I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this one; I went in expecting nothing and actually found a more than decent horror movie. The film is directed by Michael Armstrong, a British man who would go on to direct the excellent 'Mark of the Devil' a year later. The title is a bit misleading as it makes the film out to be a haunted house movie, when in fact it's closer to the slasher genre if anything. The film takes place in sixties 'swinging' London and focuses on a group of young friends. They're out one night and looking for a party when one of them suggests that they go to an old house that is supposedly haunted. Their party turns sour when one of the friends gets sliced by an unseen killer and, believing they would be in trouble with the local bobby's if they come forward, they decide to dispose of the body themselves. I have to admit that the film is really quite predictable and even though it's a "whodunit", there's never a great deal of mystery surrounding anything in the film. The film is very well shot, however, and the director does a good job of capturing the swinging sixties feel. It's also a very colourful film, which is nice. The acting is rubbish of course, but that's not too important and it all boils down to a nice little twist at the end. I can't say this is brilliant stuff; but it's not bad and worth a look for horror fans.
55 Reviews
Looks good but pretty boring
rosscinema24 February 2003
When I was about 10 years old me and my friend saw this on TV and the ending really freaked us out! We had never seen so much blood and gore on television before and it stunned us. Well, 30 years later I've finally seen this film again. I've been searching for it ever since. I didn't know the title but I never miss a horror film so I was bound to run into it again. It took 30 years! The film starts slowly with Frankie Avalon playing a rare serious role. The film has two very bloody scenes that you don't expect from an Avalon film during this time. The ending is strange and inconclusive. One of the things that I did enjoy are the real 60's London mod style of clothing. Very interesting to see the style during these times. But the film does have a fatal flaw. There just is to much talking and not enough time spent in the horror house. So after all these years the two bloody scenes still pack a wallop but its still a tedious film. A curio, though.
Tense finale in an otherwise routine camp-fest.
Nightman8510 October 2009
London "hepcats" grow bored at a party one night and decide to go explore an old nearby estate that's supposedly haunted. Once there one of the gang is brutally knifed to death and the group is left to wonder if one of their own is a killer.
The Haunted House of Horror (also known simply as Horror House) is a swinging 60's British chiller that's a bit of a mixed-bag for horror fans. On the good side there's a couple of effectively shocking (and bloody) murder scenes, a nicely moody music score by Reg Tilsley, and the climax of the film is pleasingly intense. Unfortunately the rest of the film is hampered by a sluggish pacing and a fairly routine setup. The uneven performances from the cast don't help things either.
Still, overall Haunted House of Horror has enough going for it to make it an interesting watch - particularly for fans of British horror from this era or maybe for people who just hate Frankie Avalon.
** out of ****
The Haunted House of Horror (also known simply as Horror House) is a swinging 60's British chiller that's a bit of a mixed-bag for horror fans. On the good side there's a couple of effectively shocking (and bloody) murder scenes, a nicely moody music score by Reg Tilsley, and the climax of the film is pleasingly intense. Unfortunately the rest of the film is hampered by a sluggish pacing and a fairly routine setup. The uneven performances from the cast don't help things either.
Still, overall Haunted House of Horror has enough going for it to make it an interesting watch - particularly for fans of British horror from this era or maybe for people who just hate Frankie Avalon.
** out of ****
Don't miss this beauty - she's a trip!
anawesomemoviefanatic17 July 2003
Wow, how did I manage to go so long without seeing this wonderfully corny '60s title, lost among thousands of other obscure, late-night drive-in classics? I had heard about it many years ago, just a rough plot outline, and always thought it sounded like cheesy fun, but I never had the chance to see it. However, I managed to view the film recently, under its alternate title, "The Haunted House of Horror", and I must say that I enjoyed every minute of it! Where do I begin? Well, first of all, those amazing '60s fashions! Go-go boots and mini-skirts haunt this picture more than the house itself does, and it must be said that throughout the entire movie the curvaceous Jill Haworth looks absolutely stunning (and yes, in many scenes she is wearing mini-skirt). Basically, the plot revolves around this girl Sheila (Haworth), her swinger beau Chris (Frankie Avalon!) and all of their groovin' swinger friends who get bored with the usual Friday night party antics in swinging London and decide to go "ghost-hunting" at an old deserted mansion in the countryside. Well, what follows is that someone ends up dead (in a murder scene which is surprisingly bloody for a PG-rated film) and the kids try to figure out whodunit! I guess one could describe this little number as a more mature, live-action British version of "Scooby Doo"! It's an absolute hoot, and I really enjoyed it. The plot was really nothing special, but from beginning to end I was hooked on this movie, and I was surprised at how ahead of it's time it was, and of course by the bloodiness of the killings. There is one killing at the climax of the film that will surely make your eyes pop out of their sockets - unbelievable! I won't give anything away, you'll have to see for yourself, but this baby is just amazing, from the corny dialogue: "Sheila, the way you dig blood, people'd think you're a vampire!", "You'd better watch out, darling, next time I give you a love bite!", to the swingin' sixties fashions, to the Scooby Doo antics and gory knife murders, plus a very downbeat, disturbing ending and a creepy atmosphere - you can't go wrong with this one. Unfortunately it's pretty hard to find, but it has found a cozy little home on cable, so if you get the chance, give it a look!
Swanky, Mod British Giallo/Slasher
Steve_Nyland16 August 2006
It's interesting noting some of the comments of displeasure about this film -- "boring", "dull", "uneventful". What's funny is that this is an early prototype of what became known as the Mad Slasher film where a scarred, dysfunctional wretch goes on a killing spree in some secluded locale, using a flashy means of disposing his victims who more often than not are just getting what they had coming. What is amusing is seeing the fans of the modern day versions of the basic story reacting with a certain amount of glib indifference. I felt the same way about French Impressionism when taking art history; "BOR-RING." Boy, was I wrong.
THE PLOT; A group of perpetually drink-clutching and cigarette puffing modly dressed hipsters who have obviously seen BLOW-UP decide to go have a smashing party at the local supposedly haunted manor out in the middle of nowhere. Some of them have more than one story to tell as far as why they are drawn to their circle of friends, who seem to regard each other with scorn when gathered together & more friendly-like when off on their own. A scruffy Scotland Yard detective (priceless Freddie Jones) and a scruffy, pock-marked, sinister private investigator are both caught unprepared when someone starts slaughtering the kids both during and after their party, and the clues seem to hint that it's either a vengeful poltergeist ... or one of their own.
DON'T ANYBODY GIVE AWAY THE ENDING!! It's not much of a surprise but it then again that's half the fun of these things. What makes this one kind of tick are the hipster trappings which seem unaware that it wasn't 1967 anymore, and how it seems to pattern itself after the "Giallo" films coming out of Italy at about the same time. I wish the supernatural angle had been played up more but found the three rather grisly killings to be quite over-the-top, had fun remembering what it was like to poke around inside of old houses with a candle with your knucklehead buddies on a dare, and it's always great to see Kim Haworth back in her leggy, sexy fox days. If you're looking for shocks this probably isn't a good suggestion but it's a finely made very British film that just banks more on style instead of flying body parts.
It's also kind of too bad that as the "Trivia" section hints at, the then just starting to heat up David Bowie was suggested and then rejected for a key role. If he'd gotten the part this might have retained a certain cult status beyond the sum of it's parts like Roeg's PERFORMANCE ... Frankie Avalon does not a Thin White Duke make. What a lousy decision.
5/10; Neutral. Neither good nor bad, but then again how very British.
THE PLOT; A group of perpetually drink-clutching and cigarette puffing modly dressed hipsters who have obviously seen BLOW-UP decide to go have a smashing party at the local supposedly haunted manor out in the middle of nowhere. Some of them have more than one story to tell as far as why they are drawn to their circle of friends, who seem to regard each other with scorn when gathered together & more friendly-like when off on their own. A scruffy Scotland Yard detective (priceless Freddie Jones) and a scruffy, pock-marked, sinister private investigator are both caught unprepared when someone starts slaughtering the kids both during and after their party, and the clues seem to hint that it's either a vengeful poltergeist ... or one of their own.
