The House From... Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The House From... Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 23, 2026

As the famous line of dialogue from “The Wizard of Oz” goes, “There’s no place like home.” That is, unless your dwelling also appeared in a popular movie or television show, resulting in a mass of gawkers and tourists looking to stand by your front door, run around the backyard, and peek inside your windows. Suddenly, the place begins to feel like a prison. Director Tommy Avallone looks into the realities of such living spaces in “The House From…” (narrated by Jason Lee), endeavoring to understand the popularity of these locations and the experiences shared from the homeowners, who are left to deal with so much, often without fully understanding why they’ve been drafted into duty as a pop culture gatekeeper. Avallone plays the feature brightly but also fairly, examining both sides of the tourism situation, visiting numerous properties who’ve either submitted to the ways of fandom or thrown up gates to keep trespassers out. “The House From…” is extremely fun for the most part, as Avallone maintains a snappy pace and sense of humor about the subject, also acquiring access to locations most fanatics could only dream of visiting.

“The House From…” covers famous places from all over America, keeping Avallone on the move while he strives to create an overview of different dwellings that have one thing in common. The journey begins in South Pasadena, meeting Bill, who owns the house from “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure,” inheriting the building from his parents. In 1984, the family permitted the production to repaint and redecorate the house to match Pee-Wee Herman’s cartoon tastes, and Bill shares a few memories and photos from the experience. California is obviously a hot spot for the documentary, staying in Pasadena to visit a street utilized by “Back to the Future” and its sequels. It’s a spot frequented by superfans, finding some neighbors happy to help with scene recreations. Such engagement extends to Bianca, who owns the “Strode House” from “Halloween,” delighted to have visitors, even helping them out with prop needs.

If there’s a through line to the documentary, it belongs to the saga of the house from “The Goonies,” located in Astoria, Oregon. “The House From…” interviews a man who lived in the attic under its previous owner, Sandy, and she grew frustrated over the amount of people visiting her property, with some refusing to be respectful. The interviewee is quick to defend Sandy, who finally put the building up for sale in 2022, when it was purchased by a superfan, and his story is recounted in the final moments of the film. Homeowner hostility is noted in the picture, highlighting the mess surrounding an Albuquerque, New Mexico home from “Breaking Bad,” putting the homeowner on the defense as television fans try to toss pizzas on her roof or antagonize a woman with mental health issues. Avallone makes time for the ugly side of fandom, as tourists aren’t always saints, acting entitled around the dwellings. This also includes Sharon, who owns the “Friday” house, facing strangers who want to smoke marijuana by her front door.

The reality of these homeowner lives is important to note, but “The House From…” is mostly a positive viewing experience. This is especially the case when exploring “Rubio House,” a location used in multiple movies and television shows, and Avallone receives a tour to understand just how much of Hollywood history is present on the property (sadly, this Altadena dwelling was destroyed in the Eaton Fire). Access might inspire a magical moment for some viewers, as actor Ethan Embry arrives to run lines from “Can’t Hardly Wait” with a fan, revisiting an experience from his youth. “Home Alone” also plays a major role in the picture, as ex-owner John and his daughter describe the filming experience and subsequent tourism around their Chicago home. And the neighbors even chime in, sharing personal videos taken during the original shoot. The McCallister dwelling has new owners now, and a fresh gate to keep strangers away, but tourism is still potent on the suburban street.

The House From... Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The image presentation (1.78:1 aspect ratio) for "The House From…" deals with the basics in cinematography from commercial grade cameras. Visits to the homes and neighborhoods retain some depth, exploring street and community life. Interiors preserve many decorative additions. Interviewees offers decent skin particulars and fibrous clothing. Color is appealing, preserving extensive greenery and different house hues. Skin tones are natural. Primaries are also bright with personal style choices. Delineation is satisfactory. The rest of the documentary relies on film and television clips, which range wildly in quality.

The House From... Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is a straightforward understanding of the documentary. Interviews maintain sharpness throughout different locations. Narration from Jason Lee is distinct. Scoring offers clean instrumentation and dramatic support. Film/TV clips vary in quality, but most maintain enjoyable clarity.

The House From... Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes (HD) offer "Cut But Not Forgotten" (10:18), "The Fans" (2:23), "Mrs. Doubtfire Extended" (5:08), "Who's the Boss Scene" (1:42), "The Locations Person" (3:43), "Planes, Trains & Automobiles" (2:03), and "Can't Hardly Wait Scene" (11:35).

• "Premiere at Smodcastle" (:44) is a brief visit to Kevin Smith's movie theater in New Jersey, where the team from "The House From…" presents the movie and wins some type of award. Curiously, Smith is not present for the event.

• "The House From…" (3:01, HD) is a music video from Tim and Jim.

• "Bringing Petey USA to the Home Alone House" (1:22, HD) follows the musician to the famous dwelling in Chicago, and… he doesn't care about it at all.

• "Matthew Lawrence Interview" (12:47, HD) is a video conference chat with the "Mrs. Doubtfire," who recalls his own experiences while making the feature. Lawrence details his audition story, enjoying a personal moment with star Robin Williams, who supported his casting. The interviewee also celebrates the realistic tone of the movie, and highlights time around the real house from the picture, and its exact replica on a soundstage.

• "Talking Indie Filmmaking with Indie Pop Culture Filmmakers" (35:21, SD) is a video conference conversation between directors Tommy Avallone, Scott Barber, and Taylor Morden.

• "A Documentary Idea We Had" (7:27, HD) focuses on a potential project from director Tommy Avallone, Lew Gorman, and Jordan McSorley, who shared a love of horror movies while growing up together.

• "Thank You" (1:45, HD) pays a visit to director Tommy Avallone's basement, where he delivers a tour of his own video store and offers gratitude to those who purchased the Blu-ray.

• A Theatrical Trailer (10:53, SD) actually isn't included on the Blu-ray, with this menu selection bringing you to director Tommy Avallone's kitchen, where he's preparing rice and commenting on the silliness of including trailers on home video releases. Avallone is trying to be cute with this switcheroo, and he doesn't understand that movie fans really enjoy perusing marketing materials on home video releases.

The House From... Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Avallone has a lot of options when it comes to famous homes, and while a few notable locations are missing (including the land where the "Evil Dead" cabin once stood), the helmer offers a good range of examples. "The House From…" goes into the creation of museums (manufactured by "pop culture protectors"), as dwellings from "A Christmas Story" and "The Silence of the Lambs" have been turned into destinations, and one superfan has created his own "Halloween" house to play with. Avallone takes a stab at a deeper psychological inspection of fan worship and parasocial relationships, aiming to add some weight to the viewing experience. It's laudable, but "The House From…" really delivers when it remains in sugar high mode, watching visitors connect to their dream dwellings, physically interacting with screen life, which makes this film so entertaining and informative.