House On Haunted Hill

Part II and Part III of this blog series has focused on two classic, and very serious, ghostly horror films. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to have some fun being scared! It’s House On Haunted Hill time!

Originally released in 1959, House On Haunted Hill proved to be a box office smash (and, according to some, convinced Hitchcock to create a low-budget hit by the name of Psycho – released a year after) and is still loved by movie fans around the world.

The basic premise of the movie tells the terrifying tale of an eccentric millionaire who offers several guests a big wad of cash if they can survive the night in the haunted house. With moving walls, spooky goings on and flying skeletons hell bent on scary the guests screaming out of the door and losing the chance to win big.

The movie proved to be one of Vincent Price’s greatest moments and is partly responsible for cementing his iconic horror status we all know and love. With his unforgettable voice and incredible talents, Prince quickly became the biggest horror star of all time following this film (with the help of a trio of hits straight after this release, including The Tingler, Return Of The Fly and The Bat).

But perhaps it was the film’s classic gimmick that made this film an instant classic. Director William Castle, known for his outlandish movie gimmicks, scared the pants of audiences by rigging a plastic skeleton in several theatres. In time with the film, the skeleton would be unleashed and would fly about the heads of the petrified patrons.

House On Haunted Hill Lobby Card

Check out tomorrow’s blog for more Castle gimmicks in yet another ghostly classic…

Break-out horror movie smash of the year that has been electrifying hardened genre fans and non-horror fans alike, “The Pact” combines the supernatural terrors of “Paranormal Activity” with the tense atmospherics of a serial killer thriller to create a unique, modern-day take on the classic ghost story.

And it’s out on October 1st! Pre-order yours here.

Previous Parts:

• Part I: Things That Stay Silent In The Night!
• Part II: The Terrifying Twenties
• Part III: The Uninvited
• Part IV: House On Haunted Hill
• Part V: Ghoulish Gimmicks & Shocking Spookshows
• Part VI: The Innocents – Classic British Chills
• Part VII: The Haunting
• Part VIII: Low Budget Terrors – Let’s Scare Jessica To Death!
• Part IX: The Amityville Horror
• Part X: There’s Something In The Fog!
• Part XI: The Shining
• Part XII: The Changeling