House (1986 film)

House

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Steve Miner
Produced by Richard F. Brophy
Sean S. Cunningham
Patrick Markey
Roger Corman
Screenplay by Ethan Wiley
Story by Fred Dekker
Starring
Music by Harry Manfredini
Cinematography Mac Ahlberg
Edited by Michael N. Knue
Distributed by New World Pictures
Release dates
 February 28, 1986
Running time
 93 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $3,000,000
Box office $22,144,631

House is a 1986 comedy horror film directed by Steve Miner and starring William Katt, George Wendt, Richard Moll and Kay Lenz. The plot tells of a troubled author who lives in his deceased aunt's house and is soon fallen victim to the house being haunted.

Upon release on February 28, 1986, it was a moderate success despite receiving a mixed reception from critics. It was followed by three sequels: House II: The Second Story, House III: The Horror Show and House IV.

Plot

Author Roger Cobb (William Katt) is a troubled man, having been separated from his wife (Kay Lenz), their only son Jimmy disappeared without a trace, and his aunt (Susan French) has committed suicide by hanging. On top of everything else, he has been pressured by his publisher to write another book. To the chagrin of his fans and publisher, Cobb plans a novel based on his experiences in Vietnam instead of another horror story as a way to purge himself of the horrors that he had experienced while there.

After his aunt's funeral, Cobb decides to live inside her house to write, instead of selling it as recommended by the estate attorney. After moving in, Cobb begins to have powerful graphic nightmares, including thoughts about his military ally Big Ben (Richard Moll), who died in Vietnam. In addition, strange phenomena spring forth from the house, haunting him in his waking hours as well. He tries communicating his fears to his next door neighbor named Harold (George Wendt), but he thinks that Cobb is crazy.

One night while investigating a noise coming from his late aunt's bedroom, Cobb is attacked by a deformed monster instead the closet. Soon, more attacks occur as levitating garden tools begin to attack him, his wife appears and transforms into a hideous hag-like creature to attack him, gremlin creatures attempt to kidnap a neighbor's child that Cobb is reluctantly babysitting. Eventually, Cobb discovers an entry into a sinister other-world through the bathroom medicine cabinet and is pulled into the darkness, where he fortuitously locates his lost son Jimmy.

Cobb manages to escape with Jimmy, but are soon confronted by an undead Big Ben who wants revenge on him; Cobb didn't help him during Vietnam and instead was taken prisoner and tortured before dying. He confronts Ben, no longer afraid of his fears anymore, and destroys him with his own explosives as he and his son escape the burning house. In the end, he triumphantly glances back at the house while regaining control of his life and reunites with his wife and child.

Cast

Kane Hodder was the stunt coordinator on the film.

Release and Reception

House opened in 1,440 theaters on February 28, 1986 and grossed $5,923,972 in its opening weekend, missing first place to Pretty in Pink.[1] By the end of its run, House grossed $19,444,631 at the domestic box office, making it a moderate commercial success due to its $3,000,000 budget.

The film holds a 50% 'Rotten' rating on movie review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on ten reviews.[2]

Awards

In 1987, Richard Moll and Kay Lenz were both nominated for Saturn Awards. Director Steve Miner won a Critics' Award for his work on the film and was nominated for an International Fantasy Film Award.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for House was released on vinyl, cassette tape and CD in 1987. The soundtrack runs approximately 51:14 and has 25 songs that were featured in House and House II: The Second Story.[3]

Side one
  1. "Opening Titles"
  2. "The Abduction"
  3. "Hey, Roy!"
  4. "A Fiery Sandywitch"
  5. "Ding-Bat Attack"
  6. "2nd Hand"
  7. "Viet Memories/The Chimney"
  8. "Big Ben Chase"
  9. "Cujo, The Racoon"
  10. "Viet Rescue"
  11. "TransparAuntie"
  12. "Roger Gets a Wand"
  13. "Close Shave"
Side two
  1. "Opening Titles"
  2. "An Alternate Universe"
  3. "Avast Ye Azteacs"
  4. "There's a Jungle in There!"
  5. "Skulldiggery"
  6. "Looking for the Varmit Who Shot My Father"
  7. "Arnold the Barbarian"
  8. "Petra, Petra, Petra"
  9. "I Love You, Gramps"
  10. "A Rare Commodity"
  11. "Finale Grande"
  12. "End Titles"

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for February 28-March 2, 1986 - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  2. ↑ "House (Ding Dong, You're Dead) - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  3. ↑ "House- Soundtrack details - SoundtrackCollector.com". soundtrackcollector.com. Retrieved August 3, 2012.

External links

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