End of the line, kiddies, and we wrap up this year’s edition of 31 Days of Horror with a classic- the 1959 William Castle film House on Haunted Hill. A millionaire (Vincent Price) invites five strangers (Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Carolyn Craig, Elisha Cook, and Julie Mitchum) to spend an evening at a haunted house with him and his wife (Carol Ohmart). Those who survive the night will be paid $10,000. Once midnight hits, they are all locked in until morning. But will it be them or the ghosts who inhabit the house to decide who makes it through the night? 8/10 stars
The movie, which was remade in 1999 in a more visceral form, still holds up quite well. Castle (The Tingler) sets the mood perfectly, and utilizes the practical effects well. It helps that the terrific cast play their parts convincingly. Price (The Fly, Pit and the Pendulum, The Last Man on Earth, among many more) is superb as the scheming millionaire Frederick Loren. Ohmart (Spider Baby) is equally entertaining as Frederick’s wife, Annabel. Everything just blends together so well- a murder mystery, strange and spooky noises, and even the cheap looking walking skeleton all work to make for a fun watch. There’s even a jump scare or two which are still effective, and it does have a nice twist in the end. It may not have the flashy CGI effects or blood and gore of the remake, but this classic horror movie is still worth your time. Available on Blu-ray/DVD, and you can usually find it on one of the cable channels at some point in time, especially around Halloween.
And that wraps up our 2018 edition of 31 Days of Horror! Hope you all enjoyed the ride, found some good movies to indulge in, and maybe even a couple to avoid. Happy Halloween!
