Table Of Content
The Legend of Hell House was the single best work that John Hough ever turned out. There is a certain tendency to rely on shock effect and the film never has any scenes as startling and effective as the famous door battering in The Haunting but Hough creates a tense and uneasy atmosphere from the outset. Alan Hume’s photography – with shots reflected off rotating records and entire rooms seen in the curved reflection of a polished silver teapot – is marvellously stylish. If you’d like to chat more about under-seen and underrated films, feel free to hit me up with your thoughts on Twitter, Threads, or Instagram. On the whole, The Legend of Hell House is a visually striking film with no shortage of atmosphere. Keen direction, a strong screenplay, and a standout performance by Roddy McDowall make this feature a must-see for anyone who has yet to experience the film.
Top cast
Clive Revill, the physicist, who attempts to clear the house of its evil, Pamela Franklin, the mental medium and Roddy McDowall the survivor of the previous incursion, are all first-rate. Fans of "The Legend of Hell House" and haunted house stories in general should have no qualms about picking up a copy. The last-act revelation is a let-down and even somewhat silly, but this remains a top-tier ghost movie, thanks mostly to director John Hough, who privileges atmosphere over logic. The external shots of the house were filmed at Wykehurst Park, West Sussex.
Julie Harris in The Haunting (1963) - imdb
Julie Harris in The Haunting ( .
Posted: Sun, 01 Mar 2015 23:20:36 GMT [source]
Photos & Videos
McDowall’s portrayal of Benjamin Fischer, a tortured soul caught between the realms of the living and the dead, is particularly outstanding. The Haddonfield, Illinois residence where a young Michael Myers murdered his sister in John Carpenter's original Halloween (1978) is actually located in South Pasadena. Abandoned at the time of the filming, it was later remodeled and moved a few blocks north from its original location. Despite the changes, the two-story office building should still be recognizable to horror movie buffs. Known today as the Century House, the building was named South Pasadena Cultural Landmark No. 34 and is located just steps from the South Pasadena Station of the Metro L Line (Gold). The late 1970s through the early 90s was a golden age of the horror/slasher flick, and nowhere was filming of the genre more prevalent than in the City of Angels and its environs.
Director
One of the film’s strengths lies in its ability to keep viewers guessing with unexpected twists and turns. The script, written by Matheson himself, masterfully combines elements of exorcism, possession, and psychic phenomena to create a truly chilling narrative. The production design deserves special mention, as it successfully brings the haunted mansion to life, enveloping the audience in a world of darkness and dread. The movie, directed by John Hough, effectively captures the eerie atmosphere of the haunted mansion through its stunning cinematography and haunting soundtrack. The performances of the cast, including Pamela Franklin and Roddy McDowall, bring depth and authenticity to the characters.
The Legend of Hell House is a 1973 gothic supernatural horror film directed by John Hough, and starring Pamela Franklin, Roddy McDowall, Clive Revill, and Gayle Hunnicutt. It follows a group of researchers who spend a week in the former home of a sadist and murderer, where previous paranormal investigators were inexplicably killed. Its screenplay was written by American author Richard Matheson, based upon his 1971 novel Hell House. Aging millionaire Rudolf Deutsch wants to be assured of the existence of life after death. He offers a group of parapsychologists and mediums £100,000 each if they will investigate the notoriously haunted Belasco mansion, which has been nicknamed Hell House. A previous attempt to explore the house sent all but one of the investigating team insane.
Go On Location: Iconic Horror Movie Locations in Los Angeles
This journey into a terrifying haunted house is one of metaphysics, exploring how disbelief, in many forms, can work against oneself. One of Monrovia’s oldest surviving Victorian homes appeared as Leigh Cabot’s residence in Christine, John Carpenter’s 1983 film about a possessed Plymouth Fury. The gorgeous dwelling was originally constructed in 1887, the same year that Monrovia was incorporated as a city.
The 25 Best Haunted House Movies of All Time - Mentalfloss
The 25 Best Haunted House Movies of All Time.
Posted: Thu, 26 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Videos
The mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places in March 1978, and designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 212 in May 1979. Although to remind everyone again, these places are occupied so let’s not knock on the doors or walk on people’s lawns. In the last scene where Joseph Gordon Levitt has his interview… That’s the Bradbury building. However, some of these masterful works of art we call sets are just good ol’ fashion buildings that stand in Los Angeles today. Discovering the naughtiest gay nightlife so you never miss out.
