La maison du cauchemar

Umberto Lenzi would be the first to tell you that he isn't a horror director. Generally working on war and adventure films, he dabbled in the seedy climes of the giallo and the cannibal film in the 70s, but that was pretty much the closest he came to horror. That is, until he was roped in by, you guessed it, the nefarious Aristide Massacessi to make an "unofficial" entry into the EVIL DEAD series (the Italian title of which was LA CASA). Although it has sweet nothing to do with Raimi's movies, it's actually quite a tight little supernatural haunted house movie, owing much to the likes of SUPERSTITION...

Critically, I can't really defend some aspects of it. The acting, script, sound track and plot are totally absurd. Although somewhat endearing, the whole "possessed doll" thing does NOT work when you are using a miniscule special effects budget. There are a few nice gore set-pieces and as the story gets increasingly ridiculous, it's surprising to see that there are some quite atmospheric moments worked in. A lot of this is owed to the fact that Massacessi managed to scrape together enough lira to justify shooting the movie in autumnal Boston, rather than on a CineCitta sound stage. Further points are scored by a typically typecast appearance from sleaze regular Donald O'Brien, who puts in the usual hilariously grizzly performance.

If nothing else, watch this movie for the absurdly Americanised pseudonyms. Lenzi chooses to call himself "Humphrey Humbert", and if that isn't ludicrous enough, one of the actors goes under the moniker of "David Champagne"! This is surely only second to Mario Bava's "John Foam" as being the most laughable pseudonym in Italian movie history.

This film has a sequel starring David Hasselhoff and Linda Blair. I haven't actually seen it and by all accounts it is spectacularly terrible, yet I still somehow feel drawn towards it. Cinematic masochism.

A radio recording prompts a couple to investigate an old house, they join up with a group of teens and make the silly decision to explore the house where the spirit of a little girl reside.

Directed by Umberto Lenzi under the pseudonym of Humphry Hubert and released as La casa 3 (to cash in on The Evil Dead) it's arguably one of Lenzi's most conventional films. Unfortunately it's hampered by a clunky script, some disjointed scenes and gobbledygook elements synonymous with Italian horror exploitation films.

In the golden age of practical effects Lenzi offers a stabbing with shears, a little hammer carnage and a character being cut in half. As the group are killed off one by one there's also maggot infested knife wielding (a pre Wes Craven Scream-like cloaked) skeleton, taps spurting blood, severed heads, exploding light bulbs and jars, a Clown Doll (reminiscent of the one in Poltergeist) and also an obligatory 80s shock ending. With a possessed camper van there's all the ingredients you'd expect as the mystery unfolds and they track down the origin of the evil.

Plodding pacing aside there's some good nostalgia value in Ghost House right down to the CB radios. The house and its location are creepy (it also appears in Lucio Fulci's The House by the Cemetery) and the ghost of the girl gives a few chills.

While it's no comparable Fulci cult classic, Lenzi offers some gory kills but what will stay under your skin long after the credits is the genuinely disturbing, eerie, repetitive verse.

Umberto Lenzi's GHOSTHOUSE opens with the gruesome, otherworldly murders of a man and his wife. This, after the man had discovered that the family cat was killed by his creepy daughter, Henrietta (Kristen Fougerousse).

Twenty years later, Paul (Greg Rhodes) and Martha (Lara Wendel) wind up in the very same house, after receiving a strange radio message. Now abandoned, Paul and Martha soon encounter others who happen to be camping on the house's grounds. Let the senseless slaughter begin.

Lenzi pulls out all the stops in this movie, unleashing a crazed hillbilly, an unconvincing head in a washing machine, exploding glass jars / bottles, a shaky camper, a devil dog, an indoor feather-storm, an acid / slime bubble bath, the grim reaper, and a goggle-eyed Henrietta and her clown doll! Said clown is a total hoot, and a better actor than any human in this film!

Preposterous and absolutely non-frightening, this is a rare treat for the true schlock connoisseur! The mindless dialogue is perfectly suited to the mannequin-like characters, who simply wander through the house until something "bad" happens. Just wait until you see the funeral home murder scene, complete with a paper towel-lined coffin! Pure platinum! Watch this immediately!

P.S.- Watch the aforementioned hillbilly, and marvel at his vast array of murder implements. He uses an ax, a meat cleaver, a pitchfork, a hammer, and a sickle!...

I expected a very bad b-class italian horror movie, and it is, but is enjoyable. It´s well filmed & the actors are acceptable. Music is very good, just listen to that demoniac sound that is heard from the basement (not joking, one of the best horror sounds ever heard by me). There are also some good deaths (the first two & one in the middle), the others are average. Plot is bad, but you cannot expect more. What I did not understand are the stupid reasons for entering again and again the Ghosthouse (example: a girl wants to take a shower) when those kids know that there is a killer or somewhat (I won´t tell what). Scenery is good, so the other places of the shots. Summarizing, I watched the film till the end, that hardly happen when I see this type of movies and are bad.

I could recommend it if you are a horror-movie fan, or if there is anything to watch...

Rate this movie with a 5.5 out of 10 .-

Recently I picked up this title as an absolute bargain on eBay for just 99p & to be honest I wasn't expecting much as I'm a huge horror movie buff but haven't heard much about this title.

The director is credited as Humphrey Humbert - but to my surprise this was a pseudonym for the legendary Umberto Lenzi (better known for the notorious Cannibal Ferox). But those of you expecting a cannibal gut-crunching movie will be disappointed. In fact the film doesn't really have much gore in it but for what it lacks in human entrails it certainly makes up for in creepy atmosphere & an unforgettable spooky soundtrack.

Now I don't know about you but clowns have always been sinister to me & Ghosthouse is basically about the spirit of a young girl who carries around this clown doll & when she appears in front of unsuspecting victims they are soon dispensed of. Its at these moments that the creepy 'nursery-rhyme-esque' theme tune kicks in & it'll play in your mind for days on end!

Don't get me wrong this aint no Exorcist or Dawn Of The Dead but its a little known movie which if you get the chance is definitely worth watching.

Maybe if the director had used his real name & billed it as 'From The Director Of Cannibal Ferox' then it would've done much better financially.