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House
1985
William Katt (THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO) stars in this 1980s horror/comedy as Roger Cobb, a writer who has just split from his wife and is looking to complete a novel about his experiences in Vietnam. In order to work in peace, Roger moves into his aunt's old house, which she left to him after committing suicide, apparently .. Read more
| Starring | William Katt, Kay Lenz, Mary Stavin, Richard Moll |
|---|---|
| Director | Steve Miner |
| Genres | Horror |
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House
William Katt (THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO) stars in this 1980s horror/comedy as Roger Cobb, a writer who has just split from his wife and is looking to complete a novel about his experiences in Vietnam. In order to work in peace, Roger moves into his aunt's old house, which she left to him after committing suicide, apparently after a bout with mental illness. However, Roger quickly learns that his aunt's suicide was probably the result of the strange forces at work inside her house, forces which begin giving Roger terrible and very real feeling nightmares about his past. Soon, Roger has become convinced that his long dead son is somehow trapped within the house, and he prepares to find an entryway into the house's bizarre supernatural energy. An inventive take on the haunted house genre, HOUSE achieves its distinctive tone by deftly mixing an ominous atmosphere with dark humor and witty dialogue, resulting in an often creepy and very funny movie that has become a cult favorite.
| Starring | William Katt, Kay Lenz, Mary Stavin, Richard Moll, George Wendt |
|---|---|
| Director | Steve Miner |
| Studio | ANCHOR BAY HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 39 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Horror |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 28 Jan 2002 Production year: 1985 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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The Amityville Horror meets First Blood in this straightforward haunted house chiller furnished with effective fun-fuelled scares. Blocked author William Katt (clearly playing a Stephen King clone) moves into a Gothic mansion previously owned by his nutty late aunt to work on his Vietnam memoirs. Soon strange phenomena and rubbery creatures from a sinister netherworld are roaming the floors and his own tortured mind. Director Steve Miner ably steers between broad humour (supplied by deadpan neighbour George Wendt, Norm in Cheers) and beastly visitations (Richard Moll's zombie GI) for tame shock value.
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Struggling with his Vietnam novel, an author seeks solitude: where else but in a haunted house. Visions of his missing... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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6 out of 7 people found this review helpful
Slightly cheesy 80's horror at its best!
Roger Cobb is a Vietnam veteran whose career as an author and marriage are left in tatters when his son Jimmy mysteriously disappears while visiting his aunt's house. The sudden death of his aunt brings Roger back to the house where his nightmares began as he leanrs that he has inherited the house.
Hoping that a change of environment will stop his writers block, he moves in tring to pen his latest novel. The house has other plans for him however, and starts to mentally and physically break him down. At the same time, he has recurring flashbacks to his experiences in 'Nam. Could the two things be somehow related?
House is one of the greatest horror films of the eighties, and spawned a decent series of sequels. The original however is by far the best as it retains all of the horror elements whilst spreading into humourous areas and all the while with a unintential layer of cheese that makes it even funnier to watch.
This film for the most part, tries to stay on the serious side, however with the pure amount of aforementioned cheese spread so think over the film, it is hard to take anything in this film semi-seriously. Throw in George Wendt as the annoying but well meaning neighbour, and you have all the makings for greatness.
The Vietnam subplot is crafted well into the story and fits in with the overall plot very well by the end. William Katt does an excellent acting job as a man who is suffering at the loss of his son and persecution by the house.
Overall the film is quite enjoyable, even if the effects look really dated by today's standards. With some over the top looking bad guys and plenty more to boot, House is a must see for any horror aficionados out there. -
Most recent members' review
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0 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Hmmmm...
So so, if you want 80s horror/comedy, Beetlejuice is far superior.
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News and features
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Street Kings
- 15 Apr 2008
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House
William Katt (THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO) stars in this 1980s horror/comedy as Roger Cobb, a writer who has just split from his wife and is looking to complete a novel about his experiences in Vietnam. In order to work in peace, Roger moves into his aunt's old house, which she left to him after ...
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