Many horror locales from that time period remain unchanged today, still possessing the power to give those in the know a good scare. Celebrate the 45th anniversary of Halloween and more with our guide to iconic horror movie locations in Los Angeles. Both films feature a team of four – a parapsychologist and two mediums – conducting an investigation into a haunted house. Both eschew the standard clanking chains and headless ghosts and aim for more cerebral places. Both also owe something to the psychological ghosts of Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw (1898) and the suggestion that apparitions exists somewhere between the real, repression and what the ghostbusters want to believe. The movie follows a team of investigators who are tasked with unraveling the mysteries of the Belasco House, a notoriously haunted mansion.
Fischer then concentrates, and a stained-glass partition in the chapel shatters, revealing a hidden door. Possessed by the malevolent spirit, Tanner attempts to destroy it, thinking that it will harm the spirits in the house, but she is prevented from doing serious damage. She enters the chapel, "the unholy heart" of the house, in an attempt to warn the spirits, but she is crushed by a falling crucifix. Fischer wanders the house afterwards, attempting to sense psychic energy; in astonishment, he declares the place "completely clear!" But violent psychic activity soon resumes, and Barrett is killed. The Stimson House is located a five-minute walk from the LATTC/Ortho Institute Station of the Metro E Line (Expo).
The Doyle house, where Jamie Lee Curtis babysits, is 1530 Orange Grove Avenue, and the Wallace house, scene of the murders, is across the street at 1537 Orange Grove Avenue. The Bradbury building is used near the end where Decker fights the last robots. This picturesque structure is open to the public and in use today. You can visit the Bradbury building and check out the ironwork. Ultimately, the scene where Christine meets her demise and…well gets dragged to hell is none other than Union Station. I know, I know… it just looks like a generic train track… Union Station is a decent looking train station, but train tracks will be train tracks.
Works based on his novels and stories are The Omega Man (1971) from his I Am Legend, the afterlife fantasy What Dreams May Come (1998), the fine ghost story Stir of Echoes (1999), I Am Legend (2007), The Box (2009) and Real Steel (2011). This week’s pick is one of my favorite haunted house films and certainly one of the most underrated. John Hough’s The Legend of Hell House is an atmospheric horror thriller that slowly builds to an unbearable level of tension in the third act. The picture is steeped in Gothic atmosphere and features a terrifying supernatural element that comes to a head in a mind-blowing conclusion.
The ‘Hell House’ of the title, one time home of sadistic debauchee Emeric Belasco (a character clearly based on notorious magician Aleister Crowley), is Wykehurst Park, Colwood Lane, Bolney, Haywards Heath. Disappointingly, the Victorian Gothic fantasy is a private home and not visible from the road. The palatial home of the obviously stinkingly rich Mr Deutsch (Roland Culver), who commissions the investigation, is Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire.
In any case, this house is unique enough to make it a pit stop in your Los Angeles tour. The Ennis House is located at 2607 Glendower Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027. The Nightmare on Elm Street house, where Nancy lived is located at 1428 Genessee Avenue, West Hollywood, Los Angeles. The original star, Heather Langenkamp played a great final girl at this location! It’s too bad her dreamy Johnny Depp Boyfriend who lived across the street didn’t make it ’til the end.
Stricken by the accusation, Fischer drops his psychic shields, but he is immediately attacked. The infamous prom scene from the 1976 Brian De Palma film, Carrie took place at the gym of the former Pier Avenue Junior High School in Hermosa Beach. While the school’s gym interior was used for some filming, a replica of it was created on a soundstage at Culver Studios for the massacre scene. Pier Avenue Junior High shut its doors in 1975 and was subsequently converted into the Hermosa Beach Community Center, which still looks largely the same as it did in "Carrie."
Even though he is deceased, Belasco’s presence permeates the home. He has left haunting mementos behind and seems to have substantial posthumous influence over the participants of the study. I will, however, say that the finale is mind-melting in the best possible way. The third act goes all out, proving to be both unhinged and surreal. Despite the fact that it was released over 40 years ago, John Hough's The Legend of Hell House still remains one of the greatest and most effective haunted house films ever committed to celluloid.
No comments:
Post a Comment