DON'T ANYBODY GIVE AWAY THE ENDING!! It's not much of a surprise but it then again that's half the fun of these things. What makes this one kind of tick are the hipster trappings which seem unaware that it wasn't 1967 anymore, and how it seems to pattern itself after the "Giallo" films coming out of Italy at about the same time. I wish the supernatural angle had been played up more but found the three rather grisly killings to be quite over-the-top, had fun remembering what it was like to poke around inside of old houses with a candle with your knucklehead buddies on a dare, and it's always great to see Kim Haworth back in her leggy, sexy fox days. If you're looking for shocks this probably isn't a good suggestion but it's a finely made very British film that just banks more on style instead of flying body parts.
It's also kind of too bad that as the "Trivia" section hints at, the then just starting to heat up David Bowie was suggested and then rejected for a key role. If he'd gotten the part this might have retained a certain cult status beyond the sum of it's parts like Roeg's PERFORMANCE ... Frankie Avalon does not a Thin White Duke make. What a lousy decision.
5/10; Neutral. Neither good nor bad, but then again how very British.
Ever wondered what Scooby Doo would be like if it was set in England and diidn't feature a dog?
mwilson197618 May 2019
England's Tigon films the people behind Witchfinder General produced this boring 1969 effort, an early slasher movie, and Michael Armstrong who directed the entertaining Witchfinder rip off Mark Of The Devil directed. In swinging London, a group of friends are attending Frankie Avalon's dull house party and decide to go to a haunted mansion to hold a seance instead. When one of their group is brutally murdered the others abandon his body and flee the scene knowing that one of them is the killer. Boris Karloff was originally supposed to play the detective investigating the goings but was too ill to appear, so Dennis Price took the role instead. Armstrong wanted Ian Ogilvy to play the lead role, but American backers AIP insisted that the part go to Frankie Avalon (who was nearly 30 at the time and under contract to them). There are a few decent shock sequences and a liberal flow of blood, but this supposedly haunted house is more likely to induce sleep than give you nightmares.
Average horror fare, watchable, but not unmissable
Muldwych7 December 2009
In the highly-alliterative and genre-suggestive Haunted House Of Horror, a group of teenagers, bored with the party they're attending one evening, decide to liven things up by trooping off to a supposedly, and unsurprisingly, haunted house to conduct a seance, wherein deadly consequences soon occur.
Having known little about this film for years other than its title, I found myself expecting a far different tale to the one that actually unfolded. Was there in fact any supernatural activity as the title suggested, or was the horror more conventional, leading to an earthbound whodunnit with B-movie slasher overtones? I must admit I was kept guessing for a while until those answers resolved themselves. All the meanwhile, I found myself reasonably entertained by the look and feel of a contemporary British sixties horror, from the swinging fashions to the unbelievable amount of smoking - actor George Sewell alone gives his best cigarette acting in this film. The musical score is fairly standard for the day and place - a good deal of brass, strings, moody piano and dramatic drum riffs. In fact, there were times when I felt sure this was a Bill ('Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150') McGuffie special, so either Reg Tilsley was familiar with his work, or these musical motifs were in vogue at the time. The lighting too is fairly conventional, though the day-for-night shooting became a little annoying after a while. Murky blue skies do not suggest midnight no matter how you dress them up, and must've been even more obvious on the silver screen.
The acting is competent if restrained - in part due to the lack of any really meaty roles on offer, though there are several luminaries of the period to help breathe life into the whole effort. Besides Sewell, we also have the soon-to-be Man About The House himself, Richard O'Sullivan, frequent TV guest star Jill Hawarth, and Robin Stewart, also soon to become well-known in Bless This House. Why we didn't get to see a lot more of the gorgeous Gina Warwick on the other hand, is a bit of a mystery. She and Hawarth almost make up for what is in the end, a rather pedestrian adventure.
And this in the end is what it is. I give it points for casting, period novelty, and for playing a little with audience expectations to avoid predictable plot trappings, but in the end, there is nothing ultimately remarkable about Haunted House Of Horror that helps it stand out from the competition of the day, like the popular Hammer Horror films. Which is not to say that their offerings are not sometimes prone to character cyphers, uneven pacing and abrupt endings, but more practiced hands on their part tend to make these things less of an issue. Interestingly, Tigon Films did snag horror veterans Karloff, Price, Cushing and Lee on a couple of occasions to produce horror-thrillers better received than what you find here - Scream And Scream Again, anybody? Nonetheless, Haunted House Of Horror should not be summarily dismissed - it's worth a look, but only if you've gotten a ways down through your must-view list.
Having known little about this film for years other than its title, I found myself expecting a far different tale to the one that actually unfolded. Was there in fact any supernatural activity as the title suggested, or was the horror more conventional, leading to an earthbound whodunnit with B-movie slasher overtones? I must admit I was kept guessing for a while until those answers resolved themselves. All the meanwhile, I found myself reasonably entertained by the look and feel of a contemporary British sixties horror, from the swinging fashions to the unbelievable amount of smoking - actor George Sewell alone gives his best cigarette acting in this film. The musical score is fairly standard for the day and place - a good deal of brass, strings, moody piano and dramatic drum riffs. In fact, there were times when I felt sure this was a Bill ('Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150') McGuffie special, so either Reg Tilsley was familiar with his work, or these musical motifs were in vogue at the time. The lighting too is fairly conventional, though the day-for-night shooting became a little annoying after a while. Murky blue skies do not suggest midnight no matter how you dress them up, and must've been even more obvious on the silver screen.
The acting is competent if restrained - in part due to the lack of any really meaty roles on offer, though there are several luminaries of the period to help breathe life into the whole effort. Besides Sewell, we also have the soon-to-be Man About The House himself, Richard O'Sullivan, frequent TV guest star Jill Hawarth, and Robin Stewart, also soon to become well-known in Bless This House. Why we didn't get to see a lot more of the gorgeous Gina Warwick on the other hand, is a bit of a mystery. She and Hawarth almost make up for what is in the end, a rather pedestrian adventure.
And this in the end is what it is. I give it points for casting, period novelty, and for playing a little with audience expectations to avoid predictable plot trappings, but in the end, there is nothing ultimately remarkable about Haunted House Of Horror that helps it stand out from the competition of the day, like the popular Hammer Horror films. Which is not to say that their offerings are not sometimes prone to character cyphers, uneven pacing and abrupt endings, but more practiced hands on their part tend to make these things less of an issue. Interestingly, Tigon Films did snag horror veterans Karloff, Price, Cushing and Lee on a couple of occasions to produce horror-thrillers better received than what you find here - Scream And Scream Again, anybody? Nonetheless, Haunted House Of Horror should not be summarily dismissed - it's worth a look, but only if you've gotten a ways down through your must-view list.
surprisingly vigorous
christopher-underwood11 January 2007
Likable and very much of it's time. With the Carnaby Street settings, mini-skirts, sexy boots, sizzling interior design it's just a shame the 'kids' are lumbered with such inane dialogue and 'action'. a little unfair perhaps because when things do happen, they are surprisingly vigorous. I'm sure not many UK films of this time had as many multiple stabbings or such a high level of blood gushing. So, not very horrific and with a plot line that's an insult to one's intelligence, it is nevertheless worth watching for it's colourful settings and costumerie and those brutal kills. Also a mention for at least two particularly riotous spells of hysteria from a couple of the young 'chicks'.
don't you just love it..
kim-de-windter11 September 2011
i really enjoyed this movie.
why?
because it is FUN to watch. movies don't have to be deeply meaningful or classy or poetic..
more important than all that is that it is fun to watch.
i don't mean comedy-funny, i mean a flow, a structure and a story that doesn't make you snooze. (maybe some actors that actually can act, but thats a dying breed)
this movie is entertaining and fun, sure the story is thin and the middle drags a little, but it really doesn't matter..
you got frankie avalon, a dark old house and some outrageous 6oties hairdos, what more can you want?
why?
because it is FUN to watch. movies don't have to be deeply meaningful or classy or poetic..
more important than all that is that it is fun to watch.
i don't mean comedy-funny, i mean a flow, a structure and a story that doesn't make you snooze. (maybe some actors that actually can act, but thats a dying breed)
this movie is entertaining and fun, sure the story is thin and the middle drags a little, but it really doesn't matter..
you got frankie avalon, a dark old house and some outrageous 6oties hairdos, what more can you want?
