Perhaps the only, at least to my knowledge, haunted-house movie that also qualifies as a pure-blooded Blaxploitation effort, "The House on Skull Mountain" is an overall worthwhile film but unfortunately not the undiscovered gem I hoped it would be. I was mainly attracted by the luscious title and the accompanied DVD-cover illustration; but luckily enough the film is also reasonably well-scripted – albeit derivative of "The House on Haunted Hill" obviously - and entertaining. It's a tale of voodoo, greed and things that go bump in the night. On her deathbed at the house on Skull Mountain (there actually is a skull-shaped rock in the mountain, which is totally awesome!) an elderly black lady, who looks like a guy and talks like a child, orders to send out four letters to four distant relatives. They all travel up to the house, expecting to inherit a fortune, but in fact get a whole lot more than they bargained for. They each become subjected to eerie voodoo rites and spells inflicted by the bald servant of the dead lady. "The House on Skull Mountain" is stylish and professionally made. It's slow-paced and the low number of death sequences are not very bloody or spectacular, but director Ron Honthaner provides a fair share of frissons and unsettling atmosphere. The filming locations are sublime and the titular house is fantastic. The house and the astonishing lead actress Janee Michelle are definitely the main trumps of the film. The climax sequences are rather dull and clichéd, with a voodoo ceremony that seems to go on forever. Youthful gorehounds beware, but fans of 70's horror and peculiar Blaxploitation will definitely enjoy "The House on Skull Mountain"
20 Reviews
House on Skull Mountain
Scarecrow-882 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Relatives are sent a letter, an invite to come to the Southern mansion, on the outskirts of Atlanta, of a voodoo priestess, who has died, expecting them to ward off an evil they do not know. Each person, the foxy attractive Lorena(Janee Michelle), smart-mouth, obnoxious Phillippe(Mike EVans of "The Jeffersons"), polite, mannered Christian Harriet(Xernona Clayton)and the unlikely "honky" of the group, an anthropology professor, who has studied voodoo, Dr. Andrew Cunningham(Victor French of "Highway to Heaven" and "Little House on the Prairie"), haven't even met their ancestor. While it appears this group is gathering for a will reading, they are instead in for a battle against the creepy butler, Tomas(Jean Durand), secretly practicing voodoo rituals in a hidden room below the mansion using his abilities to endanger their lives. It'll be up to the unlikely heroics of Cunningham, who definitely sticks out like a sore thumb in this mostly African-American cast, and his knowledge of voodoo, to stop Tomas who wishes to strengthen his powers by marrying Lorena, a mostly pure Christophe.
Voodoo horror outing even has a musical ritual performed by practitioners in that cavernous den below the mansion. There are skulls aplenty, which I admired, such as the face on the mountain where the mansion resides and on the door that greets visitors. Even Death pops up every once in a while to point towards potential victims. The climax even has Pauline Christophe(Mary J Todd McKenzie)rising from the grave, by order of Tomas which adds some fun to the proceedings. I think this kind of horror film, which gives over to the supernatural elements of the practiced religion, might make many viewers chuckle instead of fold into their seats. The cast is okay, nothing mind-blowing, but just the audacity to have a white hero is something to create interest for this kind of unusual horror effort. Not a bit violent, this was suppose to spook, not disgust. The setting, I loved a great deal.. the mansion is quite a stunning set. I thought the ending where Tomas and Cunningham square off in a sword fight was a bit hokey, though. I'm not sure whatever happened to the participants of the voodoo dance once Tomas accidentally slices a skull, ritualistically placed on a stick which holds Lorena hypnotically imprisoned. You have to gloss over flaws like that when a film allows liberties regarding the power of voodoo on innocents.
Voodoo horror outing even has a musical ritual performed by practitioners in that cavernous den below the mansion. There are skulls aplenty, which I admired, such as the face on the mountain where the mansion resides and on the door that greets visitors. Even Death pops up every once in a while to point towards potential victims. The climax even has Pauline Christophe(Mary J Todd McKenzie)rising from the grave, by order of Tomas which adds some fun to the proceedings. I think this kind of horror film, which gives over to the supernatural elements of the practiced religion, might make many viewers chuckle instead of fold into their seats. The cast is okay, nothing mind-blowing, but just the audacity to have a white hero is something to create interest for this kind of unusual horror effort. Not a bit violent, this was suppose to spook, not disgust. The setting, I loved a great deal.. the mansion is quite a stunning set. I thought the ending where Tomas and Cunningham square off in a sword fight was a bit hokey, though. I'm not sure whatever happened to the participants of the voodoo dance once Tomas accidentally slices a skull, ritualistically placed on a stick which holds Lorena hypnotically imprisoned. You have to gloss over flaws like that when a film allows liberties regarding the power of voodoo on innocents.
An 'old dark house' throwback
Leofwine_draca6 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
THE HOUSE ON SKULL MOUNTAIN is a familiar type of old-fashioned horror film with one twist: it's a blaxploitation movie too, with a cast populated almost entirely by black actors. Otherwise it's a rather slow and stately effort that delivers some rural horror inside a house haunted by voodoo and its effects.
This story seems to deliberately hark back to the 'old dark house' films of the 1930s and reminded me a lot of THE HOUSE OF SEVEN CORPSES, although the thrills are more moody and less visceral. Once again the reading of a will is the main plot point and there's a great deal of atmosphere-building in the form of wandering around creepy old locations and characters suffering from weird dreams and manifestations.
Those looking for blood will find this a slow, tame affair and will probably hate it, and it's fair to say that the voodoo ceremony climax is much like that of Hammer's THE WITCHES, merely a bunch of people dancing around in a basement, silly rather than shocking. However, I did find the film oddly appealing overall, with an atmosphere of regret and decay that works nicely in its favour.
This story seems to deliberately hark back to the 'old dark house' films of the 1930s and reminded me a lot of THE HOUSE OF SEVEN CORPSES, although the thrills are more moody and less visceral. Once again the reading of a will is the main plot point and there's a great deal of atmosphere-building in the form of wandering around creepy old locations and characters suffering from weird dreams and manifestations.
Those looking for blood will find this a slow, tame affair and will probably hate it, and it's fair to say that the voodoo ceremony climax is much like that of Hammer's THE WITCHES, merely a bunch of people dancing around in a basement, silly rather than shocking. However, I did find the film oddly appealing overall, with an atmosphere of regret and decay that works nicely in its favour.
