Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'House on Haunted Hill (1999)'

Written by Scott Edwards

​There are several get rich quick schemes around and some of them work if you are willing to put in the effort. But what if you are offered a large sum of money to sit around and do nothing? Would you be able to pass that up, or would you be looking for the catch? I always believe that there is a catch, especially if someone is willing to put up large sums of money to watch you as you suffer through the night, but that is just me. With that being said, if someone offered me a large sum of money to stay in a haunted house, well my answer might be a little different.

Evelyn Price has a birthday coming up and wants to make it something special. Seeing a television report on the old Vannacutt Asylum where all of the inmates, along with most of the staff, were burned alive back in 1931, her interest is piqued, and being married to the famed Steven Price, she thinks that it will be the perfect place to host the party of the century. But Steven is none too happy with the suggestion as the two have not been getting along for many years and he tries to offer an alternative. But Evelyn is stuck in her ways and she already has a guest list ready for her husband when he arrives back at the office. Steven is not willing to bend his will either as he shreds the list and makes up one of his own, but somehow, the list changes again and the birthday party of the year will be celebrated with strangers.

Arriving at the gates leading up to the asylum, five strangers are greeted by the building owner, Pritchett. Being hell bent on getting the guests up to the old building, Pritchett has some reservations about going back inside as the building has claimed the lives of his grandfather and father in the past. With everyone in the building, Steven Price gives his introductions and gets to meet all of the people that he will be spending the night with, but he has an ulterior motive while in the house. Being a master of fear, Price wants to make sure that everyone is frightened beyond their wits and offers a million dollars to anyone who survives and stays the entire night in this spooky old house. 

Making scary changes to the house before everyone arrived, Price is ready for the night to begin, but the house has a mind of its own as it goes into complete lockdown. Thinking that this is his hidden man’s doing, Price is surprised to find out that there might be something more to the old building than even he could have expected. When Eddie, Sara, Pritchett and Price all head down to the basement to locate an override that will open the asylum back up, the fun starts. As other individuals show up in the basement, the group has no idea that they are not alone in the house but are starting to question what could be happening around them. As Melissa starts doing her own investigation around the house, she is met by the old doctor that perished in the building many years ago and when the house gets a taste of blood, all bets are off for anyone making it through the night with their lives.

I don’t really know how to qualify this movie, since it has so many moving parts. With some very bad spirits running around, a husband and wife plotting to kill each other, tainted history, along with new friendships, this is more than just a haunted house movie in my eyes. With a star-studded cast taking to the screen, this could have been one of the movies that helped spark a little bit of a need for horror movies in the movie theaters again. You can say what you will about it, but many of the ghostly elements that were shown in this movie are still being used in today’s horror movies and that does count for something. This is one of the movies I will admit that if it is on, I will sit down and watch it, since there is always something a little bit different you catch depending on the mood you are in. Stay Scared.

---