Thursday, October 13, 2011

The House on Haunted Hill (1999)


I'm going to go ahead and disclose I have a bias towards this movie, saw it in theaters around Halloween when it was released and I loved it. I've seen it more times than I like to admit but it's been a while. I've never really cared about the plot, or the characters. As a movie, it's kind of crappy. It could've been a series of paintings and been just as effective. The soundtrack is pop crap too, but it's pop crap from an era I'm nostalgic for. The sound is adequate, probably even a little above average. When I watch this I am in it for the corn syrup and red dye. This film wastes no time in giving it to me either. I like that. I like that a lot.
I'm really not sure what there is to even say about this movie. I hate Chris Kattan in it, but I generally just hate Chris Kattan. I hate the people who've made careers of mimicking him. Justin Long, Jimmy Fallon, clumsily charming white guy who's big schtick is being nervous. Justin Long was actually really good in Zack and Miri, I'm not sure why he keeps sticking to the Chris Kattan bit. Between those 3, Michael Cera and Jesse Eisenberg the awkward nervous funny guy routine has been done to death. Oddly enough I can barely tell Kattan, Long and Fallon apart, same for Cera and Eisenberg. They're not really helping themselves stand-out by all trying to act the same either. That rant doesn't really belong in this review, but I had to get it out. It annoyed me throughout the film anytime Kattan would talk. Have a creepy hot nurse to make up for it. (The guy in the rubber mask shaking his head behind her was deliciously weird)

It's cheesy to it's core. But it doesn't try to be more than it is. I appreciate that. It's the kind of movie you can watch in a group and riff while you go. Watch it if that sounds like something you'd enjoy, it's one of the better horror movies out there. Have some more screen caps since I can't think of anything else to say.


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