Takes itself too seriously!
cfc_can20 August 2000
This movie seems to be in a time warp. At times, the plot seems to copy the gathering-of-the-relatives/read-the-will plot which was old even by the 1930s. At other times, it tries to blend in voodoo and blaxploitation themes and even hints at an inter-racial romance. None of these elements really works out and the film comes off as being a hodgepodge. Mike Evans (Lionel on the Jeffersons) only has a small part and a not very good one at that. The film also has a made-for-TV look about it due to the fact that there are really only about 10 or so people in the cast and not much in the way of special effects. The title itself is inappropriate. It sounds like a Hardy Boys Mystery. The servant dabbling in voodoo was kind of creepy though.
Now go do that voodoo you do so well.
Hey_Sweden21 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The title of this minor horror-blaxploitation item seems to indicate you're in for something resembling a Scooby-Doo mystery. Still, director Ron Honthaner, working from a script by Mildred Pares, is able to generate sufficient atmosphere and overall strangeness. Even at 86 minutes, though, you can feel the padding on this thing. The final third contains way too much dancing and drumming. The cast does alright; part of the mixture of ingredients here is the potential for an interracial romance and the presence of a white face in a prominent black family, offering some sort of outsiders' perspective.
That outsider is anthropology professor Andrew Cunningham (Victor French of 'Little House on the Prairie' and 'Highway to Heaven'), a member of the Christophe clan who arrive at the title location after the death of the family matriarch (Mary J. Todd McKenzie) for the reading of the will and other such matters. However, they will soon start to fall victim to so-called "accidents" engineered by an enigmatic individual on the premises.
Mike Evans of 'Good Times' and 'The Jeffersons' supplies the obnoxious comedy relief as a character whom we presume that we won't miss all that much. Xernona Clayton is endearing as Harriet, who has visions of death plaguing her, the stunning Janee Michelle ("Scream Blacula Scream", "The Mephisto Waltz") adds a lot of sex appeal as our leading lady Lorena, Ella Woods (who also sings one tune) is good as house staff member Louette, and Jean Durand is amusing if never that intimidating as the mysterious butler Thomas. The special effects aren't too special, the music by Jerrold Immel is adequate, the basic set-up does hearken back to horror films of the 30s, and the finale does involve the appearance of a zombie.
This one might be worth a passing glance if one is flipping channels late at night, but it's nothing that people should go out of their way to see.
Five out of 10.
That outsider is anthropology professor Andrew Cunningham (Victor French of 'Little House on the Prairie' and 'Highway to Heaven'), a member of the Christophe clan who arrive at the title location after the death of the family matriarch (Mary J. Todd McKenzie) for the reading of the will and other such matters. However, they will soon start to fall victim to so-called "accidents" engineered by an enigmatic individual on the premises.
Mike Evans of 'Good Times' and 'The Jeffersons' supplies the obnoxious comedy relief as a character whom we presume that we won't miss all that much. Xernona Clayton is endearing as Harriet, who has visions of death plaguing her, the stunning Janee Michelle ("Scream Blacula Scream", "The Mephisto Waltz") adds a lot of sex appeal as our leading lady Lorena, Ella Woods (who also sings one tune) is good as house staff member Louette, and Jean Durand is amusing if never that intimidating as the mysterious butler Thomas. The special effects aren't too special, the music by Jerrold Immel is adequate, the basic set-up does hearken back to horror films of the 30s, and the finale does involve the appearance of a zombie.
This one might be worth a passing glance if one is flipping channels late at night, but it's nothing that people should go out of their way to see.
Five out of 10.
I liked it so I took my name from this movie
skull-mountain14 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
The movie is a typical cheesy 70's horror film made on a $2 budget. I have a fondness for these type of movies and find them more interesting than the new movies that are released. With it's eerie music in the beginning and strange driving scene to open the move it's quite interesting in general and moves along well except for the 15 minute voodoo dancing scene near the end of the movie (just to pad the film I guess). Victor French does a nice job and so does Lionel Jefferson. Too bad they don't show these type of low budget movies on any channels any longer (so I doubt you'll get a chance to see this). I wonder when will there be a sequel?
Reminds me of Saturdays I spent as a kid watching "Shock Theater."
nancyblues15 March 2011
I enjoyed this maybe BECAUSE it is so lame. Victor French as Dr. Andrew Cunnigham and Janee Michelle as Lorena Christophe were actually pretty good in their roles. They seem like they are good at their craft, in spite of the silliness of the movie and it's implausible premise. The other folks in the movie had a lot to overcome with the trite lines they were given. At the beginning of the film there is a scene where two of the "heirs" are on a winding mountain road in separate cars on their way to the house (you know---the one on SKULL HILL!). The info about the movie says the house is located in mountains on the outskirts of Atlanta, GA. Right. It was obviously filmed on the Pacific Coast, which is even more "un-voodoo-like" than Atlanta. The terrain, trees and vegetation made the Atlanta location totally unbelievable. And the music! Over-dramatic and hysterical. It's a good movie to watch on a night when your boyfriend is out of town. You can watch it alone and still turn out the lights without being creeped out. I get tired of all the gore in movies today, so this movie at least seems kind of like less of an assault to the senses and kind of harmless. But it still leaves me wondering... How can a movie be so BAD and yet still kind of charming in its own way?
What do you do for entertainment in this places dig up graves?
sol-kay8 June 2011
Warning: Spoilers
***Spoilers*** Very disjointed and confusing Blackspolitation horror movie with very few real scares but loads of unintentional laughs in it. The movie has to do with a quartet of relatives of the what looks like 100 plus year old lady of the house on Skull Mountain Pauline Christophe played by Mary J. Todd McKenzie in her both first and last film appearance who are called over to hear the reading of the will that Pauline left them before she passed away.
The big joke or was it a mistake on the film makers part is that the will is never read! This made all the tension in the movie in who's to get what among Pauline last living relatives never fully realized or exploited. We do get to see a great, the by far best scene in the film, voodoo snake dance choreographed by the houses wild eyed butler Thomas, Jean Durand, with about two dozen voodoo worshipers that if you think about it has really nothing at all to do with the films already confusing storyline! Which has to do with who gets what in the will that's to be read by Payline's personal attorney Mr. Ledaux, Leroy Johnson, who's after his initial appearances in the movie just seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth!
The big hero in the movie happened to be the black or better yet white sheep in the Christophe family anthropology professor Andrew Cunningham,Victor French, who's been studying voodoo for years and has some idea of what's really going on in the movie. Cunningham is also looking for his roots in that he's not really sure who is his in that his birth records and whom his parents are have somehow been lost in the shuffle! This all has Cunningham not really knowing if he's either black or white or even,in the slight slant in his eyes, Oriental for that matter!
