A Casa da Noite Eterna

Haunted house movies generally don't deliver the goods. There are a few exceptions; the original The Haunting (1963) is the best example. That was a truly terrifying film. The Legend of Hell House is one these exceptions 'cause it really serves up some decent scares and maintains a very creepy atmosphere throughout.

The plot is similar to The Haunting. Various people spend time in a supposedly haunted house, each of them with different background and experience, one of whom has already spent time there and was the only one to come out alive. Needless to say the house is indeed very haunted and pretty soon these people are fighting for their lives.

Featuring excellent performances by all, first rate direction and production values, a solid script; The Legend of Hell House is really a first rate horror film in most respects.

A very creepy tale of a haunted house. Not only was the film creepy and scary it was also a mystery. You sit there and try to pay attention so you don't miss any clues, but then something creepy comes up and you get side tracked. This made the film a really good horror flick. The cast was pretty good. I am not too sure if I liked Gayle Hunnicutt in the film though. My favorite character was played by Roddy McDowall. He really brought out the feeling in his character. There were some interesting camera shots in this film which I think brought it more to life. The film was not that gory at all. It focuses on scaring the viewer mentally and I believe it does a pretty decent job. So see if you can figure out the mystery of Hell House.

This eerie movie starts when a multi-millionaire enlists a team of subjects formed by a medium (Pamela Franklyn) and parapsychologist scientists (Clive Revill , his wife Gayle Hunnicutt and Roddy McDowall) to stay for a study and resolve weird deeds into his newly acquired house . It seems which the eerie mansion has been the place of several killing deaths . 'Although the story of this film is fictitious , the events depicted involving psychic phenomenon are not only very much within the bounds of possibility but could well be true' , as explain on film prologue a clairvoyant and psychic consultant to European Royalty named Corbett .

This is a chilling adaptation from Richard Matheson's novel based on an assortment of ghouls and ghosts . Innovation theme about possession posteriorly taken by ¨The Exorcist¨ . Middling budget makes for big scary scream-feast and frights . Splendid Pamela Franklyn as a fragile youth who results to have unexpected ties to creepy ghost . Furthermore , it appears briefly Michael Gough . Magnificent cinematography by Alan Hume accompanied by an electronic and rare musical score . Writer Richard Matheson toned down the graphic violence and more intense sexual scenes of his novel to give the screenplay for the film a more brooding atmosphere . The original novel was set in New England, with an American team of psychic investigators . The storyline was changed, to fit the movie's production in England, with British actors playing the investigators . While the film was released in the US with a P.G. rating, in the UK it curiously received an X rating at first.

The picture was very well directed by John Hough . He often uses visual and sound recourses , echos , zooms and imaginative camera movements . He's a craftsman with eclectic and long directing career . Beginning in television series (Avengers, Protectors) , making Hammer films (Twins of Evil) , Adventures (Island treasure, Black arrow) , wholesome Disney fare (Return and escape to witch mountain) , regency romantic drama (Duel of hearts , Ghost in Montecarlo , Hazard of hearts , The lady and the highwayman) and Horror movies (Howling , American Gothic , Bad karma) and his best film , Legend of Hell House . Other movies about ¨haunted mansions¨ genre are the followings : The innocents (Jack Clayton , 1961), ¨Haunting¨ (Robert Wise , 1963) , ¨Amytiville Horror¨ (Stuart Rosemberg,1979), Changeling(Peter Medak,180), ¨House¨ (Steve Miner).. among others .

I have heard this movie be described as menacing and that is a great way to describe it. This has to be one of the darkest of the haunted house movies out there. With an extremely creepy soundtrack and an equally creepy storyline, throw in actors that can play there parts well, and you have a classic film.

Four people must go to a house known as "Hell House" and must exorcise the ghosts that torment and murder all that have gone in prior. Roddy McDowell plays as the one surviving group members from an earlier trip.

A simple storyline, yes, but the way it holds itself up is amazing. The acting is just excellent and convincing. Also, this movie has virtually no special effects at all. This actually works to the movies advantage as we, the audience, must rely on the atmosphere to terrorize us. And it works very well.

One of the all time best haunted house movies ever, this one is definitely worth buying. 8/10

Now that it's spooky time again, one should plug this in at night and watch during windy weather, eventho' the timeline of the story unwinds around Christmas. Was this intentional? Imagine spending the holidays in this place!

Yes, the highlight is the possessed stuffed black cat but the real big scene that will leave you breathless is the haunted sequence at the dinner table, with the table itself going nuts and the dishes slamming about, the chair tipping backwards, the fireplace burping out a huge fireball, etc. I always look forward to that moment everytime I re-view this, since it is a great movie to watch again.

Probably Mcdowall's best role, until he camped it up in Fright Night. And Pamela Franlkin? Well, she's just ducky. ... wait until that ghost machine explodes. Dynamite stuff.