The Legend of Hell House (1973)

The greatest movie ever made..!

Purely Joyful Movie!

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Released in 1973, "The Legend of Hell House" details the experiences of four investigators of a haunted mansion in England over the course of five days. It's a risky endeavor because there was only one survivor of past investigators (20 years earlier), the character played by Roddy McDowall. In other words, the house killed 'em all! The other cast members are Pamela Franklin, Clive Revill and Gayle Hunnicutt. I saw 1959's "House on Haunted Hill" earlier this summer and was struck by its lameness. "The Legend of Hell House" came out a mere 14 years later and it's a significant improvement, as far as creepy ambiance and realism go. If you appreciate movies with spooky atmospherics you'll want to check it out. Unfortunately, the screenplay by Richard Matheson (from his book), turns the story into a series of disjointed vignettes over the course of five days in the mysterious house, which prevents the movie from creating momentum. You might be wondering how this is a flaw because, after all, how else would you chronicle such a story? But there's a way to do it where there's a sense of cohesion, like 1971's "The Devil Walks at Midnight" (aka "The Devil's Nightmare"). Nevertheless, the movie has undeniable positive elements and is worth checking out if you like haunted house movies or the cast.The movie runs 95 minutes and was shot in England.GRADE: C+

What I liked mostly about this movie were its characters. You have the skeptic scientist Dr. Barrett who thinks he can prove anything with his "modern" machinery and theories. Of course he was going to get in a conflict with Ms Tanner wonderfully played by Pamela Franklin. I'm glad that little Flora from the Innocents actually grew up in a beautiful young woman and a good actress (well I already liked her cute and creepiness in the Innocents too). I was really impressed with her here. I liked how the tension builds and how that evil spirit in the house handily uses the conflicts between the 4 people and strikes a few times. The scientist thinks the medium is manipulating things (the dining scene, the ectoplasm, her constant talking about the poor son of Belaski). Ms Tanner thinks it's Belaski's son who cries for help, the prudish Ms Barrett is suddenly captivated by erotic thoughts. And than there is Fischer who tries to stay invisible but his presence and input proves in fact to be vital. A few really strong spectacular scenes without overdoing it. Especially those which involved Ms Tanner captured me (the cat scenes, the visits from Belaski's spirit leaving her bed and room, when the invisible spirit makes "love" to her, the cross scene and of course the discovery of Belaski's son rotten body). No wonder she was my favorite character. That she died was sad. Nevertheless a great movie which I really would give a solid 8/10!

An eccentric aging millionaire wants to be assured of the existence of life after death, so he has a physicist interested in the paranormal assemble a team to investigate a haunted mansion known as Hell House. The team consists of the physicist's wife and two psychic mediums, one of which was the sole surviving member of a previous team that investigated the house. The group plans to last a week inside and scientifically prove the existence of the after-life. Hell House, however, has other plans. Brilliant haunted house movie directed by John Hough and penned by the great Richard Matheson, who adapted his own novel for the screenplay. The novel and film bear some similarities to Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" which was itself made into the classic movie The Haunting. Hough's stylish direction is excellent. He creates a tense atmosphere with eerie music and sound effects, off-kilter camera angles, and effective scary moments throughout the film. Roddy McDowall and Pamela Franklin are standouts in the cast but Clive Revill and Gayle Hunnicutt are good, too. Michael Gough appears as part of the film's memorable climax. It's an exceptional horror film from a decade full of them. One of the best haunted house movies ever made. Best seen at night with all the lights out, of course.

There are Three Haunted House Movies from the Pre-CGI Era that are Usually Mentioned as Favorites. The House on Haunted Hill (1959), The Haunting (1963), and This One. All are Solid Entries on Anyones List, but Here, Richard Matheson's Screenplay from His Book Hell House is an Abbreviated Version and the Movie Suffers with its Condensed Composite. Things Seem Rushed and Not Fully Fleshed Out and this is One of those Movies where if Opened Up a Bit and was Longer would have Made it a Much More Satisfying Experience. As it is the Film is just too Short and Nothing has Time to Settle and Make its Mark Endellable.As is, the Movie is a Very Good Ghost Story with a Heavy Dose of Sex and Debauchery that Emerges Quite Often and Adds to the Creepiness. Pamela Franklin's Young Medium Endures the Brunt of it but Everyone Must Deal with the Sinister Sensuality. There is a Good Soundtrack and a Willing Cast, Including a Very Creepy Roddy McDowell, and Gayle Hunnicutt is Along and Suffers Some Humiliation. The Atmosphere is Appropriately Ominous, but the Ending is a Letdown. What with the Scientific "Box" and a Good Deal of Shouting Explanations, the Movie Comes to a Clunky Conclusion.