***SPOILERS*** About the biggest surprise in the film has to do with Butler Thomas who's trying to take over the house on Skull Mountain and become the big man in the local voodoo cult that both he and the house chambermaid Louette, Ela Woods,founded! For some strange reason Thomas ends up sacrificing Louette in a wild voodoo snake charming ceremony and with that tries to resurrect the dead Pauline, a voodoo practitioner herself, back to life to consolidate his power! As it turned out there's only room for one voodoo leader on Skull Mountain which an grossly overconfident Thomas was to find out the hard way with Pauline finally putting an end to his deranged and crazed plans!
The big joke or was it a mistake on the film makers part is that the will is never read! This made all the tension in the movie in who's to get what among Pauline last living relatives never fully realized or exploited. We do get to see a great, the by far best scene in the film, voodoo snake dance choreographed by the houses wild eyed butler Thomas, Jean Durand, with about two dozen voodoo worshipers that if you think about it has really nothing at all to do with the films already confusing storyline! Which has to do with who gets what in the will that's to be read by Payline's personal attorney Mr. Ledaux, Leroy Johnson, who's after his initial appearances in the movie just seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth!
The big hero in the movie happened to be the black or better yet white sheep in the Christophe family anthropology professor Andrew Cunningham,Victor French, who's been studying voodoo for years and has some idea of what's really going on in the movie. Cunningham is also looking for his roots in that he's not really sure who is his in that his birth records and whom his parents are have somehow been lost in the shuffle! This all has Cunningham not really knowing if he's either black or white or even,in the slight slant in his eyes, Oriental for that matter!
***SPOILERS*** About the biggest surprise in the film has to do with Butler Thomas who's trying to take over the house on Skull Mountain and become the big man in the local voodoo cult that both he and the house chambermaid Louette, Ela Woods,founded! For some strange reason Thomas ends up sacrificing Louette in a wild voodoo snake charming ceremony and with that tries to resurrect the dead Pauline, a voodoo practitioner herself, back to life to consolidate his power! As it turned out there's only room for one voodoo leader on Skull Mountain which an grossly overconfident Thomas was to find out the hard way with Pauline finally putting an end to his deranged and crazed plans!
Weird.....
davispittman16 February 2016
The house on skull mountain certainly is weird..... It's definitely without a doubt a very poorly made movie. The acting is terrible, it's not scary AT ALL, and the script is crap. The plot is muddled and jumbled, doesn't make much sense. This movie also suffers from being just flat out boring, it just won't hold an audiences attention at all, the construction is just too low quality and poor to entertain any member of any audience. The effects are very dated and cheesy as well. The acting is literally like straight out of a porn film, I mean they don't even try here. The director must have just been looking for a quick buck, because he couldn't have cared much about this lazy flop, it would've shown If he did. This movie just isn't worth anything in the cinematic realm..... I mean not a thing. 1/10.
Enjoyable and pretty well done, if relatively light and imperfect
I_Ailurophile19 September 2023
This is curiously obscure for a film distributed by 20th Century Fox. That obscurity is in no way a reflection on its quality, however; if anything, the worst I can say is that there are times when the title betrays production values more closely recalling genre flicks of the 60s. More hard-nosed viewers may find facets like the effects, the painted background showing Skull Mountain, or regular visualization of a skull motif to be outdated and kitschy; I, for one, am delighted by the throwback, reminding of like-minded fare from Roger Corman or AIP. More concretely, while much of the dialogue and scene writing is playful or even ham-handed in keeping with the overall tone of the picture, there are some instances that are weirdly clunky and contrived. Yet while 'The house on Skull Mountain' is filled with some odd touches, by and large it's well made and entertaining. It's hardly any peak of horror, but for those who appreciate all the different flavors that the genre has to offer, this is a good time on its own merits. For my part, I rather like it!
The less than entirely serious tone of the movie is borne out in most regards, from Ron Honthaner's direction and Monroe Askins' cinematography, to some instances of Jerrold Immel's score and definitely the acting. This is hardly to say, however, that this isn't marked by discernible skill and intelligence all around. The cast are enjoying themselves, but plainly just embracing the spirit of the affair; some of Immel's themes very ably lend some real atmosphere to the proceedings. Askins' work is just as solid as that of any of his contemporaries, and if there's any criticism to be made of Honthaner I think it's only that the feature struggles at times with fluctuating tone. I suppose the latter point also extends to Mildred Pares' script, not least with that ill-fitting scene a bit over halfway through when Lorena and Andrew take a daytrip - yet much more than not the writing presents classic, worthwhile material as relatives gather following a death in the family and strange goings-on amass. Add voodoo for flavor, and we have all the ingredients for an eerie lark.
The small cast of characters on hand reinforces the notion, troubling the back of our minds while watching, that plot development is a smidgen forced, and that the story as a whole may be lighter and more abbreviated than it could or should have been. Still, the scene writing is pretty fun as the tale advances, and it certainly comes across that all involved were having a blast making this. Even at their most chintzy I can't say that the characters and dialogue aren't a minor joy. The filming locations are beautiful, and the sets and art direction at large are genuinely terrific, as are props, practical effects, and stunts. Yes, this is the type of horror that's built for amusement over actual evocation of strong feelings, yet it still carries enough of a sinister edge to it - in the greater spectacle of the last act above all - to provide a measure of the earnest genre vibes for which we seek out such films in the first place. The end result may not be perfect, nor perfectly satisfying, but when all is said and done 'The house on Skull Mountain' bears much more strength than not.
I had mixed to low expectations when I sat to watch, and I recognize that this is not exactly held in the highest of esteem. As far as that goes, I can understand how this won't meet with equal favor for all comers, because it does have some faults and weak points, and it's not the most robust and invigorating among its kin. Not every movie needs to be a revelation, however, and this one just wanted to have a good time with the more nefarious side of cinema. I repeat that as far as I'm concerned 'The house on Skull Mountain' is entertaining, with a sufficiently solid foundation to at least partly sate our cravings for horror. It's nothing one needs to go out of their way to see, but if you do have the opportunity to watch and are looking for something comparatively light, I'm pleased to give this my recommendation.
The less than entirely serious tone of the movie is borne out in most regards, from Ron Honthaner's direction and Monroe Askins' cinematography, to some instances of Jerrold Immel's score and definitely the acting. This is hardly to say, however, that this isn't marked by discernible skill and intelligence all around. The cast are enjoying themselves, but plainly just embracing the spirit of the affair; some of Immel's themes very ably lend some real atmosphere to the proceedings. Askins' work is just as solid as that of any of his contemporaries, and if there's any criticism to be made of Honthaner I think it's only that the feature struggles at times with fluctuating tone. I suppose the latter point also extends to Mildred Pares' script, not least with that ill-fitting scene a bit over halfway through when Lorena and Andrew take a daytrip - yet much more than not the writing presents classic, worthwhile material as relatives gather following a death in the family and strange goings-on amass. Add voodoo for flavor, and we have all the ingredients for an eerie lark.