EARLY TEENAGE SLASHER FLICK THAT'S WORTH A LOOK
mark-25223 June 2001
Filmed under the much more appropriate title "THE DARK" this movie quite often airs on television in a darkened print. Darkened so that the blood can't be seen so clearly! In a couple of shock sequences, still shocking today, there's an awful lot of it! It has been said that David Bowie was originally cast in this film! Also Peter Cushing was supposed to play the George Sewell part originally. The film opens on location around the definitely in-place of the sixties - Carnaby Street. Despite the slightly silly Scooby Doo "teenage" characters that are introduced early in the film at a swinging sixties house party, the acting gets realistically serious as we enter the haunted house of the title. I've always been intrigued by this early example of teenage serial killer horror film, especially since it subverts the slasher genre quite drastically. Despite all the screaming, it's the men who are the victims - no more pointedly than in the film's finale...
The acting is very good, the plot keeps you guessing and you could cut the atmosphere with a knife!
The acting is very good, the plot keeps you guessing and you could cut the atmosphere with a knife!
compellingly awful, consistently cretinous
smithyofhersoul10 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Wow. Incredible. I have just got through (and believe me that is the correct expression) watching this with my husband and feel that I can now say without fear of exaggeration that it is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most stupid film I have ever seen. Okay, I am willing to concede that it might not actually be the most stupid film in the world, but I do have a hard time imagining anything more consistently cretinous. To be fair, though, that could just be because the human brain was never designed to conceive of idiocy of that magnitude without literally imploding from the impossible and unbearable strain.
The premise is simple: a gaggle of hip, swinging-sixties socialites are induced to leave a happening party in the middle of the night (for reasons that are never adequately or convincingly explained), to drive, for miles, in the dark, to the far less salubrious surroundings of a deserted, reputedly haunted manor house slap-bang in a wooded square acre of nowhere. What follows has a numbing inevitability about it, not helped by the fact that the 'haunted house' has all the atmosphere of a Wetherspoons pub, or that the ensuing antics of the actors are so whimsically asinine that you often wonder if you're not watching an episode of Hollyoaks where the cast have unwittingly invented time travel.
That is not to say that the acting was the worst thing about this film. The continuity errors are so numerous that they could form the basis of the most liver-punishing 'have a shot when you spot one' drinking game ever devised, and the script seems to exist with the sole purpose of propelling the cast through an increasingly nonsensical series of events, the downward spiral of which is only ever briefly punctuated by bouts of jaunty inanity or otherwise motiveless dialogue. And yes, I know a great deal of the horror genre's dramatic tension derives from the protagonists making bad choices and doing stupid things, but the decision-making process depicted in this film wouldn't make sense anywhere outside the confines of an insane asylum, and if your dog behaved with such flagrant dim-wittedness you'd shoot it to put it out of its misery. I kid you not: They not only decide to visit the house in the first place, but after one of their number is murdered and they know that a member of the remaining five is responsible they decide to cover up said murder and continue associating with each other, returning, in fact, to the scene of the crime at a later date and repeating their actions in order to discover the identity of the killer. Yes, that's right, they voluntarily lock themselves in to a structurally unsound horror house where they saw a close friend murdered with the probable killer in order to solve? the crime? Never before has the phrase WTF? been so aptly applied.
Not that this is an adequate description of the sheer range of stupidity on offer. My personal favourite is the group 'bitch', Sylvia, who displays great promise in the field of utter stark-staring twittery very early on, continually accepting lifts from a man who is, to all intents and purposes, stalking her. She later goes for gold, achieving a personal best of leaving the house where she has only recently, voluntarily arrived because she is too scared (or 'bored' as she puts it), only to walk miles in the dark through a wooded area that is previously unknown to her, dressed in platform boots and white Mary Quant mini dress, looking for all the world like a futuristic prostitute. She then proceeds to hitch a lift with a perfect stranger. Sheer genius. Another example of barefaced unabashed full-frontal empty-headedness is the group standing around discussing complicity in the murder of their friend outside the police station where they have been brought for questioning. It was at this point I did start to wonder if I was watching a film at all and not some celluloid decent in to madness, either that or a very subtle (albeit bizarre) form of anti-drugs propaganda.
There are yet many other rare gems on offer, but it is only fair that you are allowed to discover them for yourself. This film is, after all, a rare cultural artefact, crystallising as it does the essence of all that is gleefully crapulent in sixties cinema. Truly, like a major road traffic accident, it is compellingly awful, and as such to be saluted.
The premise is simple: a gaggle of hip, swinging-sixties socialites are induced to leave a happening party in the middle of the night (for reasons that are never adequately or convincingly explained), to drive, for miles, in the dark, to the far less salubrious surroundings of a deserted, reputedly haunted manor house slap-bang in a wooded square acre of nowhere. What follows has a numbing inevitability about it, not helped by the fact that the 'haunted house' has all the atmosphere of a Wetherspoons pub, or that the ensuing antics of the actors are so whimsically asinine that you often wonder if you're not watching an episode of Hollyoaks where the cast have unwittingly invented time travel.
That is not to say that the acting was the worst thing about this film. The continuity errors are so numerous that they could form the basis of the most liver-punishing 'have a shot when you spot one' drinking game ever devised, and the script seems to exist with the sole purpose of propelling the cast through an increasingly nonsensical series of events, the downward spiral of which is only ever briefly punctuated by bouts of jaunty inanity or otherwise motiveless dialogue. And yes, I know a great deal of the horror genre's dramatic tension derives from the protagonists making bad choices and doing stupid things, but the decision-making process depicted in this film wouldn't make sense anywhere outside the confines of an insane asylum, and if your dog behaved with such flagrant dim-wittedness you'd shoot it to put it out of its misery. I kid you not: They not only decide to visit the house in the first place, but after one of their number is murdered and they know that a member of the remaining five is responsible they decide to cover up said murder and continue associating with each other, returning, in fact, to the scene of the crime at a later date and repeating their actions in order to discover the identity of the killer. Yes, that's right, they voluntarily lock themselves in to a structurally unsound horror house where they saw a close friend murdered with the probable killer in order to solve? the crime? Never before has the phrase WTF? been so aptly applied.
Not that this is an adequate description of the sheer range of stupidity on offer. My personal favourite is the group 'bitch', Sylvia, who displays great promise in the field of utter stark-staring twittery very early on, continually accepting lifts from a man who is, to all intents and purposes, stalking her. She later goes for gold, achieving a personal best of leaving the house where she has only recently, voluntarily arrived because she is too scared (or 'bored' as she puts it), only to walk miles in the dark through a wooded area that is previously unknown to her, dressed in platform boots and white Mary Quant mini dress, looking for all the world like a futuristic prostitute. She then proceeds to hitch a lift with a perfect stranger. Sheer genius. Another example of barefaced unabashed full-frontal empty-headedness is the group standing around discussing complicity in the murder of their friend outside the police station where they have been brought for questioning. It was at this point I did start to wonder if I was watching a film at all and not some celluloid decent in to madness, either that or a very subtle (albeit bizarre) form of anti-drugs propaganda.
There are yet many other rare gems on offer, but it is only fair that you are allowed to discover them for yourself. This film is, after all, a rare cultural artefact, crystallising as it does the essence of all that is gleefully crapulent in sixties cinema. Truly, like a major road traffic accident, it is compellingly awful, and as such to be saluted.
A tale of stupid teenagers
ludgerwilmott17 February 2011
Ham acting, predictable plot and liberal lashings of ketchup make this a classic 60's British horror film made in the 'Hammer Horror' time honoured way when the country was great at everything. It's a very English treatment of a theme dominated since the '70s by the likes of Wes Craven and other horror American film makers who have since thrown quaint charm out with the bath water (see horror classics like 'The Haunting' 1963 and 'The Legend of Hell House' for horror films which play subtly on the mind). The plot is so predictable these days it would be hard to end with a spoiler. Basically the story revolves around not for long fun-loving,swinging 60s teenagers wandering around a creepy, old, reputedly haunted house and getting bumped off by instalments. Umm. Unlike the unsubtle use of chainsaws in Texas what makes this film for me is the imaginative and atmospheric use of the interior and exterior location shots which give 'The Haunted House of Horror' a very creepy feel and a well deserved regard as a cult classic of it's genre.
