Hey! It’s the big dude from Night Court!
House (1986)
Directed By: Steve Miner
Where to get it: Image Entertainment
The Prologue
While I’ve never been that crazy about haunted house movies, I do have a soft spot for 1986′s House. My first dose of house came a little after I had seen the sequel, House 2. It also came by my Aunt ordering movies (VHS tapes) from some mail in video club. And I’m not sure what I liked about the most, the wacky nature of it or the fact that the film’s villain is played by Richard Moll. That would be “Bull” from Night Court to anyone old enough to remember.
The Movie
Roger Cobb is a Vietnam vet whose career as a horror novelist has taken a turn for the worse when his son Jimmy mysteriously disappears while visiting his aunt’s house. Roger’s search for Jimmy destroys his marriage and his writing career. The sudden death of his aunt brings Roger back to the house where his nightmares began. The evil forced in the house force Roger to endure a harrowing journey into his past.
House is a movie that is more funny than scary. A lot more funny than scary. Horror comedies can work and work very well (see example: Return of the Living Dead), but this film does seem to have trouble finding the right balance of that mix in some spots. Now I’m not at all saying the film is bad, I happen to like it. But I would have liked a bit more blood and horror mixed into things. At least a little more so than they actually are in the film.
The character of Roger Cobb is a very good and strong character to strap this movie on the back of. He just seems to have bad luck and as we see here, it all comes back to haunt him at different moments. Add him up with his nosy neighbor, Harold, and you have a pretty funny duo. Of course Harold kinda proves to be a little pointless near the end when we get down to the nitty gritty. But the two’s comedic moments are probably among the film’s funniest moments.
When everything adds together with House, you have a few things that seem kinda pointless. Like Roger’s interactions with his other neighbor. A hot female one. And one could make a case that the film’s solution comes far too easily and without a much needed dose of suspense. But you do get a fun film that packs some very nice effects and monsters. I think those two factors are good enough to give House a thumbs up from this reviewer.
The Conclusion
House is a film that could stand a bit more blood and drama, but it’s fun and well worth watching if you haven’t seen it or just want to revisit it. Image has released it under their “Midnight” label, which also packs such titles as House 2. These are pretty bare as far as features go, but if you don’t feel like tracking down an out of print copy of this film from Anchor Bay, this is a nice and affordable alternative.
The Rating (7/10)
