The Legend Of Hell House (1973)

From the DVD case: It sits there, shrouded in mist and mystery, a nesting place for living evil and terror from the dead. It’s Hell House. Roddy McDowall heads the cast of this exciting chiller about four psychic investigators and the dark, brooding mansion they themselves call “the Mt. Everest of haunted houses.” It’s already destroyed one team of researchers. Now this brave quartet ventures in for another try at unraveling its secret. (1973,color)

Mark says: The Legend of Hell House is another film adapted from a novel by Richard Matheson (Duel, The Incredible Shrinking Man). Matheson wrote the screenplay himself, though many of the explicit scenes from his novel (Hell House) had to be toned down to receive its PG rating. This was particularly true of the sexual scenes.

Matheson had high hopes in regards to assembling a cast:

At one time I had in my mind a dream cast of Richard Burton and his wife Elizabeth Taylor to play the two mediums, Rod Ststeiger and his wife Claire Bloom to play the professor and his wife. Just after they made The Legend of Hell House people began making the really classy, A-picture-type horror films, starting with The Exorcist, so if I had held onto Hell House a few more years, it might have gotten that kind of treatment, too.

I Have Returned

 

I’m a little worse for wear, but I’m trying to piece myself back together to write another batch of reviews. Though I’ve been out of commission for more than 6 months, my movie collection has continued to grow and I feel the need to share. Of course, with October and Halloween approaching, I’m more inclined to get myself in gear.

A tidy and precious corner of my life became very messy about half a year ago, and everything else was put on hold while I tried to restore order. My attempts were futile and that sacred portion of my life, like the House of Usher, ultimately collapsed upon itself, leaving me heartbroken and uninspired. I don’t know if I gained much wisdom from the experience, but I will say I have a new appreciation for the word horror.

Because I’ve come to know horror so intimately this year, it seems only natural that I should resume my reviews. I’m making no promises as to how often the reviews will come, but I assure you that they are coming. As you read this, a new review is already in the works.

Meanwhile, I plan to participate in the 31 Flicks That Give You The Willies survey that is going on at Shoot the Projectionist:

I hereby announce the 31 Greatest Horror Films , a survey to be compiled throughout Shocktober! and published on Halloween. I am inviting, inducing—hell, just plain cajoling—you to submit a list of the 31 Greatest Horror Films according to you. Whether that means your 31 favorite scary movies or the 31 films you feel are the most influential or original, well… that’s sort of up to you.

I’m sure my list is going to have a strong retro-feel to it. Read more information here. It appears everyone is invited, so don’t be shy about making your own list.

Look for my new review soon. I hate to give myself a deadline, but I’m thinking sometime this weekend.

I look forward to corresponding with my old friends again, and am always more than willing to meet new ones.

Thanks for your patience in this matter,

Exclamation Mark