The
Film:
The
haunted house genre has been around for a long time with a varying degree of
success. It is difficult to find unique and interesting entries into this
genre. The Legend of Hell House would definitely have to be placed towards the
upper level of the genre. A very wealthy man has convinced four individuals to
investigate the titular “Hell House.” It is a dark and gloomy mansion once
owned by an alleged mass murderer named Belasco. Their mission is to see if
they can prove once and for all whether there is life after death. However,
they only have one week, presumably because the wealthy man may be near his
death and wants answers before he passes on. The investigating group consists
of the scientist Dr. Lionel Barrett (Clive Revill), his wife Ann (Gayle
Hunnicutt), the spiritual medium Florence Tanner (Pamela Franklin), and the
physical medium Fischer (Roddy McDowall).
It
becomes quite obvious upon entry into the house that there is “something” going
on there. What that “something” is, differs between everyone in the house.
Almost immediately Florence Tanner feels the energy of the house and begins to
hear voices.
This
is where the focus of the narrative then shifts. It moves beyond the need to
discover if there is something after death. Is the energy/spirit an individual
leaves behind from their death capable of driving its own use? Or is it just an
unthinking mass of energy that can be used by others? These questions are what
drive the majority of the narrative and are perhaps the most interesting aspect
of the film.
Overall
it is a quality haunted house film highlighted with strong acting from all,
effective scares, and interesting camera work. The film might not appeal
greatly to modern audiences in that it will likely be seen as slow and uneventful.
However, if you are someone that understands this type of film and can
appreciate it, then there is a lot to be offered in this film.
3.5/5
Special
Features:
Interview
with director John Hough: A very informative interview with the director. He
explains the film and the rather straightforward production. The director also gives
a little background into some of the other movies he has made and how he ranks
Legend of Hell House among his other film. It was interesting to hear the
director express his desire to make a sequel to the film.
Audio
interview/audio commentary with Pamela Franklin: While this is listed on the
cover as being an audio interview, it is really only a commentary. At least it
appears that was the intention, but the actress didn’t have too much to say.
What little she did have to add was very informative and she appeared enthused
to do the commentary. She shared some interesting tidbits overall.
3/5
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