Horror - Austin Powers style
neil-douglas201017 January 2022
OK years before Halloween, the UK was the setting for a haunted house film run by a cast of "teenagers". Having said that I actually liked most of it. On the plus side is the late sixties setting, especially the fashions and decor, some of the acting, O'Sullivan, Sewell and Gina Warwick as Sylvia put in decent performance. On the minus side is Avalon, who can't act much, would've been far better if his part had been played by someone like Cliff Richard. That would've been quite subversive. All in all a nice slice of late sixties 60's kitsche.
THE HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORROR (Michael Armstrong and, uncredited, Gerry Levy, 1969) *1/2
Bunuel197630 May 2006
I wasn't expecting much from this one, given that I had been let down by the director's subsequent - and signature - film, the notorious MARK OF THE DEVIL (1970); I would still like to watch HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS (1983), however, which Armstrong only scripted (it was directed by Pete Walker and featured genre stalwarts Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, John Carradine and Sheila Keith). Similarly, the fact that the majority of the cast was made up of juveniles (with Frankie Avalon - referred to in the film as "the epitome of Swinging London"! - the most experienced among them!) wasn't exactly enticing; however, at least a couple of the girls - Jill Haworth and Gina Warwick - don't register too badly under the circumstances and, interestingly enough, a pre-stardom David Bowie had originally been slated for the role of the killer! As for Dennis Price, he's wasted as the investigating officer; the role, insignificant as it was, had been intended for Boris Karloff - but he was too ill to appear, and died not long afterwards.
Anyway, the end result is a truly lame film full of obnoxious characters (particularly the couple that's supposed to provide comic relief), wooden acting…and pointless zooms onto the Gothic architecture of the titular house! Surely the best thing about it is the rapid editing of certain sequences (a couple of brutal murders, a suspenseful scene at a gallery), in which the director admits - during the Audio Commentary - to being influenced by the work of Sergei Eisenstein! Reg Tilsley's score - except for a terrible song near the beginning composed by Gerry Levy (more on him later) - is quite good…and the ending offers a couple of surprises as well, but all this isn't enough to salvage the film! It was released in the U.S. as a double-bill with CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR (1968), which I watched for the very first time only a couple of days prior to this one.
Writer-director Armstrong's Audio Commentary was very interesting, however, because he went into great detail about how the film was taken out of his hands by AIP (it was made in conjunction with Tigon) and changed considerably: a new director - Gerry Levy - stepped in, generally softening the characters and toning down the sex (which became practically non-existent) and violence (one bloodless killing was clearly his work), but also adding a new subplot involving an extra-marital affair between Warwick and George Sewell! It's very probable that the original version made a better film altogether, but there's little to suggest that it would have been anything special - despite Armstrong's vehement, denigrating comments throughout about Levy and AIP's Louis M. 'Deke' Hayward! Ironically, the exact same thing happened to Armstrong on his second film (the intrusion this time around came from producer Adrian Hoven), which basically put him off directing for good - though his bad experience during the making of THE HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORROR did translate into a feature-film script, ESKIMO NELL (1975)!
Interestingly, I followed this with the only film Gerry Levy directed by himself - THE BODY STEALERS (1969) - which, being a Tigon release as well, it ended up as part of the same Box Set with THE HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORROR! Needless to say, Armstrong had no kind remarks about Levy's film (despite the presence in it of one of my favorites, George Sanders) - but I'll comment on that film in its own brief space…
Anyway, the end result is a truly lame film full of obnoxious characters (particularly the couple that's supposed to provide comic relief), wooden acting…and pointless zooms onto the Gothic architecture of the titular house! Surely the best thing about it is the rapid editing of certain sequences (a couple of brutal murders, a suspenseful scene at a gallery), in which the director admits - during the Audio Commentary - to being influenced by the work of Sergei Eisenstein! Reg Tilsley's score - except for a terrible song near the beginning composed by Gerry Levy (more on him later) - is quite good…and the ending offers a couple of surprises as well, but all this isn't enough to salvage the film! It was released in the U.S. as a double-bill with CURSE OF THE CRIMSON ALTAR (1968), which I watched for the very first time only a couple of days prior to this one.
Writer-director Armstrong's Audio Commentary was very interesting, however, because he went into great detail about how the film was taken out of his hands by AIP (it was made in conjunction with Tigon) and changed considerably: a new director - Gerry Levy - stepped in, generally softening the characters and toning down the sex (which became practically non-existent) and violence (one bloodless killing was clearly his work), but also adding a new subplot involving an extra-marital affair between Warwick and George Sewell! It's very probable that the original version made a better film altogether, but there's little to suggest that it would have been anything special - despite Armstrong's vehement, denigrating comments throughout about Levy and AIP's Louis M. 'Deke' Hayward! Ironically, the exact same thing happened to Armstrong on his second film (the intrusion this time around came from producer Adrian Hoven), which basically put him off directing for good - though his bad experience during the making of THE HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORROR did translate into a feature-film script, ESKIMO NELL (1975)!
Interestingly, I followed this with the only film Gerry Levy directed by himself - THE BODY STEALERS (1969) - which, being a Tigon release as well, it ended up as part of the same Box Set with THE HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORROR! Needless to say, Armstrong had no kind remarks about Levy's film (despite the presence in it of one of my favorites, George Sanders) - but I'll comment on that film in its own brief space…
Michael Armstrong talks us through the film that never was.
LewisJForce27 April 2006
This film is available on disc in the UK from Anchor Bay as part of their Tigon box-set, along with 'The Beast in the cellar', 'Witchfinder General', 'Virgin Witch', and 'The Body Stealers'.
'Haunted House' was available on the late lamented Vampix video label in the early 1980's in the UK. That release was notable mostly for the dark, drabness of the print. It looks considerably improved here, with lustrous, bright colors and correct aspect ratio. The film itself is not up to much, but remains watchable for its late 60's period frills and a couple of effectively nasty murders.
What makes this incarnation of the film interesting is the director's commentary supplied as an audio extra. Michael Armstrong's career had unfortunate beginnings: He shot this flick, his first, when he was 24 and the experience was painful, with the film taken away from him and his original cut undone by studio re-writes and re-shoots. The following year he went to Germany to make 'Mark of the Devil' and suffered exactly the same fate. The financial success of both titles (especially 'Mark', which was a huge exploitation hit) was little consolation to the tyro film-maker and he vowed to stay away from movies until he was guaranteed complete creative control.
Armstrong here explains the changes made to his original concept in great detail, pointing out exactly which scenes he shot and how they would/should have fitted into his scheme of things. The film he wanted to make - 'The Dark' - certainly sounds pretty interesting the way he tells it, and the most frustrating thing about the whole episode is that it seemed to boil down to a personality clash between him and Louis 'Deke' Hayward, AIP'S man-in-London at the time.
Hayward tried to shoehorn Boris Karloff (who owed AIP one film as part of a contract) into the plot at various junctures, a ploy which Armstrong vigorously resisted, resulting in a war of wills that Hayward was destined to win. Hayward went on to extensively re-write the script, inserting Dennis Price as a policeman and George Sewell as a lurking spurned suitor, and employed a technician called Gerry Levy to shoot the necessary patch-up sequences. It's fascinating to watch the film whilst Armstrong indicates continuity errors in the insert sequences and identifies the various loose ends that commemorate the residue of his original script.
Its no surprise, then, that 'The Haunted House of Horror' is a bit of a mess. Its perhaps remarkable that it plays as well as it does. But I recommend this release for the commentary, yet another that uncovers machinations and interference undreamed of by the casual viewer. As an education in the unseen political wranglings of film-making it is most enlightening.
'Haunted House' was available on the late lamented Vampix video label in the early 1980's in the UK. That release was notable mostly for the dark, drabness of the print. It looks considerably improved here, with lustrous, bright colors and correct aspect ratio. The film itself is not up to much, but remains watchable for its late 60's period frills and a couple of effectively nasty murders.
What makes this incarnation of the film interesting is the director's commentary supplied as an audio extra. Michael Armstrong's career had unfortunate beginnings: He shot this flick, his first, when he was 24 and the experience was painful, with the film taken away from him and his original cut undone by studio re-writes and re-shoots. The following year he went to Germany to make 'Mark of the Devil' and suffered exactly the same fate. The financial success of both titles (especially 'Mark', which was a huge exploitation hit) was little consolation to the tyro film-maker and he vowed to stay away from movies until he was guaranteed complete creative control.
