House on Haunted Hill (1999)

Director:

William Malone

Writers (WGA):

Robb White (story)
Dick Beebe (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 October 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Six strangers have the chance to make $1,000,000 EACH. All they have to do is make it through the night alive.

Plot:

A millionaire offers a group of diverse people $1,000,000 to spend the night in a haunted house with a horrifying past.

Plot Keywords:

Haunted House | Millionaire | Money | Mental Institution | Ghost

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Geoffrey Rush	...	Stephen H. Price
Famke Janssen	...	Evelyn Stockard-Price
Taye Diggs	...	Eddie Baker
Peter Gallagher	...	Donald W. Blackburn, M.D.
Chris Kattan	...	Watson Pritchett
Ali Larter	...	Sara Wolfe
Bridgette Wilson	...	Melissa Margaret Marr
Max Perlich	...	Carl Schecter
Jeffrey Combs	...	Dr. Richard Benjamin Vannacutt
Dick Beebe	...	Male Nurse
Slavitza Jovan	...	Twisted Nurse
Lisa Loeb	...	Channel 3 Reporter
James Marsters	...	Channel 3 Cameraman
Jeannette Lewis	...	Price's Secretary
Janet Tracy Keijser	...	Girl on Wires
Peter Graves	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marc Blucas	...	Period Film Actor (scenes deleted)
Ivana Milicevic	...	Period Film Actress (scenes deleted)
Sheila Lussier	...	Ghost / Tree (uncredited)
Debi Mazar	...	Jennifer Jenzen (deleted character, DVD only) (uncredited)
Frank Murgia	...	Zombie (uncredited)
Gregory Nicotero	...	Rollercoaster technician (uncredited)

Directed by
William Malone

Writing credits (WGA)
Robb White		(story)
Dick Beebe		(screenplay)

Produced by
Gilbert Adler	....	producer
Terry Castle	....	co-producer
Dan Cracchiolo	....	executive producer
Steve Richards	....	executive producer
Joel Silver	....	producer
Ed Tapia	....	associate producer
Robert Zemeckis	....	producer

Original Music by
Don Davis

Cinematography by
Rick Bota		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Anthony Adler

Casting by
Lora Kennedy

Production Design by
David F. Klassen

Art Direction by
Richard F. Mays

Set Decoration by
Lauri Gaffin

Costume Design by
Ha Nguyen

Makeup Department
David Abbott	....	makeup artist
Howard Berger	....	makeup artist
Howard Berger	....	special makeup effects artist
Norman Cabrera	....	special makeup department sculptor: Kutzman, Nicotero & Berger EFX.
Bill Corso	....	makeup artist (as William Corso)
Joyce Etheridge	....	key makeup artist
Garrett Immel	....	special makeup effects artist
Robert Kurtzman	....	special makeup effects
Gregory Nicotero	....	special makeup effects
Douglas Noe	....	assistant makeup artist
Diane Pepper	....	hair stylist (as Dianne Pepper)
Shannon Shea	....	special makeup effects artist
Dick Smith	....	special makeup effects design
Faith Vecchio	....	hair stylist
Patricia Vecchio	....	key hair stylist
Alan Tuskes	....	key special makeup effects studio technician (uncredited)

Production Management
Bill Draper	....	executive in charge of production
F.A. Miller	....	unit production manager
Mark L. Mitchell	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Maria K. Battle	....	second assistant director: second unit (as Maria K. Battle-Campbell)
Gregg Brazzel	....	second unit director (as Gregory Brazzel)
Scott Cameron	....	first assistant director
Simone Farber	....	second assistant director
Dinah LeHoven	....	second second assistant director: second unit
Joe Lotito	....	second second assistant director (as Joseph E. Lotito)

Art Department
Christopher Amy	....	property master
Janet Baxter-Nissen	....	construction medic
Amy Feldman	....	assistant set decorator
Johnny Graham	....	props
Walton D. Hadfield	....	construction coordinator (as Walt Hadfield)
Bill 'Kauhane' Hoyt	....	stand-by painter
Brandon L. Hull	....	art department production assistant
David Ladish	....	set dresser
Kenny Minster	....	property master: second unit
Tomas Mulrooney	....	sculptor
J. Michael Riva	....	visual consultant
Steve Rodriguez	....	art department assistant
Clare Scarpulla	....	assistant art director
Brian Walker	....	construction foreman
James F. Walker	....	construction foreman
Ben Woolverton	....	lead man