The small cast of characters on hand reinforces the notion, troubling the back of our minds while watching, that plot development is a smidgen forced, and that the story as a whole may be lighter and more abbreviated than it could or should have been. Still, the scene writing is pretty fun as the tale advances, and it certainly comes across that all involved were having a blast making this. Even at their most chintzy I can't say that the characters and dialogue aren't a minor joy. The filming locations are beautiful, and the sets and art direction at large are genuinely terrific, as are props, practical effects, and stunts. Yes, this is the type of horror that's built for amusement over actual evocation of strong feelings, yet it still carries enough of a sinister edge to it - in the greater spectacle of the last act above all - to provide a measure of the earnest genre vibes for which we seek out such films in the first place. The end result may not be perfect, nor perfectly satisfying, but when all is said and done 'The house on Skull Mountain' bears much more strength than not.
I had mixed to low expectations when I sat to watch, and I recognize that this is not exactly held in the highest of esteem. As far as that goes, I can understand how this won't meet with equal favor for all comers, because it does have some faults and weak points, and it's not the most robust and invigorating among its kin. Not every movie needs to be a revelation, however, and this one just wanted to have a good time with the more nefarious side of cinema. I repeat that as far as I'm concerned 'The house on Skull Mountain' is entertaining, with a sufficiently solid foundation to at least partly sate our cravings for horror. It's nothing one needs to go out of their way to see, but if you do have the opportunity to watch and are looking for something comparatively light, I'm pleased to give this my recommendation.
there seriously could have been more going on
lee_eisenberg31 December 2009
Although I thought that "The House on Skull Mountain" was overall a fairly neat movie, I wish that it had featured more action. And people need to realize that voodoo is more than just people sticking pins in dolls; voodoo is a religion. Of course, there can never be too many movies about haunted houses.
The plot is that an elderly African-American woman dies and a couple of people are invited to her house near Atlanta. Sure enough, there are bad things going on in this house. I thought that Phillippe was sort of a cliché (alcoholic wise guy), but he was the neatest character in the movie! Anyway, there's nothing special about this movie.
The plot is that an elderly African-American woman dies and a couple of people are invited to her house near Atlanta. Sure enough, there are bad things going on in this house. I thought that Phillippe was sort of a cliché (alcoholic wise guy), but he was the neatest character in the movie! Anyway, there's nothing special about this movie.
A really enjoyable and entertaining voodoo film
kannibalcorpsegrinder23 February 2017
Called away to a remote house, a woman and her ancestors gathered together for a will reading find that a powerful voodoo spell has been enacted which begins to kill them off and forces the remaining family members to put a stop to its ancestor's plans.
This here was quite the enjoyable Blaxploitation offering. One of the more enjoyable elements featured here is the fact that the Blaxploitation angle makes for an incredibly fun and enjoyable introduction to the voodoo at play. That's a big part of this one, coming off almost immediately with the opening shots of the tribal ceremony featuring all the dancers in the middle of their ritual while they prepare all the different trinkets and artifacts that start this one off on a great note. The later scenes throughout the house where we get the flashes of the ghostly ancestor raised and warding off the remaining parts of the family offer up some really thrilling moments here as the frequency and unexpectedness of them work and given the inserts showing the the practitioner engaging the ceremonial practices in his room where he has the paraphernalia laid out as he sets about his rituals which offer some fun, cheesy thrills here. It manages to really explore the idea of voodooism quite nicely in really letting the supernatural take-over here, from the need for keeping the objects of power and control around to the matter of the controlled bodies engaging in dangerous activities through the voodoo spell and it really gives this one the kind of building blocks to get a lot of great atmosphere during here which carries over nicely into the finale which features some fantastic voodoo-based action here. Going from the discovery of the ceremonial chamber beneath the house where the dancers are in the middle of their rituals with the entire room lit up using black candles before the fine brawl and leading up into the atmospheric confrontation in the finale, it's got so much to like here. There wasn't much of anything wrong with this one. The main issue here is the fact that the main backstory is given a really large portion of the film which is a little weird to have. The fact that it consists of a long portion of the film is what really hurts it, since it would've been far easier had this done the simple thing and just clumped them all together in one segment without having to jump around with having so many parts in different places as it wasn't that hard to figure out anyway and didn't need the trickery into thinking it was harder to figure out than it really was. The last part here is the scene near the end where they go out on the town. Since it's so close to the end, everything has been figured out and the horror should begin to grow in intensity, as it's after the voodoo ceremony scene, yet this one doesn't do that and it's really hard to understand why it's even there in the first place, serving no purpose for the story and coming across as filler. Beyond these two problems, it's not that bad.
Today's Rating/PG-13: Violence and Language.
This here was quite the enjoyable Blaxploitation offering. One of the more enjoyable elements featured here is the fact that the Blaxploitation angle makes for an incredibly fun and enjoyable introduction to the voodoo at play. That's a big part of this one, coming off almost immediately with the opening shots of the tribal ceremony featuring all the dancers in the middle of their ritual while they prepare all the different trinkets and artifacts that start this one off on a great note. The later scenes throughout the house where we get the flashes of the ghostly ancestor raised and warding off the remaining parts of the family offer up some really thrilling moments here as the frequency and unexpectedness of them work and given the inserts showing the the practitioner engaging the ceremonial practices in his room where he has the paraphernalia laid out as he sets about his rituals which offer some fun, cheesy thrills here. It manages to really explore the idea of voodooism quite nicely in really letting the supernatural take-over here, from the need for keeping the objects of power and control around to the matter of the controlled bodies engaging in dangerous activities through the voodoo spell and it really gives this one the kind of building blocks to get a lot of great atmosphere during here which carries over nicely into the finale which features some fantastic voodoo-based action here. Going from the discovery of the ceremonial chamber beneath the house where the dancers are in the middle of their rituals with the entire room lit up using black candles before the fine brawl and leading up into the atmospheric confrontation in the finale, it's got so much to like here. There wasn't much of anything wrong with this one. The main issue here is the fact that the main backstory is given a really large portion of the film which is a little weird to have. The fact that it consists of a long portion of the film is what really hurts it, since it would've been far easier had this done the simple thing and just clumped them all together in one segment without having to jump around with having so many parts in different places as it wasn't that hard to figure out anyway and didn't need the trickery into thinking it was harder to figure out than it really was. The last part here is the scene near the end where they go out on the town. Since it's so close to the end, everything has been figured out and the horror should begin to grow in intensity, as it's after the voodoo ceremony scene, yet this one doesn't do that and it's really hard to understand why it's even there in the first place, serving no purpose for the story and coming across as filler. Beyond these two problems, it's not that bad.
