AniInterview Sorry, this movie sucks

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

devilsreject85 This can be one of the most enjoyable movies ever if you don't take it seriously. It is a bit dated and the effects are lame, but it is so enjoyable. There are giant crabs that attack a girl. oh, and the crabs sing Japanese. It is amazingly bad. And the ending, which has been telegraphed throughout the entire film is hideously awesome. Predictable, but seeing the final fight will leave you rolling in your seat. Don't even give this film a chance and you will love it. Susan George is fun to watch and yes, she does appear naked. Her daughter isn't quite worth putting up with, but she does get attacked by giant crabs. They are the size of large cats. This is a 2, but I love it. As a movie, my God, but for entertainment, I give it a 7. Did I mention there are giant crabs?

bensonmum2 While the premise behind The House Where Evil Dwells may be intriguing, the execution is downright pathetic. I'm not even sure where to begin as I've got so many problems with this movie. I suppose I'll just number a few of them: 1. The Acting – When you see that Edward Albert, Doug McClure, and Susan George (and her teeth) are the stars of your movie, you know you're in trouble? Not that it matters much to me, but these are hardly A-List names. Susan George may have been in a couple of movies I enjoy, but I've never considered her the greatest actress I've ever seen. And in this movie, her acting is embarrassing. As for the other two, the less said the better.2. The Ghosts – The ghosts or spirits or whatever you want to call them reminded me quite a bit of the ghosts in the haunted mansion ride.at Disney World. And, they are about as frightening. And why did they have to be so obvious? Subtlety is not a characteristic of The House Where Evil Dwells.3. The Plot – How predictable can one movie be? The outcome of this movie is painfully obvious once you meet the three main characters. If you couldn't see where this movie was headed after about 15 minutes, you need to see more movies.4. The Convenient Priest – What are the chances that the haunted house you buy just happens to be across the street from a group of Japanese monks? Not to mention that one of them knows the history of your house and comes over, knocks on the door, and asks if you need help removing evil spirits. Absurd is a word that comes to mind.5. Everything Else – It's very difficult for me to think of any positives to write about. I suppose I'll give it a point for the opening scene and a point for the house's architecture. That's a sure sign of a winner – noting the architecture as a highlight of any film doesn't say much about the actual movie.I'll stop. You should be able to get the idea from what I've already mentioned. And, I haven't even mentioned the annoying little girl or the Invasion of the Crabs or a multitude of other problems. Be warned, this thing is horrible.

steveklein I saw this film at a pre-release screening at the Writers Guild theater in Beverly Hills. As I recall, the film's producers and director were in attendance, presumably to gage our reaction.Many scenes evoked gales of laughter from the audience, which would have been fine if it had been a comedy, but it was supposed to be a horror film.If the audience wasn't scared, it seems the filmmakers were. They delayed release for over a year. Out of curiosity I saw it again to see if they'd re-cut it; as far as I can tell, they hadn't. It was the same lousy movie, just a year older.It almost qualifies as "so bad, it's good," but it's slow-paced and boring.

FieCrier In 1840 in Japan, a man has an affair with a woman in her husband's house. A "netsuke" (I think it was called) is prominently featured; it is a small ivory carving of a seated woman and man (or demon?) in a sexual embrace. The husband arrives home just as the adulterous couple have stripped and are getting started and he can observe their shadows through the translucent windows. In slow motion, the husband draws his sword and charges through the wall, swinging his sword wildly and ineffectively. Ultimately, he does chop one of the man's arms off, stabs him in the crotch, and decapitates him. After slashing his wife's throat and getting in a few more strikes on her, he commits hari kari.This is a fairly standard "awful thing happens in a house, and a new family moves in" sort of horror story, but it gets points for the location photography. Beautifully decorated houses, gardens, etc. In a way, this prefigures this year's The Grudge remake, with the Americans moving into a house haunted by Japanese ghosts.An American couple and their daughter arrive in Japan. Their Japanese-speaking American friend who works for the American consulate has arranged for them to rent the house. He actually does tell them the cheap price he got for the house was due to stories of its being haunted. Initially there are just some mild signs of its being haunted, but nothing they particularly note. The couple has sex that night with lots of half-fades and schmaltzy music. The next morning, a zen monk politely and calmly warns them the house is haunted, and they should leave, and he will wait for them to ask for help.The ghosts start appearing, as blueish figures, shoulder-to-shoulder. They are no longer each others' enemies, but it proves evident very quickly that they intend for the new couple and their friend to re-enact their own deaths. The ghosts can step into people's bodies and make them speak or act differently.The husband actually sees the ghosts sometimes, while his wife more often just observes poltergeist behavior. He also sees the female ghost looking as she did when alive (i.e. not blueish and transparent) in other locations through his camera, but she does not show up on the developed film. There's a nice scene where he is photographing some female divers and she shows up there.The wife finds the netsuke, which she keeps with her, and she also buys some Noh masks with her daughter, as well as a demon mask and a devil-god mask. The demon mask looks similar to the mask in Onibaba (1964).I can see how people would see the movie as silly in parts or overall slow, but I guess I was in the proper mood to enjoy it: I liked it.