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NZEW Awards
NZEW NominationsNZEW WinnersReviews
Anna and the KingThree KingsGirl InterruptedBowfingerTwo HandsThe InsiderElectionThe Debt CollectorMystery AlaskaAmerican BeautyThe Talented Mr RipleyCrazy in AlabamaThe HurricaneThe BeachThe End Of The AffairSleepy HollowHouse on haunted hillThe Cider House RulesThe Green MileScream 3Mission to MarsGalaxy QuestStuart LittleThe Iron Giant|
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| House on haunted hill |
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| Starring Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Peter Gallagher, Taye Diggs, Bridgette Wilson |
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| Ah yes, the haunted house. Where would B-grade horror flicks be without it? Mucking about in the woods, perhaps. The trouble is that this remake of William Castle's 1958 film of the same name isn't so much haunted as empty of anything other than cheap special effects, an aimless script and very routine performances. Geoffrey Rush, in the first film he made after the excellent Shine, is a billionaire horror theme-park mogul called Price. He has organised a birthday bash for his spoiled wife Evelyn (Janssen, GoldenEye) at an abandoned art deco tower that was the Vannacutt Psychiatric Institute for the Criminally Insane. The institute was the scene of horrific experiments in the 1930s. To spice up the party, Price has invited a selection of rather dull horror fodder - not the ones his wife thought were invited - who will earn $1 million apiece if they can survive a night of silly pranks. The house has other ideas and proceedings degenerate into a bloody fight for survival. This haunted house - from two producers who should have known better, Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future) and Joel Silver (The Matrix) - has its tongue firmly planted in cheek. But that can't save it. It is a plodding formula mix of gore and screams targeted at undiscriminating teenagers. Contains horror scenes? Not really. A remake, yes. But why? |
 n.e.w@journalist.com |
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