House on Haunted Hill (1959) (Limited Edition) (Blu-ray Review)
DIRECTED BY: William Castle
STARRING: Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long
RATED: UR/Region: A/1:85/1080P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1
AVAILABLE FROM Film Masters
If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a murder mystery party, a carnival funhouse, and Vincent Price’s eyebrows all got shoved into the same movie, House on Haunted Hill has your answer. Spoiler: it’s glorious.
This William Castle classic is less “haunted house” and more “haunted homeowner’s association violation,” complete with floating skeletons, suspicious vats of acid (because sure, everyone keeps those in their basement), and a party host whose idea of hospitality is handing out loaded guns like they’re party favors. And honestly? It’s charming.
Vincent Price slithers through the film with the kind of theatrical menace that makes you wonder if he’s trying to scare his guests or audition for the world’s most dramatic toothpaste commercial. His line delivery is so deliciously campy, you half-expect the camera to pan over and catch him winking directly at the audience.
The “scares” range from “Oh no, a ghost!” to “Oh no, that’s clearly someone’s grandma in a Halloween store robe!”—but that’s exactly why the movie works. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a haunted house ride where you can see the wires holding up the ghosts, but you’re having too much fun to care.
At just 75 minutes, it never overstays its welcome, and by the time the famous skeleton makes its grand entrance (with all the realism of a plastic prop purchased during a Spirit Halloween clearance sale), you’ll be fully invested.
House on Haunted Hill may not actually haunt you, but it will charm the cobwebs off your horror-loving heart. It’s silly, spooky, stylish, and still one of the most lovable slices of camp ever put on film.
Extras
- NEWLY RESTORED
- Audio commentary by Heath Holland
- Liner notes by Jason A. Ney
- REGION-FREE
