#20 - The Legend of Hell House (1973)
(dir. John Hough)
A paraphysicist and a psychic are hired to research the infamously haunted Belasco house in order to prove that life persists after death. Joining them are the physicist's wife and a man who was the only survivor of a previous attempt at staying in the house. They move into the house to study it and find that it seems determined to kill them at every opportunity as they race to uncover its secrets. Based on the novel Hell House by Richard Matheson (who also wrote the screenplay), this is a classic haunted house film that ups the ante in terms of sex and violence compared to most that had come before.
This reminds of The Haunting (1963) in many ways and I can't help but compare the two. Besides the obvious reason (four strangers are staying in a haunted house to do research), it also has a similar gothic and baroque design to the house, with lavish wallpaper and woodwork and somewhat creepy statues everywhere. Unlike that film, this is in color, and it generally looks really nice. Roddy McDowall is the standout of the cast but everyone is solid.
The Haunting is one of my favorite films of all time and in my opinion this is not on the same level, but it's still very good and I'd call it one of the better haunted house films that I've seen. Recommended for sure!
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