The House of Dies Drear

While I have not read the book and cannot comment on Sarah from London's remarks, I think that labeling a move as "Pretty bad" is pretty bad! This is a movie for kids and adults may laugh about the plot and characters, but it's for kids! My son enjoyed it and was not only entranced, but got an idea about how the Underground Railroad worked! How many kids movies actually teach them something that they probably won't learn in most schools?

This is a very strange movie with elements of history, some comedy and horror. I remembered being scared of it as a kid, and as an adult I can still appreciate this film.

It's basically the story of a family moving into a historic house that was owned by Dies Drear, an abolitionist who hid slaves and helped them escape. There is also a rumored treasure hidden somewhere on the land. The family is haunted in the house and meet a strange man who seems to know many of the secrets of the house.

It's a great film. Very clean with some pretty scary elements. No blood and guts and no bad language. It's educational too.

This movie was almost as good as the book. It is a little boring, but the acting was great.A huge, old house with secret tunnels, a cantankerous caretaker, and buried treasure is a dream-come-true for 13-year-old Thomas. The fact that it's reputedly haunted only adds to its appeal! As soon as his family moves in, Thomas senses something strange about the Civil War era house, which used to be critical stop on the Underground Railroad. With the help of his father, he learns about the abolitionists and escaping slaves who kept the Underground Railroad running. While on his own, he explores the hidden passageways in and under the house, piecing clues together in an increasingly dangerous quest for the truth about the past. A heart-pounding adventure with this absorbing classic.

My parents were all about educating my brother and I. This movie(as a six year old)had a great impact on me.I instantly fell in love with history and learning even more! I loved the story line,and that I could identify with the children in the movie. In this time..even in 1984 there weren't too many black faces on TV or movies; especially in my age group. I was fortunate to see this repeated for about 2 more years,then...no more. My brother and I based a lot of our"bedtime" horror stories on this movie..and we still talk about it as one of our favorites @26 & 29 years old! I will definitely search to buy this movie or book somehow..so I can pass this on to my child. This movie wasn't poorly made,it was for TV and in 84' Come On! We know what TV was like then? Especially about the Underground Railroad ...

I am a sixth grade Literature teacher. My students read the novel every year. They enjoy the suspense and how it is filled with figurative language. It is a great teaching tool for similes, metaphors, personification, etc. After we read the novel we watch the movie and the students do an activity with comparison and contrast of the movie and the novel. It is a great break from reading stories that don't peak their interest in basal readers. I have created an entire lesson on the book. If you are a teacher and would like a copy of my lesson email me using my screen name @yahoo and I would be happy to send you copies of my lessons.