On the night of the party, five unrelated individuals arrive at the house with promises of a $1 million each, if they survive the night: Jennifer Jenzen (Ali Larter), Eddie Baker (Taye Diggs), Melissa Margaret Marr (Bridgette Wilson), Dr. Fast-forwarding to 1999, Evelyn Stockard-Price (Famke Janssen), the wife of amusement park mogul Steven Price (Geoffrey Rush), insists on leasing the abandoned Vannacutt Institute from Watson Pritchett (Chris Kattan), for her theme-based birthday party.
In 1931 the Vannacutt Institute for the Criminally Insane undergoes a revolt, which leads to the deaths of all staff and patients, burned to death within the institution. I must really stress that last element, because when the “scares” get going, that’s all I could think about especially since a latter sequence (and constant imagery) in the film is almost carbon-copied from Lyne’s feature with seeming abandon. Lovecraft, Nazi medical atrocities, the historical evolution of modern psychology, and most notably Adrian Lyne’s seminal film Jacob’s Ladder (1990). Though following much of the original film’s plot and characterization, the remake takes strides to differentiate itself - taking heavy inspirations from H. Followed up by the remake of Thirteen Ghosts (2001), Dark Castle’s inaugural release would be House on Haunted Hill (1999), directed by William Malone and written by Dick Beebe.
Initially, the company’s sole purpose was the remaking of classic Castle horror films, though the company would cease this particular avenue after two releases, focusing on non-Castle remakes and original content. In 1999, producers Joel Silver and Gilbert Adler, with filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, would form the production company Dark Castle Entertainment. However, despite all of the continuous love and support to the present day, Castle never broke out into mainstream filmmaking, and his iconic film fell into the public domain. Though Psycho is often credited with starting the mainstream love of American horror films in the 1960s, that credit sincerely belongs to House on Haunted Hill. While the film was quickly becoming one of the most profitable releases of Allied Artists, thanks in part to Castle’s “Emergo” flying skeleton gimmick in theaters, Hitchcock became inspired to direct his own low-budget horror film equipped with Castle-esque advertising tactics, which would manifest the following year as the landmark film Psycho (1960). While often championed for its hefty, yet evenly distributed helpings of camp and 50s horror, the true legacy of the film is its effect on Alfred Hitchcock. And you? We wouldn’t start the party without you.The original House on Haunted Hill was created on a budget of roughly $200,000 in 1959 by B-Movie King William Castle and eclectic adventure novelist Robb White (with whom Castle would create five features). Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, Bridgette Wilson, Peter Gallagher and Chris Kattan portray strangers mysteriously assembled for the event that could make them all very rich. Geoffrey Rush plays twisted theme park bigshot Stephen Price, who’s hosting a scary/jokey birthday bash for his wife (Famke Janssen) at an abandoned institute for the criminally insane. Murder is a way of life at the House on Haunted Hill, a jolting, effects-ramped remake of the 1959 cult classic that starred Vincent Price and was directed by screen horror legend William Castle. But there is a catch for anyone who accepts the offer. One night in the house, one million bucks, no questions asked. Dick Beebe ( Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2) wrote the script. House on Haunted Hill stars Geoffrey Rush, Famke Janssen, Taye Diggs, Ali Larter, Bridgette Wilson, Peter Gallagher, Chris Kattan, and Jeffrey Combs. The disc will include new interviews, including one with director William Malone (Feardotcom), while the existing DVD extras will be ported over. Joel Robinson designed the new cover the theatrical poster will be on the reverse side.Įxtras are in progress and will be announced in September, but Scream Factory has confirmed a new high-definition transfer is underway. House on Haunted Hill - the 1999 remake of William Castle’s 1959 horror film of the same name - will be released on Blu-ray on October 9 via Scream Factory.