31 Days of
Drafts and Darkness: VOL 2!
"House on Haunted Hill" (1999)
Check
out yesterday's - October 9th - entry for my take on the original version!
The 90’s
sensibility towards horror, much like it was to pop culture and comics, was to
go extreme. Scary movies couldn't just be frightening. They also had to feature slick,
street-savvy characters and early-era CGI effects. If things were really bad,
an extreme sport would usually be involved, too. Basically, the fad was to
inject coolness wherever possible. This makes for many eye-rolling moments,
especially when the supposed ‘cool characters’ come off looking more like
cartoons than people.
Tonight’s
film is the remake of 1959’s “House on Haunted Hill” and features many of the
characteristics I listed above. The house is bigger, no longer just a mansion,
but a former insane asylum. No wait, an insane asylum where the head doctor
used to experiment on patients. No, no, even better: an insane asylum with a
mad doctor that gets overrun by its own lunatics in a rebellious massacre that
ultimately burns the place to the ground! You see what I mean?
1999’s “House
on Haunted Hill” is certainly more over-the-top than its predecessor, but
that’s not to say the film is bad. This remake from Dark Castle (“Ghost Ship”, “13
Ghosts”, “Gothika”) simply chooses to go in another direction. The 1959 version
keeps you guessing. Is what’s happening the result of ghosts or some
murderous scheme? The remake ignores the mystery and goes for the throat with a
seriously twisted and bloodthirsty pack of ghouls.
The Plot:
Like the original, the remake of "House of Haunted
Hill" revolves around a party. This time, the millionaire couple are
Stephen and Evelyn Price, obviously a nod to Vincent Price from the original.
Stephen earned his fortune creating some of the most extreme, terrifying
amusement park rides imaginable. It's no surprise the man is fascinated by
fear. His trophy wife, much like in the original, is really only with him for
the money. She hates his guts. He hates hers. Romance.
Evelyn's birthday just so happens to fall on Halloween
night, and Stephen has rented out the titular House for a ghoulishly-themed
party. This House has a truly nasty history, as it once served as a hospital for
the criminally insane. What's worse, the doctors at this facility would
routinely experiment on their patients. The lead
physician, a sicko by the name of Dr. Vannacutt (played by genre staple Jeffery
Combs), designed the facility to go into lockdown whenever an incident happens,
with numerous gates and iron bars. Human guinea pigs, the inmates staged a
rebellion that subjected the doctors and nurses to the same grisly tortures
they once endured. In the course of the bloodshed, Dr. Vannacutt tripped the
security system, sealing all inhabitants of the House within. None survived.
Now, seeking some paranormal fun, Mr. Price has rented out
the abandoned facility for a party, only none of the guests seem to know each
other. Unlike the original, Mr. Price has no idea who these people are. They
weren't on the guest list. Each, however, is aware of Price's challenge. Much
like in 1959, those who can stay the whole night receive a hefty prize, now
upped to one million dollars each. Anyone who perishes has their money go into the group
pot. Thus, those who survive now benefit from the death of their fellow
partygoers. Let the games begin.
The Flavor:
From a structural view, I was really surprised how much
1999's version of "House on Haunted Hill" paid homage to the
original. Naming the leads after Vincent Price is one thing, but even the story
is designed to follow similar beats right up until the midpoint. At that time,
things go in their own direction. The house itself also bears a
strong resemblance to the original, only now given a "bigger is
better"-style makeover.
While the survive-the-night theme persists, the nature of
the House has changed considerably. The place is no former home, but a literal
tomb to the murderous and insane. Both psychotic convict and
twisted physician died in these walls, and each quite violently. There's little
debate over the presence, much less intent, of resident spirits. These things are
here and want nothing but vengeance. They go after each character like a
hunter, toying with them before moving in for the grisly, often messy, kill.
Flavorwise, this departure is a 180-twist from the
original. Subtly is thrown out the window, and while a murder scheme is in the
mix, it's quickly resolved to make room for the ghosts. Each spectre is a
nightmarish and bloody entity. When they attack, we receive horrifying glimpses
into what took place the night of the massacre. Nasty as these ghouls are to
look at, especially when they're tearing the cast to shreds, it's these little flashbacks
that provide the deepest fright. Each is a disturbing scene of cruelty that
strikes a little icy dagger into your chest. Much of the film, gory as it is,
does have a sense of fun about it. But these flashbacks are all business,
looking only to disturb you.
