house

Once the slasher genre had run its course, the next logical evolution of the horror film was comedy. Besides clearing hurdles with the MPAA, it opened the door to an entirely new audience that had seemingly become immune to teenagers skewered after having sex. No one knew this better than producer Sean S. Cunningham, whose Friday the 13th franchise finally became self-aware with the sixth chapter by adding a much-needed dose of humor. And that same year, 1986, Cunningham and director Steve Miner had even more sleeper success with their horror-comedy hybrid House, starring William Katt as a horror novelist whose family-life goes to hell after moving into his Aunt's creepy estate.

Roger Cobb (Katt) is a Stephen King-style super author facing writer's block after the disappearance of his young son. In an attempt to get the creative juices flowing, Roger moves into the same house where his child vanished, switching gears to write a more personal story about his traumatic experiences in Vietnam. But the house seems tuned in to what scares him, spitting out monstrous illusions that push him to the brink of insanity, despite the reassurances of a friendly next door neighbor (George Wendt) who believes all those scary stories have finally gone to Roger's head.

On paper, House sounds like a straight-up horror film. And the original story by Fred Dekker (who had his own horror comedy, Night of the Creeps, hit paydirt the same year) was just that. But in execution, the film is much more light on its feet, bouncing from standard jump scares to squirm-inducing plot twists to a serious dialogue on PTSD. Miner, who'd use the same approach on the giant alligator flick Lake Placid a decade later, deserves a pat on the back for pulling off such an entertaining balancing act. But it's William Katt who is the real difference maker here, turning Roger into a flesh-n-blood family man faced with supernatural impossibilities. That he's able to so adeptly find the humor in the horror is an irreplaceable asset to the film.

But that didn't stop them from trying! House 2: The Second Story takes the franchise (there are two other films in the House series not included in the set) into anthology territory by introducing an entirely new cast and supernatural situation. Original House screenwriter Ethan Wiley takes over, directing his own story about an orphaned artist (Ayre Gross) who must join forces with his great-great-zombie-grandfather to protect an all-powerful crystal skull.

Jesse (Gross) falls in love with the sprawling mansion he inherited from his deceased relatives. His spoiled record-producer wife...not so much. But Jesse and his buddy Charlie stumble upon a family mystery that has them digging up Gramps (Royal Dano) from the family crypt. Only Gramps isn't really dead, he's kept in a lively mummified state by a crystal skull that also serves as a sort of portal to the past...a past that sends all sorts of evil forces (including cavemen, headhunters and gunslingers) to take it back to their own time.

Similar to structure and tone to My Science Project (1985), House 2 has a lot of fun with its time-traveling hodge-podge of light-hearted scares and family fun. Some stop-motion animation and cuddly animatronics (including a cater-puppy) take the sequel into G-rated territory at times and the '80s vibe is laid on so thick you can cut the buddy-comedy banter with a knife. But Wiley's attempt to do something different (a financial necessity since the original actors cost too much) is reward enough for those willing to accept a state of perpetual amusement over actual laughs, which the film never really earns. Plus a slew of recognizable guest stars like Bill Maher, Amy Yasbeck and John Ratzenberger (keeping the Cheers theme alive) make it fun to spot the celebrities. This is a one-off fantasy film under the House bannerhead. Acknowledging that elephant in the room leads to a much better viewing experience.

Arrow Video's House: Two Stories is a 5000-copy limited edition set sporting brand-new 2K restorations of both films...and, boy, is it one hell of a renovation! Color, detail and contrast levels look miles better than any previous home video edition and the extras are piled high. The production history of both films is covered from top-to-bottom in a pair of documentaries that each run over an hour with almost all of the major talent participating. These are can't-miss retrospectives that go above-and-beyond even Arrow's high standards. Additional stuff includes still galleries, vintage EPKs, trailers and an audio commentary on each film.