Today's Rating/PG-13: Violence and Language.
Guess the atmosphere alone makes me recommend it.
mark.waltz14 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A stunning mountain top mansion set. The shot of an airplane going through the sky that looks like it's on fire. An even spookier graveyard with a spooky funeral and an even spookier looking butler. Be prepared to be taken back to the type of film that dominated the silent era and some early horror classics. Add in a mostly all black cast and plot line surrounding voodoo and black magic, and you've got all the elements for an eerie horror film that is unique in the type of horror films that came out of the 1970's.
The death of an elderly matriarch four relatives to her burial, all whom have never met her. The old woman arranged on her deathbed for the letters to be sent out, and the eerie presence of butler Jean Durand instantly adds to the mystery. The four relatives stay for the reading of the will, and that leads to an evening of bizarre situations for the guests who had no idea what they were in for.
Among them are the beautiful Janee Michelle and the sarcastic Mike Evans, with him initially seeming apparently trying to drive Michelle off the mountain pass road. Durand, sexy but mysterious and possibly dangerous, explains as much as he can, but it's best to watch this unfold without too much detail because that makes it very intriguing.
TV actor Victor French is completely different than Mr Edwards from "Little House on the Prairie" here, completely serious and even resembling Burt Reynolds a bit. I must say that this was certainly better than I expected considering that many horror movies of the seventies were high on graphic violence and low on actual chills. This could be described as a blaxploitation gothic thriller, but I did not see it as blaxploitation at all. It's just a Gothic horror movie that requires lead black characters because of the setting and the theme, that's all, and that makes it really unique in fright movies of the 70's that it has an old fashioned feeling to it with new world values.
The death of an elderly matriarch four relatives to her burial, all whom have never met her. The old woman arranged on her deathbed for the letters to be sent out, and the eerie presence of butler Jean Durand instantly adds to the mystery. The four relatives stay for the reading of the will, and that leads to an evening of bizarre situations for the guests who had no idea what they were in for.
Among them are the beautiful Janee Michelle and the sarcastic Mike Evans, with him initially seeming apparently trying to drive Michelle off the mountain pass road. Durand, sexy but mysterious and possibly dangerous, explains as much as he can, but it's best to watch this unfold without too much detail because that makes it very intriguing.
TV actor Victor French is completely different than Mr Edwards from "Little House on the Prairie" here, completely serious and even resembling Burt Reynolds a bit. I must say that this was certainly better than I expected considering that many horror movies of the seventies were high on graphic violence and low on actual chills. This could be described as a blaxploitation gothic thriller, but I did not see it as blaxploitation at all. It's just a Gothic horror movie that requires lead black characters because of the setting and the theme, that's all, and that makes it really unique in fright movies of the 70's that it has an old fashioned feeling to it with new world values.
Blaxploitation blending Horror on Voodoo's cult from over Haitian dynasty of King Henry Christoph!!!
elo-equipamentos8 September 2023
In my reassessment process of my first movies watched at my tender age, the large majority had an upgrade of the ratings, in other hand just a few have a downgrading, The House of Skull Mountain is one of them, officially it never come out in Brazil, thus just leaves me call on the last expectancy the Youtube's files, I've found a fine print in English language without subtitles and I went ahead anyway.
The story is about an elderly black woman Pauline Christoph (Mary J. Todd Mackenzie) about to die from Haiti when her descendent was the first King Henry Christoph of Haiti after spelled the French there, a sort of hero who defeated the slavery on French colony, due it Pauline demands to the Priest (Don Devendorf) four letters to their Americans Christoph's bloodline, they appeared too late when Pauline already died, actually no one of them never heard about their progeny coming from Haitian Pauline Christoph, the first one the young gorgeous Lorena Christoph (Janee Michelle), the comes a young male Phillip Willete (Mike Evans) a sort of philandering playboy often spoken in black jargon.
The third mature women Harriet Johnson (Xernoma Clayton) a humble housekeeper and the last one is an Anthropology Professor Dr. Andrew Cunnigham (Victor French) oddly enough a white man even having Christoph's ancestry, gathered all them in a gloomy mansion at high mountain looks like a skull each one has been killed without any reason by Voodoo's cult on the mansion's underground, Phillip fallen down at elevator pit and Harriet is bitten by a poisoned snake at Pauline's room, just remains Lorena and Dr. Andrew alive, in house has a couple of old servants which lie all suspicious about those unusual murders, the bleak Thomas (Jean Durant) and his jealous wife Louette (Ella Woods) although Thomas intents keep with the eye-candy Lorena for yourself.
A kind of Blaxploitation blending with Horror strongly based on Voodoo's cult from African roots, where numerous Haitians used to do at there, bringing to America's south-east and south as well during the slavery time, the movie takes place at nearby Atlanta, Giorgia.
Thanks for reading.
Resume:
First watch: 1981 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 5.
The story is about an elderly black woman Pauline Christoph (Mary J. Todd Mackenzie) about to die from Haiti when her descendent was the first King Henry Christoph of Haiti after spelled the French there, a sort of hero who defeated the slavery on French colony, due it Pauline demands to the Priest (Don Devendorf) four letters to their Americans Christoph's bloodline, they appeared too late when Pauline already died, actually no one of them never heard about their progeny coming from Haitian Pauline Christoph, the first one the young gorgeous Lorena Christoph (Janee Michelle), the comes a young male Phillip Willete (Mike Evans) a sort of philandering playboy often spoken in black jargon.
The third mature women Harriet Johnson (Xernoma Clayton) a humble housekeeper and the last one is an Anthropology Professor Dr. Andrew Cunnigham (Victor French) oddly enough a white man even having Christoph's ancestry, gathered all them in a gloomy mansion at high mountain looks like a skull each one has been killed without any reason by Voodoo's cult on the mansion's underground, Phillip fallen down at elevator pit and Harriet is bitten by a poisoned snake at Pauline's room, just remains Lorena and Dr. Andrew alive, in house has a couple of old servants which lie all suspicious about those unusual murders, the bleak Thomas (Jean Durant) and his jealous wife Louette (Ella Woods) although Thomas intents keep with the eye-candy Lorena for yourself.
A kind of Blaxploitation blending with Horror strongly based on Voodoo's cult from African roots, where numerous Haitians used to do at there, bringing to America's south-east and south as well during the slavery time, the movie takes place at nearby Atlanta, Giorgia.
