Reviews of Haunted House Fiction

A Review of Haunted House – A Novel of Terror

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Author Jack Kilborn presents a tale that features the victimized protagonists of five of his previous thriller novels.  As survivors of terrifying trauma, they are the perfect candidates for a scientific study of fear.  Dr. Emil Forenzi  will pay a million dollars to those who spend the weekend in a haunted house. But they can only collect if they survive.  (The surviving-a-haunted-house stipend has gone up since the 1950’s – Vincent Prince only offered his guests 10,000 dollars per person in “The Haunting of Hill House”.)

The book begins somewhat tediously with one introduction sequence after another until all the readers like me who are unfamiliar with Kilborn’s characters have sampled some of the backstories of these protagonists.  However, the story then takes a turn for the better and the history of the haunted house is revealed.  A dark history it is; a former plantation run by sadist Jebediah Butler who delights in torturing and murdering his slaves. There are underground tunnels that lead to a torture chamber.  Bizarre medical experiments take place on the grounds; a doctor turns a slave into a four-armed monstrosity. Jebediah Butler meets his fate by being burning alive, providing an excellent opportunity  to have a charred ghost appear later in the story.

The story has the key ingredients for any haunted house tale. It has ghostly and gruesome figures that appear out of nowhere and chase the guests.  Protagonists separate and wander about into strange rooms and a maze of tunnels. They witness bizarre occult-like rituals. They watch others become possessed with spirits.  Kilborn has successfully created a fun to read, eerie environment.

However, at a certain point far into the story, the tone changes from a creepy game of survival to an action-laden tale.  The changes are almost abrupt and they are unwelcoming. They are not quite clever enough to be called twists. A good twist would be very welcoming. Alas, there was none.  The overall eerie vibe of the story fades and the mystery evaporates. At this point into the story, I wished I could return to the journey they author originally took me on.

This being said, this is not a bad book.  I just wish it were able to retain a creepy vibe throughout the entire story.

http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-House-A-Novel-Terror-ebook/dp/B00BOWPZUS

Review of The House on Haunted Hill – 1959

/ danielwalterc / 3 Comments

Imagine this: you are seated in a modern movie theater, enjoying the final minutes of a horror film. The screen is huge and captivating. The speakers fill the auditorium with amazing surround sound. Suddenly, a plastic skeleton strung up on a wire floats over everyone’s head. WTF?

This is what happened when movie goers went to the theater to see William Castle’s “The House on Haunted Hill” back in 1959. Castle called this “Emergo” – a special effect set up to make it seem as if something emerges from the screen. This Emergo effect occurred during a pivotal scene where a skeleton rises up from a vat of acid. With the Emergo in place, the skeleton not only escapes from the vat but from the movie itself.

Maybe this stunt was more fitting in 1959 when theaters were low-tech, at least when compared to today’s cinematic powerhouses. Even then, Castle’s in-house skeleton received laughter, not to mention chunks of tossed popcorn and Milk Duds. But you have to admit, a gravity propelled skeleton on a downward angled wire sounds like a lot of fun!

This skeleton that rises out of the vat of acid at the film’s end – this is the whole point of the film. William Castle envisioned this and then later had someone figure out a story to support this “uplifting” skeleton scene!

Speaking of the plot, what is it? The themes and storylines are all too familiar to today’s horror film enthusiast. You’ve seen it all before in follow up films – a group of people must spend the night in a haunted house. There’s the “damsel in distress” that receives the brunt of the horrors, the young hero-type guy who comes to her aid, the skeptical psychiatrist who’s not quite young or handsome enough to be the hero type, the annoying scaredy-cat guy that needs to keep reminding the house guests (and viewers) of the possible ghosts that lurk just around the corner, and the middle age journalist lady who’s…I don’t know, she’s just there. Then there’s the household staff that resembles walking corpses. The guests continually separate – you know the drill.

To all this I say – put aside the modern day bias and try not to get bogged down with the familiar formula and just enjoy the film. Captivate yourselves with the fine performance from the villainous Vincent Price who plays Frederick Loren, the host of this party, who will pay each guest $10,000 for spending the night in the haunted house. Watch as he goes at it with his fourth wife Annabelle. Both want the other dead. There will be attempted murders – this is a mystery film set inside a haunted house. Allow yourselves to be taken in by the mystery. Because for God’s sake, you cannot write off a film that stars Vincent Price! Furthermore, anyone that is fond of horror films is prohibited from disliking a movie where a skeleton rises out of a vat of acid. This just is not allowed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Castle

http://pasttense.kinja.com/emergo-the-re-emergence-of-the-classic-50s-fright-film-1653305821

Review of The House at the End of Time

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The House at the End of Time, (“La Casa del Fin de los Tiempos” in its native language) is a Venezuelan film with English subtitles.  It premiered in the summer of 2013 at the Venezuelan Film Festival. According to Wikipedia, it is the “highest grossing thriller of all time in Venezuela.”

 

In the house that’s the subject of this film, husband/father Juan Jose is murdered – son and young boy Leopolodo “disappears”. He is presumed dead and wife/mother Dulce is reputed to be the murderer.  She serves thirty years in prison for these crimes.  She is then released and she returns to the house, a.k.a the scene of the crime, where strange things are afoot.

 

 

It’s difficult to tread into the weeds of the plot without unearthing major spoilers.  However, a few key words in the title of the film provide an important clue to the secrets of this film: “end of time.”  Therefore, one can expect a film that deals with the supernatural while challenging the linear notion of time.  And this expectation is met – quite brilliantly so!  There are clever twists and turns throughout the film, so much so that at times I became lost in the plot.  But never mind that – at the film’s end I was completely satisfied.  Besides, getting lost helps one to identify with the bewildered characters that are forced to confront the startling mysteries within this house – mysteries that are doled out;  never allowing an understanding of “the big picture” until all is said and done.

 

 

The movie has archetypal haunted house moments – something is banging on closed bedroom doors. Apparitions wander about from “time to time”.  Then there is the staircase that leads down to dark and cryptic tunnels of stone; very convenient for a horror movie, especially since there seems to be no purpose for these tunnels other than to add an extra layer of eerie to an already haunted environment.

 

 

Alejandro Hildago is at the helm of all of the creative and executive roles of this film.  IMDB lists him as the writer, director and executive producer. However, The House at the End of Time begins and ends his resume, at least according to IMDB.  I certainly would like to see more from this man. But if this is to be his first and final film, at least it’s a good one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_House_at_the_End_of_Time

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2640474/reference