Armstrong here explains the changes made to his original concept in great detail, pointing out exactly which scenes he shot and how they would/should have fitted into his scheme of things. The film he wanted to make - 'The Dark' - certainly sounds pretty interesting the way he tells it, and the most frustrating thing about the whole episode is that it seemed to boil down to a personality clash between him and Louis 'Deke' Hayward, AIP'S man-in-London at the time.
Hayward tried to shoehorn Boris Karloff (who owed AIP one film as part of a contract) into the plot at various junctures, a ploy which Armstrong vigorously resisted, resulting in a war of wills that Hayward was destined to win. Hayward went on to extensively re-write the script, inserting Dennis Price as a policeman and George Sewell as a lurking spurned suitor, and employed a technician called Gerry Levy to shoot the necessary patch-up sequences. It's fascinating to watch the film whilst Armstrong indicates continuity errors in the insert sequences and identifies the various loose ends that commemorate the residue of his original script.
Its no surprise, then, that 'The Haunted House of Horror' is a bit of a mess. Its perhaps remarkable that it plays as well as it does. But I recommend this release for the commentary, yet another that uncovers machinations and interference undreamed of by the casual viewer. As an education in the unseen political wranglings of film-making it is most enlightening.
Frankie baby gets chopped in half
macabro35716 September 2003
Plus we're spared Frankie baby from singing a song for us. What a relief.
A Tigron UK import that AIP licensed out back in the early 70s. Of course it helps to have chief AIP stable mate Frankie Avalon star in it. I'm sure that pleased Nicholson & Arkoff et. al.
Frankie baby and his English pals get bored at a party so they go explore a 'haunted' house one of his friends knows about. When one of the group is slashed to death with a Gurka blade, the others cover it up by dumping the body somewhere so they won't have to get involved with the police.
When they go back a few weeks later to look for more clues, another one of them is stabbed to death and then the police acting on a tip, are about to swoop down on the house. But it's too late for Frankie baby because he gets the shaft, too. The culprit is one of the group but I won't say which one because that would give it all away.
It's actually not bad and since it looks like it was filmed in an actual run-down English house, it's got some good atmosphere to it.
Hey it's a long way from Southern California & the beach, now isn't it?
4 out of 10
A Tigron UK import that AIP licensed out back in the early 70s. Of course it helps to have chief AIP stable mate Frankie Avalon star in it. I'm sure that pleased Nicholson & Arkoff et. al.
Frankie baby and his English pals get bored at a party so they go explore a 'haunted' house one of his friends knows about. When one of the group is slashed to death with a Gurka blade, the others cover it up by dumping the body somewhere so they won't have to get involved with the police.
When they go back a few weeks later to look for more clues, another one of them is stabbed to death and then the police acting on a tip, are about to swoop down on the house. But it's too late for Frankie baby because he gets the shaft, too. The culprit is one of the group but I won't say which one because that would give it all away.
It's actually not bad and since it looks like it was filmed in an actual run-down English house, it's got some good atmosphere to it.
Hey it's a long way from Southern California & the beach, now isn't it?
4 out of 10
Cheap, tacky but fun.
ashwetherall15 September 2010
The Haunted House of Horror is one of those time capsule movies that was probably out of date before they finished editing it.
I first saw it when I was 4 or 5 years old, It was one of the first colour horror movies that I remember seeing. Now 35 years later I can now give it a review. Lets put it this way, Haunted House of Horror is not a good film. But that doesn't mean its not interesting. The story concerns a bunch of young groovy British teenagers lead by the not so young, not so groovy, American Frankie Avalon. Anyway after a party they decide to go to the so called haunted house for kicks? After exploring the house for a bit, One of the teens is brutally murdered. Anyway, after lots of hysterical screaming, mainly by the females of the group. The group lead by Mr Avalon decide to hide there murdered friends body and leave the house.
Why would they do this. Well.. Your guess is as good as mine. Anyway after a few plot contrivances and another bloody murder the teens decide to go back to the house, where guess what.. More Murders. As you can probably tell Haunted house of horror is a bit lame. The direction by Michael Armstrong is very amateurish. The plot and Script are also pretty dire even the music is really rubbish.
The acting is mostly OK. When I say mostly I mean there is one terrible performance in there. ( Its very noticeable). So what, may you ask makes Haunted House of Horror so interesting. Well.. All these wrongs make this little film quite unique and strangely watch-able. It has child like quality that strangely reminded me of Scooby Doo. Like Fred in the cartoon, Frankie Avalon is the leader of the gang, Directing everyone what to do. I should also say that he is the only American in the movie. Actually he's quite good in it. I should also mention the Lovely Jill Haworth and her mini skirts. This is also another plus for the movie. At worst Haunted House of Horror can be seen as a bit of a Spring time for Hitler. "So bad its good. At best it can be seen as true British cult horror. I'd just call it harmless fun.
I first saw it when I was 4 or 5 years old, It was one of the first colour horror movies that I remember seeing. Now 35 years later I can now give it a review. Lets put it this way, Haunted House of Horror is not a good film. But that doesn't mean its not interesting. The story concerns a bunch of young groovy British teenagers lead by the not so young, not so groovy, American Frankie Avalon. Anyway after a party they decide to go to the so called haunted house for kicks? After exploring the house for a bit, One of the teens is brutally murdered. Anyway, after lots of hysterical screaming, mainly by the females of the group. The group lead by Mr Avalon decide to hide there murdered friends body and leave the house.
Why would they do this. Well.. Your guess is as good as mine. Anyway after a few plot contrivances and another bloody murder the teens decide to go back to the house, where guess what.. More Murders. As you can probably tell Haunted house of horror is a bit lame. The direction by Michael Armstrong is very amateurish. The plot and Script are also pretty dire even the music is really rubbish.
The acting is mostly OK. When I say mostly I mean there is one terrible performance in there. ( Its very noticeable). So what, may you ask makes Haunted House of Horror so interesting. Well.. All these wrongs make this little film quite unique and strangely watch-able. It has child like quality that strangely reminded me of Scooby Doo. Like Fred in the cartoon, Frankie Avalon is the leader of the gang, Directing everyone what to do. I should also say that he is the only American in the movie. Actually he's quite good in it. I should also mention the Lovely Jill Haworth and her mini skirts. This is also another plus for the movie. At worst Haunted House of Horror can be seen as a bit of a Spring time for Hitler. "So bad its good. At best it can be seen as true British cult horror. I'd just call it harmless fun.
Made no sense whatsoever
slick_moon9 September 2010
Right. Where to begin? Let's start with the title. Although it's not possible to prove the house wasn't haunted, there is no evidence to suggest that it might be, either in the script or actually on screen. But that's not the only thing that makes no sense. Not by a long chalk. Sure there are continuity errors, such as the outside shots filmed in daylight supposed to take place during the pitch dark night, but the worst incongruities are in the plotting. Nothing anybody does or says makes any sense whatsoever. From discussing complicity in a covered up murder while standing outside a police station, to the clichéd girl who "just can't stand to be in this old house" with all her friends, who therefore elects instead to walk alone across a dark forest and hitchhike from the road while dressed as a sci-fi hooker. All that said, if you're the sort of person who reacts to the sight of a policeman saying "I know we're supposed to be ogres, but I assure you we're not biting today" by thinking "WTF? Since when are ogres famed for biting?" you might just enjoy it on as many levels as I did.
Flawed, patchy but interesting horror film.
jamesraeburn200315 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Swinging sixties London: A group of bored twenty-something partygoers led by Chris (played by Frankie Avalon) go to explore an old Gothic mansion, which is supposedly haunted at the suggestion of Richard (played by Julian Barnes) who said he used to play there as a kid. They get kicks out of exploring the place and holding a séance, but when they become separated in the dark, Gary (played by Mark Wynter), is brutally murdered by a crazed assailant with a machete. On discovering the crime, his friends decide to hide the body and pretend that he disappeared because some of them have got criminal records for drugs offences and do not want to become involved with the police. Several weeks pass and the group are gripped by guilt and fear, and when Gary is finally reported as a missing person, the police question them. Meanwhile, the middle-aged, jealous and married ex- boyfriend of Sylvia (played by Gina Warwick), Kellett (played by George Sewell), goes to the scene of the crime to retrieve an engraved lighter that could link both of them to the murder and he himself is killed. Chris believes that the killer has to be one of the group and persuades them to return to the house in order to recreate the fatal night in a bid to discover which of their number is a homicidal maniac. And in doing so they find themselves in grave peril...
