5.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
When a tour guide breaks into America's Most Haunted House, a bit of amateur ghost hunting with friends turns into more than they could have ever imagined.
Starring: Stephanie Greco, Alex Arleo, Graham Denman, Lynn Lowry, Jon KondelikHorror | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-2
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.78:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.0 | |
Extras | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Welcome to America's most haunted house.
For a few moments -- longer than the brief, fleeting, blink-and-miss-it moment when it seemed Nazis at the Center of the Earth was a good idea -- The
Haunting of Whaley House plays almost like a real movie, a fairly low-end, direct-to-video sort of movie, but nevertheless a real, honest,
movie with
identifiable directorial skills at work, a handful of actors who give off a feeling that they at least know what they are doing, and a story that has the
potential to draw in its audience while in the process of at least recycling old ideas, not completely ruining them. The Haunting of Whaley
House rises pretty far above the average Asylum title, or maybe it just appears that way in the wake of two of the most abysmal
movies ever unleashed on mankind, Alien Origin and 100 Ghost Street. Nah, this one's actually not bad in the grand
scheme of Asylum things. It's not as entertaining as Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies (probably the best thing The Asylum has
ever done) but it at least holds its own for a while. Plus, it doesn't reuse the same awful digital effects shot eighty gazillion times like American Warships does (and in fact, practical effects rule the day in this
one).
The old Whaleys aren't likely to spook audiences or haunt dreams, but the movie at least serves as an example that The Asylum can make movies
that are merely bad and not downright abysmal.
Spooky.
The Haunting of Whaley House checks in with the Asylum-standard MPEG-2 encoded, 1.78:1-framed transfer. As always with this studio's recent films, this picture was shot digitally, and it's one that shows a slightly glossy façade and evident flatness but at the same time steady and accurate details and fine colors. The star of the movie is the house, and it's also the highlight of the video transfer. When the lights are on and the sun is out, audiences will appreciate the upped resolution of Blu-ray when the image reveals very nice wooden textures and various other accents around the house. It's very stable and clear, doing a fine job of transporting audiences into the haunted abode and showing off with much clarity and stability even the finest details on curtains, blankets, and the like. Faces and clothes are fairly resolved, too. They're not as complex as film or higher grade digital, but audiences familiar with the usual Asylum video quality output know what to expect. Colors fare well in the brightest scenes; there's a good deal of vibrance and brilliance, whether speaking of garish reddish/orange hair or brightly colored attire. When the lights dim, a warmer shade takes over that accentuates the wooden accents around the home. Blacks are fine, and flesh tones are reflective of light sources. There's some scattered banding, but overall this is another very good transfer from The Asylum that nicely replicates the original source quality.
The Haunting of Whaley House doesn't scare up a very memorable soundtrack. As is the case with Asylum titles, this release features only a Dolby Digital 5.1 offering. The track certainly suffices for a low-end budget Horror picture, but accomplishes little more. The track remains mostly the property of the front speakers. Music, ambience, and effects don't venture too far into the rears. Light haunting refrains do drift nicely across the front, and the low end manages some positive rattles and rumbles and thuds, an example being a scene when the uninvited guests challenge the spirits to thump "yes" and "no" answers to questions. Dialogue is even and remains focused up the center speaker. This is an unremarkable track for an unremarkable movie. A livelier, more immersive presentation might have helped improve the movie, but at least this lossy soundtrack never finds any major technical bumps in the road.
The Haunting of Whaley House contains a nice little collection of extras, far more than is the norm for Asylum titles.
There's not a lot to love about The Haunting of Whaley House -- at its best it's a run-of-the-mill direct-to-video Horror movie -- but there's not a lot to dislike, either. This is pretty high up on the list of Asylum titles. It's passable Horror fodder, made better by good direction and acceptable performances, both masking an otherwise dull script that was probably cobbled together over a weekend and built from other, better, and still overdone sources. It's not really the sort of movie one makes an effort to watch, but if there's nothing else on TV or the video store shelves are bare, give this one a try: it's better than most Asylum movies, which means viewers at least won't want to tear their eyes out when it's over. The Asylum's Blu-ray release of The Haunting of Whaley House features decent video and audio. In an unusual move, The Asylum has included a fair package of extras, including an audio commentary track. Rent it.
(Still not reliable for this title)
Uncut
2003
Clive Barker's Book of Blood
2009
2015
Slipcover in Original Pressing
1990
2011
Collector's Edition
2021
Limited Edition | Includes 'The Hatred'
2019
2020
2017
1997
2014
2015
MVD Rewind Collection
1988
2006
2012
2018
2013
2018
2011
2017