‘Tis the Season to Stream this Eerie Vincent Price Chiller
When it comes to the films of Vincent Price, there are multiple starring the King of the Grand Guignol that I could recommend for the Halloween season. Any one of his collaborations with Roger Corman adapting the works of Edgar Allan Poe would fit the bill, from House of Usher to The Masque of the Red Death. Theater of Blood offers up a masterclass performance from the actor good for any time of the year. Or perhaps the macabre camp of The Abominable Dr. Phibes is more your style? But there’s one I’d argue slides perfectly into that horror movie marathon you plan on having at the end of the month…House on Haunted Hill (1959).
Not to be confused with the 1999 Dark Castle remake—also great for this time of year—the original House on Haunted Hill delivers on old-school frights that (mostly) hold up well. It’s a classic tale of ghostly terror, filled with twists, turns, and a tremendous portrayal by Price.
What’s House on Haunted Hill (1959) About?
Directed by the brilliant William Castle (The Tingler, 13 Ghosts), we meet a millionaire named Frederick Loren (Price). He has invited a group of strangers to stay in a creepy mansion with he and his wife, Annabelle (Carol Ohmart). If they agree to stay through the night, they’ll make a cool 10k. The catch? The house may be haunted by some malevolent ghosts.
Old-School Terror that (Mostly) Holds Up
For those unaware, William Castle was known first and foremost as an entertainer who took full advantage of gimmicks to draw in audiences. He had theaters install vibrating seats for The Tingler. Handed out special ghost-viewing glasses dubbed “Illusion-O” for 13 Ghosts. And zip-lined a skeleton over the heads of viewers during a pivotal scene in House, a gimmick he called “Emergo”. The filmmaker always thought outside the box, and House reflects that clever style in spades.
What starts as a simple haunting becomes a complex murder mystery in which foul play oozes from the walls. Played with the usual gothic allure that made Price a star, his character even embodies a little of Castle himself. A peculiar man with a flair for the dramatic and a mind for good scares, we’re never quite sure what his true motives are…only that he’s hiding something. The same goes for his wife, Annabelle. In fact, one of the many delights in watching House comes by observing the verbal sparring that the contentious couple indulges in. Every chance they get, they “joke” of ways to murder one another. What they and the ghosts are up to I wouldn’t dare spoil here, but I promise, it’s a scream.
What Others Are Saying
While I find House on Haunted Hill’s Letterboxd average of three-and-a-half out of five stars a bit lower than I’d like, (the film’s a classic), audience consensus agrees that it’s a fun fright fest. One user claims that House contains, “some of the most essential jump scares in horror”, while another describes it as full of “wild moments that you might not be expecting”.
You can’t go wrong with any Vincent Price horror film during Halloween, but if you must watch only one, make it House on Haunted Hill. Sure, you can see the wires holding up the film’s many ghouls, but that’s just part of the old-school charm. Stream it on HBO Max, and get ready for an eerie evening of ghosts, murder and Price at his very best.
Categorized: Streaming News