A flawed, patchy but interesting horror flick from Tigon-American International. It is hampered by the subplot involving the Gina Warwick character's relationship with a married, older man (played by George Sewell) and the scenes at what is supposed to be a swinging London party and the police investigation are as equally uninspired, flatly directed and the performances wooden. Even the dignified presence of Dennis Price as the police inspector cannot arouse much interest. There is also the added addition of a truly dire musical number, 'Responsibility', sung by former pop star Mark Wynter who had graced the UK charts with classics like 'Venus In Blue Jeans' and 'Go Away Little Girl' in the early 60's before he turned to an acting career. Frankie Avalon had himself been a rock and roll teen idol in America in the late 50's with chart-toppers like 'Venus' and 'Why' before he too became a successful actor. However, the shock sequences in the old dark house are an entirely different matter. They are skillfully handled by director Michael Armstrong - well staged with direction, lighting, camerawork and mood music combining to create very high levels of edge-of-seat tension. The murders are very graphic for their time (and still look horrific now) and point the way towards the more gory depiction of horror on screen that would come in the ensuing years. As the film progresses the performances of the young cast, which includes future TV sitcom stars such as Richard O' Sullivan and Robin Stewart, get better and they manage to convey quite well the fear and hysteria of their predicament that adds to the overall horrific effect. However, the best performance in the film comes from Julian Barnes.
A flawed, patchy but interesting horror flick from Tigon-American International. It is hampered by the subplot involving the Gina Warwick character's relationship with a married, older man (played by George Sewell) and the scenes at what is supposed to be a swinging London party and the police investigation are as equally uninspired, flatly directed and the performances wooden. Even the dignified presence of Dennis Price as the police inspector cannot arouse much interest. There is also the added addition of a truly dire musical number, 'Responsibility', sung by former pop star Mark Wynter who had graced the UK charts with classics like 'Venus In Blue Jeans' and 'Go Away Little Girl' in the early 60's before he turned to an acting career. Frankie Avalon had himself been a rock and roll teen idol in America in the late 50's with chart-toppers like 'Venus' and 'Why' before he too became a successful actor. However, the shock sequences in the old dark house are an entirely different matter. They are skillfully handled by director Michael Armstrong - well staged with direction, lighting, camerawork and mood music combining to create very high levels of edge-of-seat tension. The murders are very graphic for their time (and still look horrific now) and point the way towards the more gory depiction of horror on screen that would come in the ensuing years. As the film progresses the performances of the young cast, which includes future TV sitcom stars such as Richard O' Sullivan and Robin Stewart, get better and they manage to convey quite well the fear and hysteria of their predicament that adds to the overall horrific effect. However, the best performance in the film comes from Julian Barnes.
A lifeless dud of a slasher film
Leofwine_draca30 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of those films with a pretty poor reputation that means I haven't got around to watching it until now. I wasn't missing much. THE HAUNTED HOUSE OF HORROR – one hell of a title that has little to do with the film itself – is notable as one of the earliest examples of the slasher genre, the sort of film where lots of pretty young folk are offed one by one by an unknown killer. It has assured direction by Michael Armstrong, who afterwards went to the continent to shoot grisly witchcraft horror MARK OF THE DEVIL, and a cast of youthful actors who were once big names in their heyday.
Frankie Avalon, a one-time singer, has one of the major roles playing his typical character – young, handsome, popular with the ladies, charismatic to boot. He could almost be said to be playing himself. Then there's an obnoxious Richard O'Sullivan, before he found fame on television, and red herring George Sewell, who lurks around looking shifty a lot but that's about it. Dennis Price pops up as an inspector but he only gets a couple of scenes himself, while Jill Haworth's sole contribution is to sit around and look pretty, which she does well enough.
Unfortunately, although the film looks good, it goes nowhere. The script is sub-par and the story plodding. It takes an age for the set-up to get going, and then things look like they're going to pick up with an exceptionally shocking and gory murder sequence about halfway through. Then things kick back to first gear and nothing else happens until the denouement, which itself consists of a couple of people chatting in a room for about ten minutes while suspense builds. There's more gore at the climax, and then everything's left unfinished, so it feels as if they ran out of money.
Aside from those two murders, there's nothing to remember about this movie. The characters are trite, self-centred, and rather irritating, particularly in O'Sullivan's case, and the incredibly annoying Veronica Doran is another detraction the film has. There's far too little incident taking place, which would be all right if this was an exercise in atmosphere building, like some of the Italian gothics from the same era, but it's not. I enjoyed looking at the colourful '60s costumes and sets, but that enjoyment only went so far – and in the end I was just sitting, waiting for something – ANYTHING – to happen. It never did, which is why this one's a dud.
Frankie Avalon, a one-time singer, has one of the major roles playing his typical character – young, handsome, popular with the ladies, charismatic to boot. He could almost be said to be playing himself. Then there's an obnoxious Richard O'Sullivan, before he found fame on television, and red herring George Sewell, who lurks around looking shifty a lot but that's about it. Dennis Price pops up as an inspector but he only gets a couple of scenes himself, while Jill Haworth's sole contribution is to sit around and look pretty, which she does well enough.
Unfortunately, although the film looks good, it goes nowhere. The script is sub-par and the story plodding. It takes an age for the set-up to get going, and then things look like they're going to pick up with an exceptionally shocking and gory murder sequence about halfway through. Then things kick back to first gear and nothing else happens until the denouement, which itself consists of a couple of people chatting in a room for about ten minutes while suspense builds. There's more gore at the climax, and then everything's left unfinished, so it feels as if they ran out of money.
Aside from those two murders, there's nothing to remember about this movie. The characters are trite, self-centred, and rather irritating, particularly in O'Sullivan's case, and the incredibly annoying Veronica Doran is another detraction the film has. There's far too little incident taking place, which would be all right if this was an exercise in atmosphere building, like some of the Italian gothics from the same era, but it's not. I enjoyed looking at the colourful '60s costumes and sets, but that enjoyment only went so far – and in the end I was just sitting, waiting for something – ANYTHING – to happen. It never did, which is why this one's a dud.
An underrated and oddly affecting horror film
lonchaney206 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I'm hardly the first to say it, but memory is a funny thing. I taped this film off of TCM several years ago, and while the film largely struck me as average, the ending haunted me so profoundly that it left a lasting impact on my own work as a writer. I later imported a DVD copy from the UK on the strength of that final scene alone, but I kept putting off re-watching it due to the weaknesses of the story as a whole. Perhaps, too, there was some trepidation at seeing the ending again. I had a built it up so much in my mind that surely the last scene could never live up to my memory. Finally I cast aside my doubts and, having forgotten just about everything except the finale (and the fact that someone gets stabbed in the penis - ouch!), gave it a second shot.
So much has happened between my first viewing and my second that the experienced proved to be profoundly different. I've become much more receptive to different kinds of cinema - so receptive, in fact, that people probably don't trust my opinions. That ship usually sails the minute you start recommending Andy Milligan movies. Anyway, I really enjoyed the film this time. Essentially it's the story of some bored twenty-somethings (and Frankie Avalon, for some strange reason) leaving a lame party and going to check out an allegedly haunted house. Over the course of the night, one of their number gets murdered, and with only one possible entrance to the house having been locked, the only explanation is that one of them is the culprit.
Writer/director Michael Armstrong initially intended to make a much more psychedelic horror movie starring his pal David Bowie. The producers balked on Bowie (a move they no doubt came to regret) and forced Armstrong to take a more conventional approach. Even in its diluted form its still an impressive piece of work, with witty dialogue delivered by a capable cast (even Avalon seems shockingly at home in Swinging London), moody cinematography, a great location, and some well executed (and surprisingly bloody) murders. If the film makes one potentially fatal mistake, it's in spending too much time outside of the creepy abandoned house. Within the dusty ruin Armstrong and cinematographer Jack Atcheler are able to conjure an atmosphere reminiscent of the Italian Gothics. After the first murder, though, we spend a great deal of time back in the city as our heroes attempt to go on with their lives. Clearly the home is where the heart is with this movie, but Armstrong (or Gerry Levy, who rewrote much of the script at AIP's insistence) can only come up with a flimsy pretext to get the characters back there.