It's here that my one complaint comes from. "House on
Haunted Hill" has some grade-A creepy imagery, and plays it up well.
Problem is, it relies far more on jump-scares and a CGI wraith to shock you.
These moments are in your face, and while initially scary, they don't stick
with you long after the fact. They're loud and flashy, which is fine, but the
lasting image of the flashbacks is what really digs at your nerves. A bit more
focus on the atmospheric moments would've deepened the terror factor.
There's also a good dose of humor, most of it stemming from
the characters. Stephen and Evelyn Price are like the Lorens taken to an
almost cartoony extreme. It's as if their only character traits are to snicker,
scheme, and insult. Most of the other characters are fairly shallow, so when
someone meets their maker, isn't no
emotional loss.
However, these are minor complaints when you consider what
the remake is going for. 1999's "House on Haunted Hill" is more about
spectacle than atmosphere. It wants to deliver a tale that's as equally bloody
as it is spooky. The ghoulish designs are quite impressive and the flashbacks
literally the stuff of nightmares.
If you like your horror less subtle and more visceral, this
is the way to go.
Best Paired with:
So remember how I said the 1959 version of "House"
was likely appropriate for family viewing? Yea, not so much here. The
"House on Haunted Hill" remake displays a penchant for gore. Even
when a death scene is only implied, we still get to see its squishy aftermath.
And unlike the original, the props used for these scenes do look realistic.
Those who enjoy their horror loud and intense will have fun
here. Viewers looking for a decent couple of scares and some creative effects
should be pleased. Viewers looking for deep characters and/or mystery will be
disappointed.
I think 1999's "House on Haunted Hill" is a better
scary movie than it gets credit before. You just have to remember that it's
more along the B-movie style of horror than the classically creepy original.
Accompanying Brew:
Name: Pumpkin Wheat
Brewery: Shock Top
Where Brewed: St. Louis
ABV: 5.1%
Style: Pumpkin Ale/Wheat Ale
Shocktop mainly produces lighter, often fruity concoctions.
Shandys and wheat beers are a major part
of their wheelhouse. Let's see what happens when they take a Hefeweizen and
add some pumpkin and spices.
Color: Pumpkinhead Ales seem to have an orange shade all
their own. Something akin to the look of the inside of a lit pumpkin.
Brightly orange, but with mixed darker/golden tones every now and then,
depending on how the light hits it. Not very cloudy for a wheat beer, either.
Aroma: Fall spices are in full array: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove. A
sweet pumpkin scent is also there, with a bit of wheat/nutty smell coming
from, I suppose, the wheat.
Taste: While the brew is at the front of your mouth, there's
a flavor much akin to a more amber-ale, where you can taste the malt (and wheat, in this case). There's also something bright there, almost cirtrusy. The
citrus flavor really shows up at the beginning. Once the beer hits the center
of your tongue and washes over the rest of your mouth, the spices and pumpkin
flavor come a calling. There's a nice balance between the two, with no single spice or the pumpkin flavor alone dominating the taste. Rather, the 'Fall
package' arrives, stands as the obvious center piece of the beer, and then allows for some of the wheat nuttiness to show up in the
background. The more you sip, the more your tongue acclimates to the spices and
the less bold their flavor is.
Aftertaste: The pumpkin fades, though doesn't disappear
entirely. Spices now dominate. In the background, you'll pick up the same
wheat flavor (which goes quite nicely with the spices, actually. Like a
cinnamon bread), and very mellow hop character at the very end.
Body: Very light. Though packed with Fall flavors, this is
certainly a beer you could down in copious quantity at a late summer/early Fall
BBQ. Goes down very easy.
Pair: A good 'pizza and beer night' beer, light and
refreshing, not bland or watery, and not skimping on the seasonal flavors. I
actually enjoyed the slight citrus kick at the beginning. It brightened things
up, and unlike a shady, didn't get too overpowering. Pair with pizza, buffalo
wings, garlic bread.
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