|
A physical psychic and his wife are offered £100 000 to answer
the question of life after death by spending a week in the
Mount Everest of haunted houses and solving the mystery behind
what has been dubbed Hell House. Also along is a mental psychic
and the only sane survivor of a previous attempt to investigate
the house. They soon discover acts of debauchery were common
place here years ago; many bodies were found but the owner's
was not present. When strange occurrences begin the quartet
initially blame each other for the manifestations, until a
restless spirit gives them reason to believe otherwise. Then
it is a race to discover the truth before they all die...
Seldom is a film as good as the book from which it came. The
Legend of Hell House comes pretty close, and the reason
is the scriptwriter was the author of the original novel (Hell
House). Richard Matheson is one of the greatest horror
writers of our time, whose many successes include, I Am
Legend (filmed as the Omega Man), A Stir Of
Echoes (a recent movie with Kevin Bacon), Duel
(directed by a young Steven Spielberg), and myriad scripts
for The Twilight Zone (including Nightmare at 20
000 Feet with William Shatner).
This
may have been 1973 when special effects were in their infancy,
but that only aids this classy tale in standing the test of
time. The story is by far the most important ingredient of
any celluloid venture, which is why Poltergeist, for
example, already looks dated. Everything in Hell House
is terrifically understated and will no doubt bore those brought
up on Hollywood whizzes and bangs. The plot is methodical,
the characters strong and sensible, and the dangers few and
far between, rather than taking over the movie. Roddy McDowell
is particularly good as the underplayed, at times withdrawn,
previous survivor. Also, watch out for a surprise appearance
by Michael Gough as a rather well-preserved corpse near the
end of the film.
In conclusion, if you're looking for a big DVD package with
lots of extras, this won't be your cup of tea. There is only
a theatrical trailer and scenes access. Treat it as it is:
a damn fine English ghost story.
Ty
Power
Buy
this item online
We
compare prices online so you get the cheapest
deal!
(Please note all prices exclude P&P - although
Streets Online charge a flat £1 fee regardless
of the number of items ordered). Click on the
logo of the desired store below to purchase
this item.
|
|
|
£15.99
(Amazon.co.uk) |
| |
|
|
|
£15.99
(Blackstar.co.uk) |
| |
|
|
|
£8.99
(Streetsonline.co.uk) |
All prices correct at time of going to press.
|
|