As for that ending? Of course it let me down to some extent. My mind had warped it over the years, and in a way my conception of it fused with the stories I myself had been inspired to write after watching it. Looking at it more objectively, though, the sympathy the filmmakers have for their tragic killer still strikes a chord with me, and the final image is still strangely poignant. Perhaps the film isn't an exceptional murder mystery - more than a few clichés are accounted for - but it's nonetheless an entertaining and skillfully directed one. Certainly it's no classic, but it's far better than its 4.5 rating on IMDb would lead you to believe.
So much has happened between my first viewing and my second that the experienced proved to be profoundly different. I've become much more receptive to different kinds of cinema - so receptive, in fact, that people probably don't trust my opinions. That ship usually sails the minute you start recommending Andy Milligan movies. Anyway, I really enjoyed the film this time. Essentially it's the story of some bored twenty-somethings (and Frankie Avalon, for some strange reason) leaving a lame party and going to check out an allegedly haunted house. Over the course of the night, one of their number gets murdered, and with only one possible entrance to the house having been locked, the only explanation is that one of them is the culprit.
Writer/director Michael Armstrong initially intended to make a much more psychedelic horror movie starring his pal David Bowie. The producers balked on Bowie (a move they no doubt came to regret) and forced Armstrong to take a more conventional approach. Even in its diluted form its still an impressive piece of work, with witty dialogue delivered by a capable cast (even Avalon seems shockingly at home in Swinging London), moody cinematography, a great location, and some well executed (and surprisingly bloody) murders. If the film makes one potentially fatal mistake, it's in spending too much time outside of the creepy abandoned house. Within the dusty ruin Armstrong and cinematographer Jack Atcheler are able to conjure an atmosphere reminiscent of the Italian Gothics. After the first murder, though, we spend a great deal of time back in the city as our heroes attempt to go on with their lives. Clearly the home is where the heart is with this movie, but Armstrong (or Gerry Levy, who rewrote much of the script at AIP's insistence) can only come up with a flimsy pretext to get the characters back there.
As for that ending? Of course it let me down to some extent. My mind had warped it over the years, and in a way my conception of it fused with the stories I myself had been inspired to write after watching it. Looking at it more objectively, though, the sympathy the filmmakers have for their tragic killer still strikes a chord with me, and the final image is still strangely poignant. Perhaps the film isn't an exceptional murder mystery - more than a few clichés are accounted for - but it's nonetheless an entertaining and skillfully directed one. Certainly it's no classic, but it's far better than its 4.5 rating on IMDb would lead you to believe.
Average horror movie with chills , thrills and ghastly happenings at a mysterious haunted house
ma-cortes25 January 2022
This run-of-the-mill chilling terror movie in low budget contains heart-pounding horror , suspense , thriller , chills , grisly stabbing and lots of blood and gore . The Haunted House of Horror (1969) is plenty of twisted mysteries , intrigue , suspenseful and being regularly directed . The movie opens with a a group of young people in the swinging London in the late Sixties . Bored with the noisy party they're at drive out to a lonely haunted mansion . Dealing with an old house surrounded by heavy fog , at a creepy night , there they attempt to find out what happened time ago when a ghost committed murders , that's why various characters arrive in the bizarre mansion , then they're dying one by one . They flee from the sinister location ; but shortly after , the leader of the group persuades the rest that they should go back to solve the killings themselves rather than go to the police , opening the way to further slaughter . The survivors must find out who among them is the murderer before he finishes off everybody . Behind its forbidden doors an evil secret hides !. The dead are restless tonight at...
Ordinary slasher terror flick , it contains thrills , chills , gory effects , and high body-count . Routine stabbing pic concerning usual plot in which some bored teens decide to go into a mysterious , deserted house to investigate grisly events long time ago and when they're gathered in the old mansion being killed one by one . As unfortunate victims and other disconcerting visitors submitted to extremely brutal assaults , terrifying situations , frenzied knife attacks , slashing , chases and anything else . The picture starts slowly with overtalking and dull parties in which teanagers dancing and speaking nonsense dialogues ; later on , it takes accent on tension at the eerie house by means of a well-knit script full of twists , turns and an unexpected final . The film was heavily re-written, edited and re-filmed by Gerry Levy due to its American premiere in order to get better box office . It packs scary images-shock , slick mountage and nail-biting pace at times . The movie is a fair murder mystery at a wild week in which a group retread at an isolated location and a killer goes around and carrying out a relentless carnage . The cast of visitors is interchangeable and they keep straight and in some cases more easily identifiable by their interpretations in previous or subsequent films . It displays some surprising images , colorful scenarios and adequate atmosphere . Despite being dismissed critically and really panned by reviewers , the movie has some positive aspects as the attractive cast , such as : the famous American singer Frankie Avalon , Richard O'Sullivan : a popular TV star thanks to successful sitcom ¨Robin's nest¨ , the veterans : Dennis Price, George Sewell , and the the young Jill Haworth who starred other better considered terror movies as : ¨It!¨ , ¨The Mutations¨ and ¨Tower of Evil¨ .
The motion picture was middlingly directed by Michael Armstrong , as it has a lot of flaws , gaps , failures and shortfalls . However , at the insistence of one of the US producers it was drastically edited and re-shot again so that its US exhibition to get more commerciality . Armstrong is a craftsman who worked as an assistant in ¨Witchfinder General¨, he has directed a few films, such as : ¨The haunted house of horror¨ and ¨Screamtime¨. He's usually a movie writer , such as : ¨Black panther¨, ¨The sex thief¨, ¨Shoestring¨, ¨Adventures of a private eye¨. His biggest hit was ¨Mark of the Devil¨ 1970 (at the time considered to be a video nasty , banned in many countries) co-directed by Michael Reeves and Adrian Hoven , though Michael Reeves was first hired, as he was set to shoot it , but Reeves passed away before filming was to start . The Haunted House of Horror (1969) rating : 4.5/10. Mediocre . Only for British horror fans .
Ordinary slasher terror flick , it contains thrills , chills , gory effects , and high body-count . Routine stabbing pic concerning usual plot in which some bored teens decide to go into a mysterious , deserted house to investigate grisly events long time ago and when they're gathered in the old mansion being killed one by one . As unfortunate victims and other disconcerting visitors submitted to extremely brutal assaults , terrifying situations , frenzied knife attacks , slashing , chases and anything else . The picture starts slowly with overtalking and dull parties in which teanagers dancing and speaking nonsense dialogues ; later on , it takes accent on tension at the eerie house by means of a well-knit script full of twists , turns and an unexpected final . The film was heavily re-written, edited and re-filmed by Gerry Levy due to its American premiere in order to get better box office . It packs scary images-shock , slick mountage and nail-biting pace at times . The movie is a fair murder mystery at a wild week in which a group retread at an isolated location and a killer goes around and carrying out a relentless carnage . The cast of visitors is interchangeable and they keep straight and in some cases more easily identifiable by their interpretations in previous or subsequent films . It displays some surprising images , colorful scenarios and adequate atmosphere . Despite being dismissed critically and really panned by reviewers , the movie has some positive aspects as the attractive cast , such as : the famous American singer Frankie Avalon , Richard O'Sullivan : a popular TV star thanks to successful sitcom ¨Robin's nest¨ , the veterans : Dennis Price, George Sewell , and the the young Jill Haworth who starred other better considered terror movies as : ¨It!¨ , ¨The Mutations¨ and ¨Tower of Evil¨ .
The motion picture was middlingly directed by Michael Armstrong , as it has a lot of flaws , gaps , failures and shortfalls . However , at the insistence of one of the US producers it was drastically edited and re-shot again so that its US exhibition to get more commerciality . Armstrong is a craftsman who worked as an assistant in ¨Witchfinder General¨, he has directed a few films, such as : ¨The haunted house of horror¨ and ¨Screamtime¨. He's usually a movie writer , such as : ¨Black panther¨, ¨The sex thief¨, ¨Shoestring¨, ¨Adventures of a private eye¨. His biggest hit was ¨Mark of the Devil¨ 1970 (at the time considered to be a video nasty , banned in many countries) co-directed by Michael Reeves and Adrian Hoven , though Michael Reeves was first hired, as he was set to shoot it , but Reeves passed away before filming was to start . The Haunted House of Horror (1969) rating : 4.5/10. Mediocre . Only for British horror fans .