Sound Department
Thom Brennan	....	foley supervisor (as Tom Brennan)
Kevin E. Carpenter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dane A. Davis	....	sound designer
Dane A. Davis	....	supervising sound editor
Thom 'Coach' Ehle	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Julia Evershade	....	co-supervising sound editor
George Flores	....	boom operator
Vince Garcia	....	production sound mixer
Hilda Hodges	....	foley artist
Eric Lindemann	....	additional sound designer
Eric Lindemann	....	sound effects editor
Frank Long	....	second assistant sound editor
David McRell	....	first assistant sound editor
Alyson Dee Moore	....	foley artist
Thomas J. O'Connell	....	adr mixer
Jeremy Peirson	....	assistant sound designer
Charles W. Ritter	....	dialogue editor
John Roesch	....	foley artist
Gregory H. Watkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
Carolyn Tapp	....	foley recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Charles Belardinelli	....	special effects coordinator
Thomas L. Bellissimo	....	special effects supervisor (as T. Brooklyn Bellissimo)
Gary D. Bierend	....	special effects technician
Rick Bongiovanni	....	effects crew: KNB effects
Tamara Carlson	....	fabricator: K.N.B Effects Group
Jason Collins	....	lab technician: KNB Effects Group
Chiz Hasegawa	....	project coordinator: KNB EFX Group
Frank Iudica	....	special effects technician
Scott Patton	....	sculptor
Malia Thompson	....	special effects technician
Wayne Toth	....	special effects makeup
Thomas Zell	....	special effects foreman
Brandon Kleyla	....	miniature effects team (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Bill Black	....	visual effects editor
Steward Burris	....	3D artist
Richard J. Cook	....	digital effects producer: VisonArt
Rick Cortes	....	visual effects artist
Jim Davidson	....	model builder
Jim Davidson	....	visual effects rigger
Christina Drahos	....	visual effects compositor: VisionArt
Ted Fay	....	director of technology: VisionArt
Antony Hunt	....	executive Producer: Mill Film
Oded Kassirer	....	digital artist
Marc Kolbe	....	visual effects supervisor: VisionArt
Daniel Kramer	....	senior technical director: VisionArt
Jennifer Law-Stump	....	digital effects artist: Pacific Title Digital
Jerry Macaluso	....	additional miniatures: miniature creature
Robert McInnis	....	visual effects supervisor: Modern VideoFilm
Mark L. Mitchell	....	post production visual effects supervisor
Craig A. Mumma	....	visual effects supervisor: VisionArt
Matthew Olivo	....	film record technician (as Matt Olivo)
Helena Packer	....	digital effects supervisor: WhoDoo EFX
Rocco Passionino	....	senior animator
Mark A. Shelton	....	visual effects director of photography
Michael Shelton	....	visual effects
Rick Shick	....	digital compositor
Robert Skotak	....	visual effects supervisor
Andy Stevens	....	visual effects camera assistant: Magic Camera Co
Paul Taglianetti	....	visual effects producer
Chris 'Willie' Williams	....	tracker
John Campuzano	....	tape operator (uncredited)
Kate Neumann	....	executive assistant: VisionArt (uncredited)
Grant Niesner	....	digital art direction consultant (uncredited)
Alette Vernon	....	digital compositor (uncredited)

Stunts
Shane T. Anderson	....	stunts
Rick Avery	....	stunts
Kevin Ball	....	stunts
Gregg Brazzel	....	stunt coordinator (as Gregory Brazzel)
Kimberly Cossette	....	stunts (as Kimberly Cassette)
Lori Crowder	....	stunts
Wally Crowder	....	stunts
Loren Dennis	....	stunts
Yannick Derrien	....	stunts
Danny Downey	....	stunts
John Edward	....	stunts
George Fisher	....	stunts
Clay Donahue Fontenot	....	stunts (as Clay Fontenot)
Frankie 'G' Garbutt	....	stunts
Alisa Hensley	....	stunts
Scott Leva	....	stunts
April Littlejohn	....	stunts
Mark Lonsdale	....	stunts (as Mark Longsdale)
John Vitale	....	stunts
Clay Donahue Fontenot	....	stunt double: Taye Diggs/Eddie (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Steve Austin	....	24 frame video operator
Garrett Benson	....	second assistant camera
Kirk Bloom	....	second assistant camera
A. Anthony Cappello	....	first assistant camera
Tom Farrar	....	still photographer
Joe Hicks	....	best boy grip (as Joe E. Hicks)
Robert Ikeda	....	grip (as Bobby Ikeda)
Robert Ikeda	....	grip
Peter Iovino	....	still photographer
Scott Kidner	....	lighting technician
Jordan Klein Jr.	....	underwater director of photography
Michael Laws	....	gaffer
Steven C. Marshall	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Darren Michaels	....	unit still photographer
Darin Miller	....	film loader
Darin Miller	....	second assistant camera: "b" camera
Chris Moseley	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Bob Munoz	....	key grip (as Robert Munoz)
Brian S. Osmond	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Bryce Porter	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Christian Sebaldt	....	director of photography: second unit
William Skinner	....	lighting technician
Louis Smith	....	second assistant camera: Florida
Lonnie Stewart	....	dolly grip
Stephen J. Ullman	....	Steadicam operator
Stephen J. Ullman	....	camera operator: "b" camera

