PopHorror Let's Get Scared
It’s been 25 years since this haunted house’s doors opened to moviegoers. Inspired by the 1959 film of the same name, House on Haunted Hill is a haunted house film that dares to ask the viewer, “Would you spend the night in a haunted house for $1,000,000?” That is if they can make it through the night! House on Haunted Hill was released on October 29, 1999, in 2,710 theaters nationwide. With a budget of $37 million, it ended its theatrical run grossing over $42.5 million at the box office.
The film focuses on an amusement park mogul and master of fright, Steven Price (Geoffrey Rush: The King’s Speech 2010), as he creates his ultimate thrill experience for his estranged wife Evelyn’s (Famke Janssen: X-Men 2000) birthday. Price has converted the Vannacutt Psychiatric Institute for the Criminally Insane into a new haunted amusement event that he guarantees will scare everyone to death. If they somehow make it through the night, they’ll be awarded $1,000,000 dollars. Soon, the guests arrive, and one-by-one they die in frightening ways. Is it all for show or could it be something more supernatural?
Directed by William Malone (Feardotcom 2002), House on Haunted Hill oozes charm that infected many other horror films around this time. Fast rapid cuts, a heavy rock soundtrack, and a healthy dose of 90’s CGI set the tone for what lurks within these walls. Through a modern lens, this could be seen as dated, but to horror fans, it’s a warm flashback to what made the 90s so special in terms of aesthetics. There was also a heavy reliance on the atmosphere throughout the movie, instilling a sense of dread.
There are some traditional jump scares, but the interactions between the characters and entities that roam the halls can lead to some truly terrifying moments. A standout sequence from the film that is still ingrained in the minds of many involves Melissa (Bridgette Wilson-Sampras: I Know What You Did Last Summer 1997) exploring the basement with a camcorder. It’s a cleverly simple setup that involves her viewing a morbid scene through her camera lens before she goes missing. Through camera angles and sound design, this moment sends shivers due to the implied horrors this poor character encountered.
The cast is a perfect mash-up of 90’s pop culture featuring trending hot young actors including Taye Diggs (Rent 2005), Chris Kattan (A Night at the Roxbury 1998), and Ali Larter (Final Destination 2000). Even horror legend Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator 1985) has a role as the evil Dr. Vannacutt. The beginning also contains impressive and brief cameos of Lisa Loeb, hit singer of Stay (I Missed You ), and James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer 1997-2003).
While it’s accessible to watch now, that wasn’t always the case. If one knew where to hunt for a copy of the film, they’d more than likely be able to find an old snap case DVD, but sadly no Blu-Ray disc. A proper HD release wasn’t readily available for quite some time. This predicament was rectified in 2018 as Scream Factory released a Blu-Ray containing an all-new 2K Scan allowing for a much better appreciation of the set decoration and makeup effects.
Similar to Freddy Krueger being the catalyst to New Line Cinema’s success, House on Haunted Hill helped Dark Castle Entertainment launch into a semi-successful label that led the way to a handful of other horror films being made including remakes/reboots for the new millennium. Regardless of critical reviews, many films went on to become cult hits with the audience due to their unashamed cheesy horror tropes. Other films released by Dark Castle Entertainment include Thirteen Ghosts (2001), Ghost Ship (2002), House of Wax (2005), and Orphan (2009).
While not comparable in terms of overall quality, Return to House on Haunted Hill (2007) was a fun direct-to-video sequel that looked to expand the lore of the original. While it increases the gore and depravity, it is missing much of the atmosphere and nuance that made the 1999 film such a standout. On the Blu-Ray and HD-DVD releases, the film featured a “Choose Your Own Adventure” style that allowed the viewer to have a different viewing experience on each watch. With 96 different possibilities, it’s up to the audience to decide who lives and who dies.
House on Haunted Hill is still a joy to watch because the only thing rising faster than housing costs is this house’s body count. While the ghosts are dying to get out, you’ll be dying to get in.
House on Haunted Hill is available to stream on Tubi.
