familiar to Friday the 13th fans, as Cunningham directed the 1st part and was the producer on the 2nd making a carrier out of the House and Friday franchises. Oh he did direct Deep Star Six that was a tribute to The Abyss, more or less successfully. Miner directed the 2nd and 3rd part of Friday, so we have him to thank for Jason's hockey mask, but he's also responsible for a heap of successful horror flicks like Lake Placid, Warlock, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later. So if really can be said that House was made by professionals and that's why it's one of the 80s classic horror flicks. The story: Roger Cobb is a Vietnam vet whose career as a horror novelist has taken a turn for the worse when his son Jimmy mysteriously disappears while visiting his aunt's house. Roger's search for Jimmy destroys his marriage and his writing career. The sudden death of his aunt brings Roger back to the house where his nightmares began. The evil zombies in the house force Roger to endure a harrowing journey into his past. The film's big value is the undeniable 80s vibe. It's great to see monsters made for real and not out of CGI. The technical parts are cutely lame, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just a part of that era of film making. The story is a little cliché, the terror in the huge house wasn't a new concept even back then. Plus even the start credits remind me of The Haunting. The directors work shows all his experience in the horror film genre, so despite the cliché of the basic story House isn't just a typical scary, ghost house story, but is closer to Sam Raimi's Evid Dead. The screaming of demonic beings, the Chaplin- esc situational comedy and the seemingly hopeless ministrations of the lonely hero all prove this. The actors work well within what we expect from the genre, but don't expect anything outstanding with the characters. William Katt was okay, but he doesn't come close to Ash's (Bruce Campbell's character in Evil Dead) genius. Mac Ahlberg the cinematographer though worked almost perfectly. His experience in horror films (Dolly, Re-Animator) showed here too. I have to also mention, that the monsters in House and the effects were outstanding, but that's not surprising considering the experience of the effects guys with films like Back to the Future 2 and The Fly. The film is a perfect example of what comes about when professionals get together to make a film in their favorite genre. When I first saw this film I didn't really know what to make of it. It was filled with humor, monsters, drama… it seemed like a cocktail of genres… watching it again now it lost this effect, so the films biggest problem is that if someone isn't watching it out of nostalgia they'll probably be quite disappointed. I was reliving the 1st time I saw it when I gave it a 7/10 https://www.youtube.com/user/Videodromeblog