A slasher flick with a sly sense of humor, sardonic and spooky, with some genuine laughs among the screams. First you've got Linda Blair who's always good for a laugh, then you've got smug Vincent Van Patten smiling at himself after a sexual encounter, then in shock when he returns to find only the head of his partner remaining. They are among a group of young adults staying in a haunted mansion where a brutal murder and suicide took place years before. Bored young men decide to play pranks on others in the group by pretending to be ghosts (with some neat special effects), only to find their ending through a neck cracker and a long rope. Soon it's only Van Patten, Blair and her boyfriend Peter Barton left, desperate to get out before they are victims too.
Low budget horror movies aren't worthy of a top rating, but as a 7, this is one of the best horror films of the early 80's, far from original but played with gusto and lots of fun. Definitely note clever than the popular franchises of the time that went on far too long. Basically it is an R rated version of Disney's Haunted Mansion as the set is perfectly designed with traps everywhere and stunning surprises around every corner. The three leads are very good, knowing when to remove the tongue from their cheek and be completely serious. Blair has a few great lines that parallel her iconic role in "The Exorcist", and is aided by her natural quirkiness that makes her unique and always fun to watch. Certainly deserving of cult status, one of a kind among a genre filled with some real stinkers.
Low budget horror movies aren't worthy of a top rating, but as a 7, this is one of the best horror films of the early 80's, far from original but played with gusto and lots of fun. Definitely note clever than the popular franchises of the time that went on far too long. Basically it is an R rated version of Disney's Haunted Mansion as the set is perfectly designed with traps everywhere and stunning surprises around every corner. The three leads are very good, knowing when to remove the tongue from their cheek and be completely serious. Blair has a few great lines that parallel her iconic role in "The Exorcist", and is aided by her natural quirkiness that makes her unique and always fun to watch. Certainly deserving of cult status, one of a kind among a genre filled with some real stinkers.