5.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.2 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
Sarah Wolfe was the only living survivor from the massacre at the Vannacutt Mansion, but no one believed her claims that ghosts were responsible for the gruesome murders that took place there. Now her recent and questionable suicide leaves her sister, Ariel, no choice but to devote herself to finding out who - or what - was responsible for her death. Ariel discovers that Sarah sent her the diary of the sadistic Dr. Vannacutt just before she died, offering clues to the diabolical evil that resides within the house. But the diary also makes Ariel a target in a deadly treasure hunt that leads a group of unwitting victims back to the Vannacutt Mansion, reawakening the terror imprisoned within the house on the hill.
Starring: Amanda Righetti, Cerina Vincent, Erik Palladino, Tom Riley, Andrew Lee PottsHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 66% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 1.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
They say that the souls of the people who die here apparently haunt the house.
Perhaps no other genre has scared up more worthless dreck than has the horror genre. Sequel
upon sequel have been churned out for numerous franchises, regardless of whether the original is
good, bad, ugly, or somewhere in the middle. Every genre is an offender, though. There are who
knows how many American Pie sequels and spinoffs, a plethora of direct-to-video Wesley
Snipes and Steven Seagal action yawners, and a seemingly endless supply of Land Before
Time films to keep the kids occupied. Still, horror franchises seem to wear out their welcomes
before they even get started. Return to House on Haunted Hill, only the second film in
what we can only hope won't become a franchise, is a direct-to-video follow up to, yes, 1999's
House on Haunted Hill. Reveling in gore and stereotypes and shunning plot and cohesion,
this entry into the ever-growing canon of worthless horror leaves no lasting impression, unless you
count life lesson #1,395: watch for falling refrigerators.
The only thing missing from The House on Haunted Hill is a white-picket fence topped with razor wire.
Return to House on Haunted Hill invites viewers in for some 1080p, 2.40:1-framed goodness. The print exhibits a few white and black speckles and some slight grain, but it's generally clear. There is nothing spectacular about this transfer, but it doesn't disappoint, either. It's rather flat and boring, with very little natural or bright light, but the mood of the film calls for somber, dark locales and the transfer reproduces these well enough. Most scenes in the movie take place in the interior of the haunted house, and there seems to be a haze over the image that goes well with the run down, cobweb-infested locale. Detail is moderate, perhaps even slightly below average, but the murkiness of the transfer doesn't translate into loads of detail, anyway. Black levels are decent and shadow detail is fine, but unexceptional. The gore is sometimes hard to make out in the darkness of the image, but those in search of large quantities of blood and assorted innards are in for a treat with this film. Flesh tones sometimes take on a shade of gray, if only because of the poor lighting conditions in the film. Return to House on Haunted Hill translates into a fairly uninspiring but ultimately passable transfer.
Return to House on Haunted Hill frightens the senses with a solid Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. This is one active and loud lossy soundtrack. The opening credit sequence is filled with rumbling bass, excellent surround sound presence, and these elements work to create a lively, somewhat frightening soundstage replete with thunder, tense music, and some gory sounds and images to complete the experience. Later, a bustling office comes alive with chatter and the ringing of phones permeating the soundstage to place listeners in the midst of the busy working environment. For a direct to video, nonsensical movie, Return to House on Haunted Hill does sport quite the aggressive mix. Various gunshots heard in the film ring out clearly, screams and various sounds of horror -- bodies ripped apart, brains pulled out of skulls, and the like -- shine through, and the track never relents in assaulting the senses, even if the action, dialogue, and direction, are all second-rate. The track never fails to immerse listeners in the action, whether the scene showcases a rainstorm, a barrage of ringing cell phones in chapter 12, or a series of falling chairs and a refrigerator in chapter 15. Dialogue is robust and precise throughout. Return to House on Haunted Hill is no slouch, audibly, despite the lack of a lossless or uncompressed option.
Return to House on Haunted Hill scares up a few bonus materials that fans will enjoy. Leading things off is a series of shorts entitled 'Return to House on Haunted Hill' Confessionals (480p). Here, users may watch as the characters discuss their roles in the film, what they want from the house, their thoughts on other characters, how they plan on escaping, and the like. The Search For An Idol: Dr. Richard Hammer's Quest (480p, 2:51) features this character discussing the allure and mythology behind the Baphomet Idol and his longtime search for the artifact. Four additional scenes (1080p, 7:54) and the Mushroom Head music video entitled Simple Survival (480p, 3:17) conclude this group of bonus materials.
Return to House on Haunted Hill is a film sure to satisfy any unquenchable thirst for more and more gore, but it sacrifices every other aspect of filmmaking in the process. With a dull and predictably clichéd cast of characters, poor acting, and mediocre direction, Return to House on Haunted Hill boasts nothing more than decent set design and gallons of blood. Even the dark, cavernous house fails to create a frightening atmosphere, no matter how good it looks. The obvious highlight of this package is the inclusion of the viewer-controlled experience, but it gets tedious rather quickly, mostly because the film isn't worth going through several times. Technically, Warner Brothers' Blu-ray release of Return to House on Haunted Hill is fairly average. With decent video quality, a good lossy soundtrack, and a few extras, not to mention the interactive content, hardcore horror fans will probably find something worthwhile here. For general audiences, and particularly those not sensitive to blood and gore, Return to House on Haunted Hill makes for a decent rental.
Collector's Edition
2005
2009
Collector's Edition
2001
2007
2010
2013
Collector's Edition
1999
Collector's Edition
2002
2014
2013
Extended Cut
2015
2015
2012
1982
Collector's Edition
1986
2013
2016
2018
2014
El Orfanato
2007