Legend of Hell House

Even though he doesn’t have much name recognition outside of the field, Richard Matheson was a giant in the supernatural, fantasy and science-fiction genre, having been responsible for some of the most memorable Twilight Zone episodes in the ‘50s, the Vincent Price / Edgar Allen Poe films in the ‘60s, Steven Spielberg’s Duel and Somewhere in Time in the ‘70s, not to mention the myriad attempts to adapt his novel I Am Legend to the screen. And if you still need some convincing, he was also one of the few novelists Hollywood-savvy enough to bring his own work to the screen on a regular basis.

Such is the case with his screenplay for The Legend of Hell House (1973), based on his own novel published two years prior. Like much of Matheson’s work, the supernatural elements of the story are mixed with a modern approach, sending a scientific team of ghost hunters into the “Mt. Everest of haunted houses” with the goal of proving life after death. For their troubles an eccentric millionaire is willing to pay them each a quick $100K a piece.

But this is no walk in the park. Several members of two previous teams met their earthly demise inside Hell House or emerged completely insane. The only survivor, Fischer (Roddy McDowall), agrees to return against his better judgment. He’s joined by a savvy psychic (Pamela Franklin) along with a stubborn physicist and his wife who rely on technology to “cleanse” the house of its ghostly manifestations.

Directed by John Hough (who’d just come off Hammer’s Twins of Evil) and shot by cinematographer Alan Hume (Return of the Jedi), the film is shot with all manner of fish-eye lenses and unsettling camera angles that give it a carnival funhouse atmosphere from start to finish. There are more than a few references to Robert Wise’s 1963 classic The Haunting…which is only appropriate since Matheson’s story is so similar to the Shirley Jackson’s novel it was based upon.

One point in it’s favor, Matheson’s script cuts right to the chase and gets down to its ghostly business before the first act has barely begun. And for a while, the avante garde visual approach and the reliable cast are enough to keep one’s interest. But the impression that important bits of internal dialogue – so prevalent in his work - is being lost in translation bubbles up halfway through. We rarely get to dig into each character’s psyche and simply wait for each new supernatural manifestation, none of which can compete with the spectacle of The Exorcist, which was released the same year.

Even though The Legend of Hell House is operating on a more traditional Gothic level than Friedkin’s film, and is fairly successful as on old-school haunted house update, Matheson still winds up being beaten at his own game. The film seemed dated before it even hit the screen. But it’s aged into a TV-safe (the PG rating still seems pretty valid) walk down memory lane for horror fans of a certain generation. And Scream Factory’s blu-ray debut should be welcomed with open arms. The new hi-def transfer is a notch above previous digital incarnations and includes interviews with John Hough and actress Pamela Franklin, who steals the film from her more experienced cast.