GEOFFREY RUSH HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL MOVIE
GEOFFREY RUSH HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL UPDATE

When WillardвЂ™s friends begin to act out on their own however, a dash of suspense only furthers the dark macabreness of the entire film. As a movie, Willard is somewhat of a slowburn, but when the horror sequences arrive, they bring with them a sense of playfulness as Willard exacts his revenge on those he believes deserve it. Glover is so incredible as the title character, effortlessly channeling the alienation and suffocation at having to exist in a world he feels he doesnвЂ™t belong. ItвЂ™s because of this that when Willard discovers the power he holds over rats (themselves creatures society feels they have no use for), he discovers not only a kinship to them, but also an emboldened voice he never knew he had. Willard is someone who is all but invisible to society with most barely taking the time to notice his existence unless theyвЂ™re belittling or abusing him. More dark character piece than outright horror, 2003вЂ™s Willard drew on past anti-heroes in order to craft the central character a complex puzzle of a man who is afraid of the outside world. Ultimately though, amongst all the style and the scares is House on Haunted HillвЂ™s notion of fate and destiny working against us in one of the most horrific ways the world of horror could possibly conjure up. ThereвЂ™s the pointing to the past sins of loved ones as the reason for the unsatisfying state of present day lives, as well as the blatant opportunism running throughout each of the main characters. So much of House on Haunted Hill takes its cues from the somewhat cynical decade of the 90s.

GEOFFREY RUSH HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL MOVIE

Harsh (and still disturbing) prologue aside, the horror sequences themselves give off the right kind of surreal fright the movie was going for, coming off as more imaginative than most gave it credit for upon initial release. Yet itвЂ™s the movieвЂ™s stylish panache which gives it its life, from its opening titles, to music video-like montages (oh so very popular in the late 90s) to the intriguing soundtrack, to the gothic set design. The movieвЂ™s Agatha Christie-like set up is always a welcome treat and the actors have fun chewing the dark scenery in their own ways with Janssen and Kattan both standouts.

This is a film so totally of the decade in both its aesthetics and its mindset.

GEOFFREY RUSH HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL UPDATE

If the original House on Haunted Hill showed how fun Castle and Price collaborations could be, this 1999 update relies on both flair and fatalism in order to see it through. Take for example the case of 1999вЂ™s House on Haunted Hill and 2003вЂ™s Willard for proof that such a theory rings true. Occasionally though, it is possible to find the rare horror remake which does right by its original counterpart, eventually coming off as loving tribute more than a soulless imitation. This has changed in the last decade or so, particularly with horror films as studio executives continue to believe that lovers of the genre will totally devour any haphazzardly made update of their favorite classics. Remakes were always a mainstay, but for the most part have never overstayed their welcome. But the industry has been stuck in a perpetual loop of revisiting anything with a pulse of past success in the hopes that nostalgia will automatically translate into big business at the multiplex. Much like 2016вЂ™s Poltergeist or this yearвЂ™s Pet Sematary, this version was neither needed nor desired by anyone least of all the fans, who continue to happily lap up sequel after sequel featuring their favorite killer doll.

ItвЂ™s ChuckyвЂ™s turn to get the remake/reboot/reimagining treatment from Hollywood as 2019вЂ™s ChildвЂ™s Play hit theaters this past weekend.

Geoffrey rush house on haunted hill