Sequential Throw Pillows....Oh the Horror!
southpatcher28 January 2003
Showtime aired this howling dog of a flick Monday afternoon, and like a car accident, I knew I shouldn't look, but I couldn't turn away. It aired under it's alternate title "Haunted House of Horror", yet the house itself doesn't seem haunted, and the horrors (both of them) are not very horrifying. Despite some other comments about this movie, these characters are NOT teenagers! Frankie Avalon is already fighting middle age spread as the sole American in a cast of British never-heard-of's who split from a groovy mod party to a dusty deserted old house where naturally, a murder happens. And later another, and another...ending with a resolution that feels like the writer thought it up on the last day of filming.
The spookiest things in this movie don't even happen at the old house, and most involve the female cast. At the party, glum, chubby, bucktoothed Madge dances around with a feather boa, nicely displaying a big bruise (or birthmark) on her arm. Grim Suzanne, who's ended an affair with a strange older man, can't stay at the old house because she simply must go for coffee, and spends the entire movie looking disinterested (or perhaps constipated). Dorothy, the blonde with the panda eye makeup, and Sheila, the blonde with the massive hair are respectively the sweet waif and the cunning minx. Both are horribly miscast, although both Dorothy and Madge get nice little breakdown scenes. Madge's is especially moving. In a move that I'm sure won her a few supporting actress votes that year, she weeps, gnashes her teeth, lets her stringy hair fall into her face, and nearly rends the fringed hem of her blue party dress. Despite this glut of talented ladies, most of the supporting male cast are interchangable, in their staggering assortment of mismatched clothes, the exception being Gary, who forgets what movie he's in and seems to be auditioning for the road company of "Equus".
And then there's Frankie. What on earth possessed Frankie Avalon to ditch Annette on the beach and journey to England for this film? He even brought his 'Beach Party' hair with him. He sticks out like a sort thumb, and there's never a reason given for why these cool Brits hang out with this goon. I kept waiting for one of them (preferably Madge) to accidentally call him 'The Big Kahuna'.
The set designer for this film deserves a special honor for the sequential throw pillows that appear in Sheila's apartment. Each has a different design on it and when placed beside each other, they form a lovely image.
This movie is laugh-out-loud funny...too bad it's supposed to be a suspenseful horror film.
The spookiest things in this movie don't even happen at the old house, and most involve the female cast. At the party, glum, chubby, bucktoothed Madge dances around with a feather boa, nicely displaying a big bruise (or birthmark) on her arm. Grim Suzanne, who's ended an affair with a strange older man, can't stay at the old house because she simply must go for coffee, and spends the entire movie looking disinterested (or perhaps constipated). Dorothy, the blonde with the panda eye makeup, and Sheila, the blonde with the massive hair are respectively the sweet waif and the cunning minx. Both are horribly miscast, although both Dorothy and Madge get nice little breakdown scenes. Madge's is especially moving. In a move that I'm sure won her a few supporting actress votes that year, she weeps, gnashes her teeth, lets her stringy hair fall into her face, and nearly rends the fringed hem of her blue party dress. Despite this glut of talented ladies, most of the supporting male cast are interchangable, in their staggering assortment of mismatched clothes, the exception being Gary, who forgets what movie he's in and seems to be auditioning for the road company of "Equus".
And then there's Frankie. What on earth possessed Frankie Avalon to ditch Annette on the beach and journey to England for this film? He even brought his 'Beach Party' hair with him. He sticks out like a sort thumb, and there's never a reason given for why these cool Brits hang out with this goon. I kept waiting for one of them (preferably Madge) to accidentally call him 'The Big Kahuna'.
The set designer for this film deserves a special honor for the sequential throw pillows that appear in Sheila's apartment. Each has a different design on it and when placed beside each other, they form a lovely image.
This movie is laugh-out-loud funny...too bad it's supposed to be a suspenseful horror film.
"They were obviously a strange bunch"
hwg1957-102-26570428 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
About thirty minutes into the film a character says "I'm not scared, I'm bored" and one thought, yes so am I. It doesn't really pick up from there and apart from a couple of gory killings and good house locations it was a slog to sit through. Apparently the film was re-edited and re-shot in parts and that is evident. Moreover the haunted house wasn't haunted and the red herrings were completely obvious as such. The killer's motive was not really clear and came out of nowhere.
It gets a couple of points for good cinematography from Jack Atcheler and the perky performance from pretty Carol Dilworth. The costumes I suppose were cool in 1969 but like all things cool it soon looks outdated if not hilarious. So, no haunted house, no horror. So no entertainment.
It gets a couple of points for good cinematography from Jack Atcheler and the perky performance from pretty Carol Dilworth. The costumes I suppose were cool in 1969 but like all things cool it soon looks outdated if not hilarious. So, no haunted house, no horror. So no entertainment.
Frankie Avalon!
BandSAboutMovies28 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Also known as Horror House and The Dark, this proto-slasher promised "Behind its forbidden doors an evil secret hides!"
Written and directed by Michael Armstrong, who also made Mark of the Devil and House of the Long Shadows, this takes the traditional night in a haunted house story and turns it on his head. Armstrong originally wrote this when he was just 15 years old before rewriting at the end of the 60's, saying that he worked to "further developing its darker psycho-sexual themes and sharpening characters and dialogue to reflect the current cynical underbelly beneath the superficial Sixties culture."
A mix of Tigon and American-International Pictures, the Western side wanted more sex, a role for Boris Karloff (whose bad health switched the role to Dennis Price) and a role for Frankie Avalon, which ruined the chance for Armstrong to cast David Bowie as Richard. The two had worked before on a short film called The Image.
American Chris (Avalon), his girl Sheila (Jill Haworth, Tower of Evil), Gary (British teen idol Mark Wynter), his girl Dorothy (Carol Dilworth, The Trygon Factor), the on-the-make Sylvia (Gina Warwick), Madge (Veronica Doran, Screamtime), Richard (Julian Barnes) and Henry (Robin Stewart) have all left a boring party for a night at a haunted house, trailed by Sylvia's jealous - and married - ex-boyfriend Paul.
A seance upsets Sylvia, who hitchhikes home, at which point Gary is knifed by someone unseen. As the group all have criminal records, Chris tells them they need to keep this a secret from the police. And even worse, he believes that one of them is the killer.
Sam Arkoff and Jack Nicholson of AIP hated the original cut of the film and added - and subtracted - plenty. What ended up on the screen isn't all that bad and feels like a rough draft of I Know What You Did Last Summer. And hey - I'm all for Frankie Avalon in slashers (see Blood Song).
Written and directed by Michael Armstrong, who also made Mark of the Devil and House of the Long Shadows, this takes the traditional night in a haunted house story and turns it on his head. Armstrong originally wrote this when he was just 15 years old before rewriting at the end of the 60's, saying that he worked to "further developing its darker psycho-sexual themes and sharpening characters and dialogue to reflect the current cynical underbelly beneath the superficial Sixties culture."
A mix of Tigon and American-International Pictures, the Western side wanted more sex, a role for Boris Karloff (whose bad health switched the role to Dennis Price) and a role for Frankie Avalon, which ruined the chance for Armstrong to cast David Bowie as Richard. The two had worked before on a short film called The Image.
American Chris (Avalon), his girl Sheila (Jill Haworth, Tower of Evil), Gary (British teen idol Mark Wynter), his girl Dorothy (Carol Dilworth, The Trygon Factor), the on-the-make Sylvia (Gina Warwick), Madge (Veronica Doran, Screamtime), Richard (Julian Barnes) and Henry (Robin Stewart) have all left a boring party for a night at a haunted house, trailed by Sylvia's jealous - and married - ex-boyfriend Paul.
A seance upsets Sylvia, who hitchhikes home, at which point Gary is knifed by someone unseen. As the group all have criminal records, Chris tells them they need to keep this a secret from the police. And even worse, he believes that one of them is the killer.
Sam Arkoff and Jack Nicholson of AIP hated the original cut of the film and added - and subtracted - plenty. What ended up on the screen isn't all that bad and feels like a rough draft of I Know What You Did Last Summer. And hey - I'm all for Frankie Avalon in slashers (see Blood Song).
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