Thanks for reading.
Resume:
First watch: 1981 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 5.
Hey,...that's Lionel Jefferson! What's he doing in a crappy film like this?!
planktonrules18 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Back in the 1970s, Mike Evans played the recurring character Lionel Jefferson on "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons". Eventually, he was replaced on "The Jeffersons" by a guy who looked nothing like him...and I always wondered why this happened. Well, after reading a bit, it seems that he quit acting temporarily in 1975 because he was the co-creator and writer for "Good Times". However, just before quitting acting, he accepted a leading role in "The House on Skull Mountain". Perhaps Evans should have considered giving up acting a year sooner-- since his role in the film was rather one dimensional and silly. Of course, the film itself is one dimensional and silly!!
The film begins with an old black lady dying. Various relatives who don't know each other have all been invited to her estate for a reading of the old woman's will. However, before this occurs, there is a death--and things start to get really scary. Lots of snakes appear and disappear, the Grim Reaper keeps popping by to visit and there's an underground voodoo cult that meets there for their little dance parties. Who will survive the stay at Skull Mountain?
If I had some distant relative die and I was invited to their estate at Skull Mountain, I might just think twice. After all, 'Skull Mountain' doesn't exactly sound like a friendly place! And, when various folks in the home start seeing weird hallucinations of death, you'd think they'd skedaddle--I sure know I would! But, being a cheesy exploitation film they don't and the results are rather predictable and silly. I also wonder if most Black-Americans who might watch this today might just feel a bit embarrassed by all this silliness and these stereotypes. And, it really is silly--just the sort of guilty pleasure bad movie fans might enjoy. Others, however, should watch at their own risk--Shakespeare this isn't!
The film begins with an old black lady dying. Various relatives who don't know each other have all been invited to her estate for a reading of the old woman's will. However, before this occurs, there is a death--and things start to get really scary. Lots of snakes appear and disappear, the Grim Reaper keeps popping by to visit and there's an underground voodoo cult that meets there for their little dance parties. Who will survive the stay at Skull Mountain?
If I had some distant relative die and I was invited to their estate at Skull Mountain, I might just think twice. After all, 'Skull Mountain' doesn't exactly sound like a friendly place! And, when various folks in the home start seeing weird hallucinations of death, you'd think they'd skedaddle--I sure know I would! But, being a cheesy exploitation film they don't and the results are rather predictable and silly. I also wonder if most Black-Americans who might watch this today might just feel a bit embarrassed by all this silliness and these stereotypes. And, it really is silly--just the sort of guilty pleasure bad movie fans might enjoy. Others, however, should watch at their own risk--Shakespeare this isn't!
Blaxploitation meets black magic.
BA_Harrison23 October 2022
During the blaxploitation boom of the early '70s, there was brief revival of the voodoo fad that originated in the '30s and continued into the'40s (titles including White Zombie, Revolt of the Zombies, King of the Zombies, I Walked With a Zombie, and Voodoo Man). 70s voodoo themed flicks included Scream Blacula Scream, Sugar Hill, Live and Let Die and The House on Skull Mountain, the latter using the hoary old plot device of a family gathered for the reading of a will to deliver plenty of voodoo hokum. Damballah, gris-gris, macumba, wanga, Erzulie and bongo drums: it's all there, along with flares, sideburns, afros and jive talk. Unfortunately, the result isn't that much fun, the predictable script and unimaginative direction making much of the film as lifeless as a zombi.
Victor French plays Dr. Andrew Cunningham adopted son of Pauline Christophe (Mary J. Todd McKenzie), who summons her relatives to her home on Skull Mountain (so-called because of a rock formation that looks like a skull). Arriving shortly after Pauline croaks, the last decendants of the Christophe family wait for the reading of the will but begin to die one by one in mysterious ways. Finding strange amulets by each body, Dr. Cunningham, an expert in anthropology, suspects that voodoo is involved and investigates, ultimately doing battle with voodoo priest Thomas Pettione (Jean Durand), who summons Pauline from the dead to do his bidding.
With an unconvincing miniature model of the titular house and mountain (used in a really bad matte shot), two boring death scenes with no gore, a pointless montage (Andrew and Lorena on a day out in Atlanta), a voodoo ritual with lots of bongo drumming and gyrating of bodies that goes on for way too long, a duel with machetes (sounds good but isn't), and a finale that features the least formidable zombi imaginable -- a reanimated frail old woman -- The House On Skull Mountain is unremarkable horror mumbo-jumbo cashing in on a short-lived craze that will no doubt hold some appeal for fans of bad horror B-movies, but which most sane people would be advised to avoid.
Victor French plays Dr. Andrew Cunningham adopted son of Pauline Christophe (Mary J. Todd McKenzie), who summons her relatives to her home on Skull Mountain (so-called because of a rock formation that looks like a skull). Arriving shortly after Pauline croaks, the last decendants of the Christophe family wait for the reading of the will but begin to die one by one in mysterious ways. Finding strange amulets by each body, Dr. Cunningham, an expert in anthropology, suspects that voodoo is involved and investigates, ultimately doing battle with voodoo priest Thomas Pettione (Jean Durand), who summons Pauline from the dead to do his bidding.
With an unconvincing miniature model of the titular house and mountain (used in a really bad matte shot), two boring death scenes with no gore, a pointless montage (Andrew and Lorena on a day out in Atlanta), a voodoo ritual with lots of bongo drumming and gyrating of bodies that goes on for way too long, a duel with machetes (sounds good but isn't), and a finale that features the least formidable zombi imaginable -- a reanimated frail old woman -- The House On Skull Mountain is unremarkable horror mumbo-jumbo cashing in on a short-lived craze that will no doubt hold some appeal for fans of bad horror B-movies, but which most sane people would be advised to avoid.
The House on Skull Mountain is an uneven and below-average entry to the horror genre
kevin_robbins24 November 2023
I recently viewed The House on Skull Mountain (1974) on a random streaming service. The plot revolves around a southern voodoo lady's death, prompting her family to gather for the will, only to realize their lives may be in jeopardy.
Directed by Ron Honthaner in his sole directorial venture, the film features Victor French (Highway to Heaven), Mike Evans (The Jeffersons), Lloyd Nelson (The Dead Pool), and Denis LeHane (The Town that Dreaded Sundown).
While the film explores unique family dynamics and presents some suspenseful and unpredictable situations, it falls short overall. The made-for-television vibe is pervasive, and despite entertaining voodoo scenes, the absence of compelling kill scenes, gore, or blood splatter is noticeable. The background music is reminiscent of classic '70s horror and complements the atmospheric elements with storms, thunder, and rain. The surprising conclusion adds some value.
