The Legend of Hell House [Blu-ray]

"The Legend of Hell House" is supremely subtle, character-driven haunted house story.The four principal actors in it - Roddy McDowall, Pamela Franklin, Clive Revill, and Gayle Hunnicutt - are the only people you see for much of the film's running time. There's two other characters in the first five minutes, but after that, it's just the excellent ensemble inside the house.It's very well-written, the screenplay being adapted by Richard Matheson from his novel with the simpler title of just "Hell House". The direction by John Hough is also solid, drawing you in to the characters so that you feel pretty invested in them by the film's climax. Hough also does some really interesting film shots too, my favorite being looking at a character coming into a room via the reflection of a silver teapot!I had this on videotape (from television back in the 1980's), and then on DVD. And now at last, on blu-ray.The blu-ray is a definite improvement over the DVD. It looks like they did a clean scan of the film, and didn't recycle the previous scan for the DVD, as sometimes happens to these older movies.The audio is remixed top 5.1 (It was initially mono). There's also an interview with the director, and film commentary by Pamela Franklin.It's definitely worth a look; the ending is quite hair-raising.

Haunted house movies don't get the respect they deserve.The truth is, IMO there have been fewer than a handful of classic haunted house movies ever made: the original "Haunting," "The Woman in Black," "Paranormal Activity," and "The Legend of Hell House."What makes a classic haunted house movie? Well, the director, script, and actors, of course. But a really effective -- by that I mean SCARY -- haunted house movie needs a deliberate, very carefully modulated pace.Some haunted house movies have failed miserably on this score, notably "Poltergeist," the "Haunting" remake, "Insidious," "The Conjuring," and "1408," among others. Start piling on too many scares too quickly, and the film loses tension. (In fact, almost all the great horror films, including "Alien," "The Birds," "Psycho," and "The Exorcist" take at least the full first half-hour setting up the plot and characters, before any hint of something frightening occurs.)Superior haunted house movies also rely on subtle effects, including sound effects as in "The Haunting." What you imagine is often scarier than what you see...And most great haunted house movies need a great haunted house ("Paranormal Activity" is a rare exception, with events there occurring in a typical suburban house.)Well, "The Legend of Hell House" knocks it out of the ballpark in all these areas. The acting by a committed cast, direction by a veteran B-film director who transcended the genre here, and above all the screenplay by the late great Richard Matheson, based on his book "Hell House" (which haunted house fans will definitely want to read), all set this sublime spookfest apart.Because TLOHH was made in 1973, almost all the visual effects were pre-CGI physical effects, accomplished flawlessly with pneumatics, hidden wires, a hollowed-out bed, and the like.Wykehurst Place, a Gothic Revival mansion in West Sussex, England, was used for the exterior shots, and what a scary joint this is, especially when embellished with fog and a possessed black cat. This castle is right up there with the Psycho house as one of the most memorable malevolent settings in any film.I should comment on the BR extras here -- they could be better, but they're still most welcome. There's an audio commentary by actress Pamela Franklin, who so indelibly portrayed the spiritual medium Florence Tanner. This audio track unfortunately was pieced together from an interview where the actress was apparently not viewing the film as she spoke.So if you select to hear the commentary, you will find that the BR skips a few of the film's early scenes to pick up when Franklin first appears onscreen, the commentary ends before the film's climactic scene where Roddy McDowall discovers the house builder's secret -- and much of it finds Franklin discussing other films in her career, rather than addressing what's taking place onscreen.More useful, perhaps, is the interview with director John Hough (rhymes with "cough"), where he reveals that TLOHH was his favorite film of all he ever made, and that the British Film Institute ranked the movie among the 10 greatest horror films of all time (though I haven't been able to confirm this claim).Finally, the image is excellent -- the movie has never looked so good -- though I agree with other reviewers that it's too bad they only include the original mono sound mix here, neglecting the later remastered surround-sound version.Still, if you like haunted house movies and have never seen this classic -- this BR is definitely worth a purchase. You will surely want to see the film more than once.

I don't know how I missed seeing this movie before now, but it has instantly become a favorite haunted house film. Roddy McDowell is fantastic as the lone survivor from a previous expedition to the house, guiding a group of newcomers.One of the great features of this film is the house. Outside and in, the house is the main character; spooky, atmospheric, and wholly haunted. The use of fog and shadow in all the right places adds to the experience.The blu ray looks fantastic. The bonus features are worth checking out.Here is a bonus: The leading ladies are beautiful. One leaves little to the imagination. If you intend to watch this with younger viewers be advised, there is a bit of nudity. For those who enjoy gothic horror or haunted house films, or want to see Roddy McDowell hamming it up in the best of ways, don't miss this one.

I remember being scared stiff by this movie when I was a kid. Watching it again brought back wonderful memories of being scared and having so much fun in the process. A great movie and a story well told.

Ya me ha llegado, todo bien.

Great horror film of the 70 s low key atmospheric film , if you like Hammer Horror films , you love this one , Muti region blu ray, picture a bit bright at times , but otherwise fine

Very atmospheric film made much creepier by the marvelous soundtrack by Delia Derbyshire - Just a pity this music isn't available on cd.

Horror - when it is badly done - takes a shift to the comical; it becomes funny... One has to look back at the Butterflies flapping their wings in The Exorcist: the Beginning. Don't be fooled by the poster which hints at cheesyness: this is a great - and thrilling - movie that scares and keeps you on hedge. Not only is the acting great and the story very well developed but this movie attempts to present a debate that has gripped our society for a long time between science and the spiritual world... One of the best that I have ever seen!