- Actors: Vincent Price, Carolyn Craig
- Directors: William Castle
- Format: PAL
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: 12
- Studio: Stax
- DVD Release Date: 9 May 2005
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00096J1KK
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 90,044 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I fondly remembered this film from my distent childhood when along with my older brother I was allowed to sit up late and watch the horror film double bill on Saturdays.
The film is very atmospheric, with some very genuine scary moments. Perhaps a little dull compared to the recent remake but in my own opinion,very much the superior.
Vincert Price offers a very dry and menacing performance as to his more usual "Camp" character. Carolyn Craig playing the
female lead is convicing as her character swings from screaming terror to anger. Fine perfomances are provided from the rest of the cast; though it must be said that Richard Longs portral of the square jawed hero may seem out of place to contempory viewers.
That said the copy I recieved was not the best.There is a small warning on the back of the packaging stating that due to the digital transfer process "some quality may have been lost".
This was very much the case in my copy as not only did the print seem blurred,the sound track was slightly out of sync giving a very poor viewing experience.
While highly recommending the acual film, I would avoid this dvd and instead recommend the dvd edition by GMVS Entertainment.
An altogether better sound and print quality also available from Amazon.
The film is very atmospheric, with some very genuine scary moments. Perhaps a little dull compared to the recent remake but in my own opinion,very much the superior.
Vincert Price offers a very dry and menacing performance as to his more usual "Camp" character. Carolyn Craig playing the
female lead is convicing as her character swings from screaming terror to anger. Fine perfomances are provided from the rest of the cast; though it must be said that Richard Longs portral of the square jawed hero may seem out of place to contempory viewers.
That said the copy I recieved was not the best.There is a small warning on the back of the packaging stating that due to the digital transfer process "some quality may have been lost".
This was very much the case in my copy as not only did the print seem blurred,the sound track was slightly out of sync giving a very poor viewing experience.
While highly recommending the acual film, I would avoid this dvd and instead recommend the dvd edition by GMVS Entertainment.
An altogether better sound and print quality also available from Amazon.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a great film. Excellent haunted house atmosphere with some genuinely creepy moments but.....AVOID the Elstree Hill version!
Horrible grainy/pixellated transfer. Videotape would probably give a clearer picture. Spoiled my viewing.
Why bother putting something so substandard out?
The four stars are for the film. Couldn't bring myself to give 1 star as the film is so enjoyable.
No stars for the dvd quality and no extras.
***UPDATE 26/03/10*****
Just bought the GMVS Entertainment verion and this is equally as bad!
Horrible grainy/pixellated transfer. Videotape would probably give a clearer picture. Spoiled my viewing.
Why bother putting something so substandard out?
The four stars are for the film. Couldn't bring myself to give 1 star as the film is so enjoyable.
No stars for the dvd quality and no extras.
***UPDATE 26/03/10*****
Just bought the GMVS Entertainment verion and this is equally as bad!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Vincent Price. A haunted mansion house. Spooky caretakers. And a giant pile of money to any of the guests who lives through the night. What's not to love?
"The House on Haunted Hill" is one of those rare horror movies that seems as fresh as if it were made yesterday. The script is clever, the acting is solid, and while the direction is a bit on the hammy side, the plot is clever enough to keep viewers riveted until the final twist. It's horror, myster and dark comedy all in one.
Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) decides to host a macabre birthday party for his devious wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmart), in the "House on Haunted Hill." He invites a test pilot, a columnist, a secretary and the house's unbalanced owner, and offers each one ten thousand dollars if they stay all night. Chandeliers fall, doors slam shut, and they get to see the wine vat full of acid.
But as the night goes on, poor Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig) begins to see specters and rotted heads. The others think she's hysterical -- until Annabelle is found hanging in the hallway, dead. The unfortunate guests start to suspect that Loren brought them there to murder them (except for the owner, who blames ghosts). But the truth is far more complex and sinister....
William Castle made a lot of slightly kitschy horror movies like "13 Ghosts" and "The Tingler," but this clever twist on haunted-house movies is probably his best work ever. Okay, that dancing skeleton is unintentionally funny, as is the gliding crone. But most of the time, it provides some in-your-face chills and great work from Price.
This movie has solid dialogue ("Do you remember the fun we had when you poisoned me?") and some truly wicked exchanges between Price and Ohmart, as spouses who completely loathe one another. Castle's weird sense of humor shows up in the coffin-shaped boxes, the vat of acid, and the organ playing itself.
But the most impressive aspect of "House" is that it's not just another ghosts-terrify-screaming-idiots movie. It's more of a mystery, before the crime is committed. We're never quite sure if there really are ghosts haunting the place, or if the humans are the ones who are really causing all this trouble. What's really scary is that the humans are more frightening.
