Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

The House on Tombstone Hill Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf September 24, 2018

First and foremost, 1989’s “The House on Tombstone Hill” has a bit of trouble with titles. It was shot as “The Road,” and presented on Blu-ray as “The Dead Come Home.” The feature was ultimately sold to the video market as “Dead Dudes in the House,” with Troma Films electing to entice renters not paying close attention to the details of the picture by pushing the effort as a hip-hop comedy, with title font that resembles a UPN pilot. It’s a wild, wacky world of identification for the endeavor, with “The House on Tombstone Hill” the most accurate description of the material, which plays like a slasher version of an HGTV show, pitting home rehabbers against a ghostly opponent who enjoys killing those with big plans for her house. Writer/director James Riffel aims to please with a low-budget chiller, and while the movie has pacing and overcrowding issues, the helmer understands gore zone needs, keeping the feature excitable with violent encounters and panicking characters, offering a simple ride of single location terror.

Mark (Douglas Gibson) has found an incredible deal for a large home in the middle of rural New York. It’s a dilapidated dwelling, but it has potential, with the new homeowner requesting help from his friends to get the place into livable shape. Joined by Ron (Mark Zobian), Jamie (Sarah Newhouse), Steve (J.D. Cerna), Linda (Naomi Kooker), and Bob (Victor Verhaeghe), Mark has big plans for the future, but there’s still a resident in the house that needs dealing with. Abigail (Gibson) is a malevolent spirit who remains on the property, and while elderly in appearance, she’s eager to kill anyone who tries to take her home away. Believing they can easily remove Abigail and commence the remodeling project, the gang soon understands her true powers. With escape impossible due to locked doors and windows, Mark and his friends are forced to fight back, trying to take out Abigail and get as far from the house as possible.

“The House on Tombstone Hill” has a standard slasher set-up. There’s a remote location that welcomes a host of young people for a stay, with the cabin in the woods for this endeavor being a mansion in the forest. There’s a sketchy history that’s not entirely explained, with the screenplay beginning in 1948, observing a moment of horror for Abigail and her daughter before making a time jump 40 years into the future, with Mark arriving to take a look at his recent purchase, confident he’s scored a hidden deal. Of course, there’s a reason for the real estate bargain, but Riffel takes some time before introducing Abigail’s shuffling rampage, getting to know the friends first, who join Mark with a plan to help rehab the house and showcase their distinct personalities, getting temperaments settled before the slaughter begins.

The screenwriting is crude, but that’s to be expected from a B-movie. Riffel keeps close to the horror playbook, setting up the visitors with varying levels of patience, finding Bob an absolute hothead, screaming at anyone or anything that dares to challenge his masculinity. Ron is a calmer presence, more confident and resourceful. The rest are basic nervous personalities, and when Abigail enters the film, “The House on Tombstone Hill” becomes a standard one-by-one kill-a-thon. The twist here is that dead don’t stay dead, with a Stephen King-style touch of the victims remaining in spirit around the home, trying to pick off the living with their own temptation and pleas for help. The kills themselves are entertaining, with some employing construction tools to keep up with the theme of remodeling, while one poor sap is literally chewed on by a broken window as he’s trying to escape, slowly cutting the victim into two pieces, providing a challenge of wholeness for his ghostly self. There’s a lot of blood in “The House on Tombstone Hill,” keeping up with horror requirements, and Abigail is an enjoyably unusual enemy, with Gibson playing up the monster’s sadistic tendencies, giving the feature some scary movie voltage.

The House on Tombstone Hill Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Billed as "Newly scanned & restored in 2K from its 16mm original camera negative," "House on Tombstone Hill" delivers a compelling viewing experience, respecting the low-budget look of the feature. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers stable primaries with period costuming and red splatters of blood, and skintones are distinct, with a pleasing pinkness and, for Abigail, a grayer sense of aging. Property greenery is striking, and interior decoration expresses decay. Detail goes as far as the original cinematography allows, and while some inherent softness is there, frame particulars are easily surveyed, including makeup effects and fabrics. Gore zone visits are equally vivid, keeping violence pronounced. Delineation survives numerous evening encounters. Source is in healthy shape, with only a brief speckle storm right when the end credits begin. Grain is heavier but filmic.

The House on Tombstone Hill Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is a modest but effective listening event for "House on Tombstone Hill," which doesn't demand very much from the production. Age is apparent, with a slight dulling of the track, along with mild sibilance issues, but dialogue exchanges are comfortable, picking up on character attitude and surges of fear, along with undead threats. Intelligibility isn't threatened and distortion is avoided. Scoring cues launch basic synth stings, but heaviness is communicated, along with suspenseful moods. Sound effects are blunt but available.

The House on Tombstone Hill Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Three Dead Dudes" (29:14, HD) is an interview with Mark Zobian, Victor Verhaeghe, and Douglas Gibson. The three men (filmed separately) detail their early career ambitions, looking to participate in as many auditions as possible, with Verhaeghe in the midst of acting classes when he scored the role in "House on Tombstone Hill." The trio recalls various titles for the picture, and share their confusion over Troma's marketing efforts, which sold the feature as a hip-hop comedy. All interviewees maintain the "House on Tombstone Hill" shoot was a happy one, primarily fueled by B-movie ambition and lots of beer. The creative team of writer/director James Riffel and camera operator Susan Starr is highlighted, along with makeup effects, with Gibson buried under latex for his role as Abigail. The men share their favorite scenes, and also describe the experience of seeing the picture during its initial theatrical release.

• Audio Interview (42:28) features James Riffel.

• Still Gallery (4:33) collects BTS shots, highlighting the creative process and obvious camaraderie among the cast and crew.

• A Trailer has not been included.

The House on Tombstone Hill Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The House on Tombstone Hill" makes a few critical errors during its run time, with the primary problem being the introduction of teens Ricky (James Griffith) and S (Rob Moretti) near the third act, bringing more characters into a movie that already has plenty to deal with, finding poor Jamie and Linda barely addressed during all the panic. Even with this collection of victims and ghosts, Riffel can't quite get the picture to top speed, often resorting to prolonged stalking moments just to reach 90 minutes. Despite some sluggishness, "The House on Tombstone Hill" is entertaining and an interesting addition to never-ending list of slasher efforts from the 1980s. When he gets around to it, Riffel has some creative ideas for killing idiots, while the addition of the supernatural and the elderly gives the feature enough oddity to amuse.