[House]
Plot:In rural Alabama, two couples find themselves in a fight for survival. Running from a maniac (The Tin Man) bent on killing them, they flee deep into the woods and seek refuge in a house. They soon realize the killer has purposely lured them to this house and that they are now trapped. As they huddle around an old fireplace, a tin can falls through the chimney.

Scrawled on its side is a message from the killer, establishing his House Rules. The rules call for their deaths unless they kill at least one of the four. They have less than 12 hours to find a way to survive. At sunrise the game is over and everyone dies if the killer's demands aren't met. What they quickly learn is that the only way out... is in. But going further into this house--where unknown challenges await them--is equally deadly.

Cast:Allana Bale, J.P. Davis, Pawel Delag, Heidi Dippold, Leslie Easterbrook, Julie Ann Emery, Michael Madsen, Bill Moseley, Reynaldo Rosales, Weronika Rosati, Lew Temple.

My Thoughts:Interesting supernatural horror.

Review:Supernatural horror films all seem the same these days. And whether they seem alike or not, alot of them aren't that great these days neither. "House", Robby Henson's film based off of the novel of the same name, is a very intriguing, dark, and disturbing supernatural horror movie which has more twists and turns than your average rollercoaster. All set within a gothic mansion in rural Alabama. The film follows a troubled couple on their way to a marriage counselor. They crash their car, and now need to find some help for their predicament.

So they head off to find help, and stumble across a gothic inn which sits in the middle of nowhere pretty much. Upon entering, they soon meet another couple, and after meeting them....they then meet the houses owners. A real family of weirdo's, the husband Stewart...played by Bill Moseley, who always seems to find his way into films like this. Where rural nuts terrorize lost or distressed travelers.

Moseley doesn't give a choptop-like performance in this movie, but he's a scary and menacing character nonetheless. Things seem to go smoothly for the two couples, as the family...albeit a bit strange, invite them to sit down for dinner. But soon a man known only as "The Tin Man" shows up outside the house, and asks for one person's head....otherwise everyone dies. This sets off the weird family's anger right into the direction of the two couples, who they blame for bringing the tin man to their residence.

Now both couples are in a fight for their lives against the tin man on the outside, and the evil family on the inside...and in a fight for their souls, against dark supernatural forces residing within the house...and which seem to have a connection to the family and the tin man himself. "House" is a great adaptation, and it really pushes weird, dark, and disturbing to a very high level. The story is filled with overtones of good versus evil, sin, and tragedy.

Things the forces in the house try to use against the two couples once they manage to evade the family and the tin man for awhile. The forces in the house then take it upon themselves to go after the four travelers, but the films big question keeps the intrigue running at an optimum level for the duration. The question being who is driving these forces, the tin man? the family? Both? Or someone else? Someone within the fold of the four innocents trapped within the house? Or maybe the forces are driving themselves and plan to kill everyone.

This question keeps the viewer glued to the movie and holds the viewers interest as well as creates a strong overtone of suspense. The film is also very beautifully shot, and the dark scenes are shot very well so there aren't any CSS (can't see shit) moments where once someone enters a dark cavern, corridor, or room...the viewer is blanked to what's happening until they exit it.

The scenery is also very gothic, very deep south...which adds a menacing and sinister tinge to the house, it's surroundings, and just heightens the danger level of the situation these four people are involved in. The movie is not just another run-of-the-mill supernatural horror romp though. The evil spirits at work don't just chase and attack the travelers, but instead plays on their fears and tragic events which have happened within their lives.

The forces then try to wear them down so they'll kill each other, thereby doing their work for them. Giving the films antagonists a method to their madness makes the movie smarter than your average supernatural horror picture. The movie also has a few shocking twists which come along late in the movie involving one of the films couples, a little girl, and the true identity of the tin man, and his ultimate plans for the four travelers.

This all leads to a very intense and chilling finale which while it plays out like a few horror films before it, "Soul Survivors" for example...does one thing differently which barely manages to salvage the films ending, and send the movie out with a satisfactory conclusion. "House" is a film I definitely recommend seeing if you're tired of the same old stuff when it comes to spirit horror.

Positives:A beautifully shot film, good performances, high entertainment value, a very chilling story, the house acts as a nicely dark and creepy set piece, an intense ending, and a few clever twists.

Negatives:Nothing major.

Overall:Four stars.





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