Harry here, and WHHHHEEEWWWWW... Malacoda really really didn't like this film. Personally I've been hoping to like it, since it's the debut film from Robert Zemeckis and Joel Silver's horror production company. I thought the casting of Geoffrey Rush was promising... as was Famke who I like. But then there is that... lady from LOVE STINKS and THE SUBURBANS... I dare not speak her name. She's pretty in that... psychotic she-wench sort of way. I recently caught the trailer for this listed over at Dark Horizons and that one video cam shot is cool, but the rest seems like more of the same... Keep your fingers crossed, but just remember... you've been warned by Malacoda...
I just got back from a screening of the House on Haunted Hill in Westwood. I'm going to cut to the chase here; this movie sucked. I can't think of one redeeming quality. Many out there didn't like the Haunting....but this was far worse.
First off, the story was awful. There were hints of interesting developments, but they never paid off. It almost seemed as though each scene was separate from the whole, and it gave a very disconnected feeling. Nothing kills suspense and interest like a comedic intermission between every "scary" moment.
The acting was mediocre. There was no character development, and I don't think anyone in the audience felt a thing when one was knocked off. It seemed as if the actors made-up their characters as they went along, and tried to insert little bits of history and personality here and there.
Worst of all were the effects. Now, for me, good effects can save an otherwise terrible movie. In House on Haunted Hill, they made it worse. The movie was chock full of cheap shocks, like things popping out at the characters/audience, and humorously non-frightening sound effects. There was no suspense, just endless choppy attacks on the eyes and ears. And the final, most horrible menace? Well, I've seen scarier and more detailed baddies on Zena.
While I've never seen the original, I can't imagine that this movie does it any justice.
Malacoda