Vincent Price is definitely the star here -- creepy, intelligent, debonair, and he has an acid comment for every occasion ("Don't stay up thinking of ways to get rid of me. It makes wrinkles"). Ohmart runs a close second with her seductive, devious trophy wife who openly admits that she wants to be a "lovely widow". The assorted other actors do solid jobs as well, although Craig doesn't do much except shriek periodically.
"House on Haunted Hill" is a deserving vintage horror movie -- a twisty plot, and Price at his finest. A must-see.
"The House on Haunted Hill" is one of those rare horror movies that seems as fresh as if it were made yesterday. The script is clever, the acting is solid, and while the direction is a bit on the hammy side, the plot is clever enough to keep viewers riveted until the final twist. It's horror, myster and dark comedy all in one.
Frederick Loren (Vincent Price) decides to host a macabre birthday party for his devious wife Annabelle (Carol Ohmart), in the "House on Haunted Hill." He invites a test pilot, a columnist, a secretary and the house's unbalanced owner, and offers each one ten thousand dollars if they stay all night. Chandeliers fall, doors slam shut, and they get to see the wine vat full of acid.
But as the night goes on, poor Nora Manning (Carolyn Craig) begins to see specters and rotted heads. The others think she's hysterical -- until Annabelle is found hanging in the hallway, dead. The unfortunate guests start to suspect that Loren brought them there to murder them (except for the owner, who blames ghosts). But the truth is far more complex and sinister....
William Castle made a lot of slightly kitschy horror movies like "13 Ghosts" and "The Tingler," but this clever twist on haunted-house movies is probably his best work ever. Okay, that dancing skeleton is unintentionally funny, as is the gliding crone. But most of the time, it provides some in-your-face chills and great work from Price.
This movie has solid dialogue ("Do you remember the fun we had when you poisoned me?") and some truly wicked exchanges between Price and Ohmart, as spouses who completely loathe one another. Castle's weird sense of humor shows up in the coffin-shaped boxes, the vat of acid, and the organ playing itself.
But the most impressive aspect of "House" is that it's not just another ghosts-terrify-screaming-idiots movie. It's more of a mystery, before the crime is committed. We're never quite sure if there really are ghosts haunting the place, or if the humans are the ones who are really causing all this trouble. What's really scary is that the humans are more frightening.
Vincent Price is definitely the star here -- creepy, intelligent, debonair, and he has an acid comment for every occasion ("Don't stay up thinking of ways to get rid of me. It makes wrinkles"). Ohmart runs a close second with her seductive, devious trophy wife who openly admits that she wants to be a "lovely widow". The assorted other actors do solid jobs as well, although Craig doesn't do much except shriek periodically.
"House on Haunted Hill" is a deserving vintage horror movie -- a twisty plot, and Price at his finest. A must-see.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
House on Haunted Hill (2004 Elstree edition) - Great film, pity about...
This review has been posted automatically by amazon onto several different versions of this film, of very differing quality. Read more
Published 26 days ago by Victor
vincent price
One of Vincent Price classic films. I am unsure if the colourized verson added anything to the film. However, glad I bought it.
Published 5 months ago by S. Holmes
Only one print on the disk.
Although the US version has a restored black and white and colorised print on the disk, this version doesn't. Go for the 50th Anniversary Region One version if you can. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Adrian Drew
The House That Bore Built
The original version of a film is often the best, but this is not always the case, especially if the original film is not remembered kindly. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Sam
HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL DIGITALLY REMASTERED IN COLOUR DVD 1959
I have always loved films and classic cinema, especially classic horror films. I already own the black and white version of this Vincent Price classic which I have seen many... Read more
Published 11 months ago by LOUISE HARRISON
Excellent
I saw this film a couple of times before and I wanted to get it on DVD. But, after reading the reviews of other public domain copies I decided to go for the Legend Films release. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Martin Corley
There's been a murder almost every place in this house!
House on Haunted Hill is directed by William Castle and written by Robb White. It stars Vincent Price, Carol Ohmart, Richard Long, Alan Marshal, Carolyn Craig, Elisha Cook Jr. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Spike Owen
Very poor quality
House On Haunted Hill [1959] [DVD]
I watched the first chapter and decided not to do the film an injustice by watching it in this poor format. Read more
I watched the first chapter and decided not to do the film an injustice by watching it in this poor format. Read more
Published 13 months ago by C.
My favourite Price film
After watching the awful remake of this film I decided to sit down and see if this adaptation was any good. There is no comparison! I was hooked from the word go. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Elizabeth Cooper
Priceless ghostly atmospheric romp
Another classic performance by Vincent Price as an eccentric millionaire wife hating party host offering the princely sum of $10k to any soul who can last the night in the haunted... Read more
Published 22 months ago by All of them Witches
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