House on Haunted Hill [1959 film]

This film is quite a bit of fun, but it has so many plot holes that it makes you wonder if anyone was paying attention. Very interesting cast, however, and generally well acted, which is an achievement given how silly it is. Watch it with someone you love and engage in your own MST narration.

Though the plot and dialogue are sometimes unsubtle to the point of silliness, it's pleasantly short and to the point for an ensemble piece. Despite the characters each being a sketch of a type, they all feel complete enough. The pair of twists at the end, while somewhat predictable, are reasonably seamless and don't feel shoehorned in. This review sounds like faint praise, but this is a pretty satisfying watch, especially because you can see the kernels of tropes that would later become horror staples.

2025 movie #1. 1959. An eccentric millionaire (Price) invites 5 strangers to a birthday party for his wife in a rented haunted house. He promises $10,000 to anyone who spends the whole night. More funny than scary in this day and age with every haunted house troupe thrown in.

Five strangers are invited to stay the night in a haunted house.

What the heck - what's a good movie doing in my "bad horror movies" marathon? Maybe this endeavor won't be quite as painful as I thought.

Concept: C
Story: B
Characters: B
Dialog: B
Pacing: B
Cinematography: C
Special effects/design: C
Acting: B
Music: B

Enjoyment: B

GPA: 2.7/4