In summary, The House on Skull Mountain is an uneven and below-average entry to the horror genre. I would rate this a 4/10 and suggest skipping it.
Directed by Ron Honthaner in his sole directorial venture, the film features Victor French (Highway to Heaven), Mike Evans (The Jeffersons), Lloyd Nelson (The Dead Pool), and Denis LeHane (The Town that Dreaded Sundown).
While the film explores unique family dynamics and presents some suspenseful and unpredictable situations, it falls short overall. The made-for-television vibe is pervasive, and despite entertaining voodoo scenes, the absence of compelling kill scenes, gore, or blood splatter is noticeable. The background music is reminiscent of classic '70s horror and complements the atmospheric elements with storms, thunder, and rain. The surprising conclusion adds some value.
In summary, The House on Skull Mountain is an uneven and below-average entry to the horror genre. I would rate this a 4/10 and suggest skipping it.
Interesting Concepts, Average Output
Reviews_of_the_Dead15 April 2021
This is a movie that I had never heard of until Duncan selected this for Movie Club Challenge over on the Podcast Under the Stairs. All I knew coming in was that it had a pretty interesting title, was blaxploitation and had to do with voodoo. The synopsis here is murders occur at the southern estate of a voodoo priestess when four relatives gather to hear her will.
We start this movie off Pauline Christophe (Mary J. Todd McKenzie). The priest (Don Devendorf) is giving her last rites. She asks Thomas Pettione (Jean Durand) to bring her letter box and wants the priest to mail off the letters inside. We also see that she is into voodoo once he leaves.
This brings together a group of cousins to this house that is located on a mountain with a skull face on the side. Lorena Christophe (Janee Michelle) has to deal with her jerk of a cousin, Phillippe Wilette (Mike Evans) as he almost runs her off the road. It is high up on a cliff and he is spooked by a skull that he sees that causes him to pull off. They both arrive as the funeral for Pauline is coming to an end. We get an odd scene where a raven drops what we will learn later is a voodoo item on the casket. It starts a fire causing Louette (Ella Woods) to panic and want the casket covered by dirt immediately.
Thomas greets the two cousins, where we get an odd scene where Phillippe is hitting on Lorena. They're shown to their rooms and informed they have to wait for the others before the will can be read.
The next is Harriet Johnson (Xernona Clayton). She's on a plane and gets a fright when she sees a hooded figure a few rows up look at her. She screams and draws the attention of everyone. She comes to the house on the mountain. We learn throughout these introductions that despite being cousins, they've never met. Through Thomas they learn that Pauline was a descendant of King Henry of Haiti. He led the revolution against the French. He was also involved with voodoo, much like Pauline.
This trio briefly meets Mr. Ledoux (Leroy Johnson), the attorney that will read the will. He tells them that he cannot until Dr. Andrew Cunningham arrives. This annoys Phillippe who is a jerk, where the other two want to get back to their lives, but understand. Andrew does show up that night, but to their shock, he is white. Andrew (Victor French) greets his cousins and gives a bit of his back-story. He's a doctor of anthropology and teaches in college. Phillippe doesn't trust him for the color of his skin.
Things take a turn though when we see that someone is doing voodoo rituals. There are skulls throughout the house. There was a warning from the letter read to them that they do have enemies who are now aware of them. The first victim is Phillippe, but none of them are safe. Who is behind this and can they stop it before it is too late?
This movie explores some interesting things for me. The first is that it is combining the older 'Old Dark House' film with voodoo. That works for me since this is a blaxploitation take. Voodoo is culturally a Caribbean thing so if you're going to make this sub-genre into something that is your own, then combing these two is a way to do it. It is something that worked for me.
What I also enjoy here is that this is another more serious take from blaxploitation. I don't recall what Lorena's job was, but she seems pretty successful. Phillippe is in the same vein, but I'll delve more into him shortly. Pauline is descended from royalty and is the most powerful voodoo priestess in the area. She has a butler and maid with Thomas and Louette. The more we learn about Thomas he falls into this. Then finally we have Mr. Ledoux who is an attorney. There is also a black doctor as well.
Something that shocked me was to have the fourth cousin here be Andrew. He is a doctor and the movie is saying that he is a descendant. It feels like they went with the actor French as he had a career already so it could be a name draw. It would make more sense to me to have a black actor who was a bit more lighter skinned for this role in my opinion. I still like French in this movie, but it is a bit of a misstep for me.
Regardless though, I do like the voodoo aspects to this movie. The house is a great setting and even more that there are secret rooms. I think this helps to build the tension. It also works that Andrew is a doctor of anthropology. He was drawn to learning about voodoo for some reason, which we learn is heritage and probably in his DNA. It is even more fitting who the reveal is to be behind things and the reason they are being done.
Since I've already went into this a bit, I'll go into the acting. I've already said my piece with French. I don't necessarily think he fit for what they needed, but his performance was good. I liked Michelle as the damsel in distress that is one of our leads. Durand was good. Evans is interesting as he's a jerk. I like that he embodies that 'jive' type of person, but he's not a good person. I don't necessarily think he deserves what he got. Clayton, Woods, McKenzie and the rest of the cast were fine for what was needed.
Taking this next to the effects of the movie, which we don't get a lot and what we get are cheesy. I'll take it though. It is the 1970s so there is a bit of charm there. The house is either a miniature or it is a matte painting. My problem is that they don't do a great job of showing it where it is dark and gloomy, but the characters are seeing it is bathed in sunlight. This is also taking place in Georgia so it is sunnier and warmer. This doesn't ruin anything, but I noticed. Aside from that, I like what they do with the voodoo. We keep seeing this creepy hooded figure; there are snakes and other things that are associated with voodoo. The house is a great setting on top of this as well.
The last thing I'll delve into was the soundtrack. For the most part it didn't really stand out, but I like the drums for the voodoo rituals. At first I was confused about this and where they were coming from. By the end the movie does explain this so I'm on board there. I do think that the voodoo bit we get at the climax runs a bit long and starts to feel like filler, but not enough to ruin it.
So now with that said, this movie explores some interesting things while also being a bit cheesy. I really like combining the 'Old Dark House' sub-genre, but making it blaxploitation with voodoo. I thought that the acting is good across the board. The effects we get are solid, but I do have some slight issues with things here and there. It is mostly seeing the house on the mountain from afar. There is also an issue with the casting for me, but not enough to ruin this. Aside from that, this is adding a bit of the whimsical of this sub-genre, while still giving us a movie that is solid. I would rate this as above average overall and worth a viewing if what I said ticks any of your boxes.
We start this movie off Pauline Christophe (Mary J. Todd McKenzie). The priest (Don Devendorf) is giving her last rites. She asks Thomas Pettione (Jean Durand) to bring her letter box and wants the priest to mail off the letters inside. We also see that she is into voodoo once he leaves.
This brings together a group of cousins to this house that is located on a mountain with a skull face on the side. Lorena Christophe (Janee Michelle) has to deal with her jerk of a cousin, Phillippe Wilette (Mike Evans) as he almost runs her off the road. It is high up on a cliff and he is spooked by a skull that he sees that causes him to pull off. They both arrive as the funeral for Pauline is coming to an end. We get an odd scene where a raven drops what we will learn later is a voodoo item on the casket. It starts a fire causing Louette (Ella Woods) to panic and want the casket covered by dirt immediately.
Thomas greets the two cousins, where we get an odd scene where Phillippe is hitting on Lorena. They're shown to their rooms and informed they have to wait for the others before the will can be read.
The next is Harriet Johnson (Xernona Clayton). She's on a plane and gets a fright when she sees a hooded figure a few rows up look at her. She screams and draws the attention of everyone. She comes to the house on the mountain. We learn throughout these introductions that despite being cousins, they've never met. Through Thomas they learn that Pauline was a descendant of King Henry of Haiti. He led the revolution against the French. He was also involved with voodoo, much like Pauline.
This trio briefly meets Mr. Ledoux (Leroy Johnson), the attorney that will read the will. He tells them that he cannot until Dr. Andrew Cunningham arrives. This annoys Phillippe who is a jerk, where the other two want to get back to their lives, but understand. Andrew does show up that night, but to their shock, he is white. Andrew (Victor French) greets his cousins and gives a bit of his back-story. He's a doctor of anthropology and teaches in college. Phillippe doesn't trust him for the color of his skin.
Things take a turn though when we see that someone is doing voodoo rituals. There are skulls throughout the house. There was a warning from the letter read to them that they do have enemies who are now aware of them. The first victim is Phillippe, but none of them are safe. Who is behind this and can they stop it before it is too late?
This movie explores some interesting things for me. The first is that it is combining the older 'Old Dark House' film with voodoo. That works for me since this is a blaxploitation take. Voodoo is culturally a Caribbean thing so if you're going to make this sub-genre into something that is your own, then combing these two is a way to do it. It is something that worked for me.
What I also enjoy here is that this is another more serious take from blaxploitation. I don't recall what Lorena's job was, but she seems pretty successful. Phillippe is in the same vein, but I'll delve more into him shortly. Pauline is descended from royalty and is the most powerful voodoo priestess in the area. She has a butler and maid with Thomas and Louette. The more we learn about Thomas he falls into this. Then finally we have Mr. Ledoux who is an attorney. There is also a black doctor as well.
Something that shocked me was to have the fourth cousin here be Andrew. He is a doctor and the movie is saying that he is a descendant. It feels like they went with the actor French as he had a career already so it could be a name draw. It would make more sense to me to have a black actor who was a bit more lighter skinned for this role in my opinion. I still like French in this movie, but it is a bit of a misstep for me.
Regardless though, I do like the voodoo aspects to this movie. The house is a great setting and even more that there are secret rooms. I think this helps to build the tension. It also works that Andrew is a doctor of anthropology. He was drawn to learning about voodoo for some reason, which we learn is heritage and probably in his DNA. It is even more fitting who the reveal is to be behind things and the reason they are being done.
Since I've already went into this a bit, I'll go into the acting. I've already said my piece with French. I don't necessarily think he fit for what they needed, but his performance was good. I liked Michelle as the damsel in distress that is one of our leads. Durand was good. Evans is interesting as he's a jerk. I like that he embodies that 'jive' type of person, but he's not a good person. I don't necessarily think he deserves what he got. Clayton, Woods, McKenzie and the rest of the cast were fine for what was needed.
Taking this next to the effects of the movie, which we don't get a lot and what we get are cheesy. I'll take it though. It is the 1970s so there is a bit of charm there. The house is either a miniature or it is a matte painting. My problem is that they don't do a great job of showing it where it is dark and gloomy, but the characters are seeing it is bathed in sunlight. This is also taking place in Georgia so it is sunnier and warmer. This doesn't ruin anything, but I noticed. Aside from that, I like what they do with the voodoo. We keep seeing this creepy hooded figure; there are snakes and other things that are associated with voodoo. The house is a great setting on top of this as well.
The last thing I'll delve into was the soundtrack. For the most part it didn't really stand out, but I like the drums for the voodoo rituals. At first I was confused about this and where they were coming from. By the end the movie does explain this so I'm on board there. I do think that the voodoo bit we get at the climax runs a bit long and starts to feel like filler, but not enough to ruin it.
So now with that said, this movie explores some interesting things while also being a bit cheesy. I really like combining the 'Old Dark House' sub-genre, but making it blaxploitation with voodoo. I thought that the acting is good across the board. The effects we get are solid, but I do have some slight issues with things here and there. It is mostly seeing the house on the mountain from afar. There is also an issue with the casting for me, but not enough to ruin this. Aside from that, this is adding a bit of the whimsical of this sub-genre, while still giving us a movie that is solid. I would rate this as above average overall and worth a viewing if what I said ticks any of your boxes.
No Oscar prizes for this film
johnanderson4028 May 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Same old storyline gather the family of a dead rich relative to an old house and kill them off. I was glad that Phillipe was first deservedly so for his poor acting.
Doesn't bond together well mismatch of ideas thrown into a pot and doesn't flow well. The setting is fine and the house looks good and you do wonder what is to happen next. Set in 1930s with 70s style filming. The romance side of things is a bit unusual between relatives who have not seen each other.
Some nice touches with the filming and suspense build ups whilst nothing horrific is actually seen
Doesn't bond together well mismatch of ideas thrown into a pot and doesn't flow well. The setting is fine and the house looks good and you do wonder what is to happen next. Set in 1930s with 70s style filming. The romance side of things is a bit unusual between relatives who have not seen each other.
Some nice touches with the filming and suspense build ups whilst nothing horrific is actually seen
Strange.....
ridley_6422 July 2002
The House on Skull Mountain? Sounds like some 60's Hardy-Boy adventure to me. I have to say I caught glimpses of this film a couple weeks ago and it was very strange. Your typical 70's horror flick. I mean it wasn't that bad and Victor French does a good job, but it seemed like it was lacking a few things. Maybe I will have to watch it again some time. All I know is films like the infamous "ALIEN" ('79) changed the view of horror movies for ever and that may or may not be a good thing. Too many imitations these days. Take a look at this movie some time.
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