Animation Department
David Fain	....	animator: titles

Casting Department
Joanne Martin Hinson	....	extras casting
Kristy Sager	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carol Demarti	....	head dyer and ager
Carol Demarti	....	milliner
Dominick De Rasmo	....	specialty costume manufacturer
Kimberly Guenther	....	costume supervisor (as Kimberly Guenther-Durkin)
Randall Thropp	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Steven A. Calabro	....	second assistant editor
Dale E. Grahn	....	color timer
Dan Gutman	....	second assistant editor (as Daniel Gutman)
Tirsa Hackshaw	....	first assistant editor
Jason Hampton	....	assistant colorist
Barbara Riley	....	negative cutter
Eva Winkle	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Bruce Babcock	....	orchestrator
Don Davis	....	orchestrator
Ira Hearshen	....	orchestrator
Erik Lundborg	....	orchestrator (as Eric Lundborg)
Larry Mah	....	score mixer
Armin Steiner	....	music scoring engineer

Transportation Department
Don Haggerty	....	driver
Dan Henley	....	transportation coordinator
Timothy E. Henley	....	transportation captain
Thomas M. Krigbaum	....	transportation co-captain (as Tom Krigbaum)
Doug Wilson	....	driver

Other crew
Chamonix Bosch	....	key set production assistant
Kelsey Clark	....	assistant: Robert Zemeckis
Paul Croghan	....	production coordinator
Gina D'Orazio	....	assistant production coordinator
Iris Dubinsky	....	production secretary
Gloria M. Fujita	....	set medic
Peter Hollocker	....	production assistant
Douglas McKay	....	local gang boss
Rana Morrison	....	location assistance
Deborah J. Page	....	location manager
Jess Platt	....	dialect coach
Steve Rodriguez	....	production assistant
Alison Rothman	....	first assistant accountant
Taffy Schweickhardt	....	payroll accountant
Mary Anne Seward	....	script supervisor
Annemarie Sinagra	....	production assistant
Matt Story	....	production accountant (as Matthew G. Story)
Cheeba White	....	production assistant: Florida
Robert Polgar	....	assistant: Joel Silver (uncredited)

Production Companies

• J&M Entertainment (presents)
• CLT-UFA International (presents)
• Dark Castle Entertainment
• Helkon Media AG (in association with)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1999) (USA) (theatrical)
• WB Television Network, The (2003) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Independent Films (2000) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Amfiteatro Filmai (Baltic states)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• Blue Diamond Video (Venezuela) (video)
• DiFox (Venezuela)
• Eurocine (Argentina)
• GAGA Humax
• GAGA
• Helkon Filmverleih GmbH (Germany)
• SND (France)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Brothers Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Yorin (2003) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)

Special Effects

• 4-Ward Productions (digital/visual effects)
• Bellissimo/Belardinelli Effects
• K.N.B. Effects Group (makeup effects)
• Magic Camera Company, The (Geoffrey Rush Greenscreens)
• Modern VideoFilm
• VisionArt

Other Companies

• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera cranes and dollies
• Danetracks  sound post-production
• Inter Video  24 frame video playback
• Mario's Catering  catering
• Pacific Title/Mirage  titles and opticals
• Picture Mill, The  title design
• Seattlemusic  music performed by
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence and gore, sexual images and language.

Runtime:

93 min | Spain:99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18SG | USA:R (certificate #37055) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:18A (Video rating) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | New Zealand:R16 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Germany:16 | Ireland:18 | Japan:PG-12 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | Portugal:M/16

Filming Locations:

Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

J&M Entertainment

Trivia:

The inscriptions on the walls and doors in the hospital are all in German, but do not make any particular sense when translated. The inscription "Gehirn Hygiene" for example is a rough translation of the English "brain sanitation" into German. Maybe the German inscriptions were just supposed to add a more gothic atmosphere to the movie, but quite certainly they are also a reference to an old German Horror movie Schloß Vogeloed (1921) directed by F.W. Murnau, which also deals with a haunted manor.

Goofs:

Continuity: The scars on Sara's forehead and cheek keep vanishing and reappearing on different sides of her face, and are all completely gone by the end of the film.

Quotes:

Watson Pritchett: I lied. The house is alive. We're all gonna die.

Movie Connections:

References Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974)

Soundtrack:

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

NOT A BAD REMAKE

This is not a bad remake. It is "R" rated, so parents beware, this is NOT the Price classic of 1958. Within the first scene there is gore (surgery on a wide awake man), violence (the inmates of the asylum break loose and attack the staff), and nudity (uniforms ripped open on the women). This is crucial to the plot (Hill House is not the same murder house from the original, it's a former asylum for the criminally insane where torture and experimentations are done on the inmates). A fire breaks out and all but five die.

Jump to present day. Multimillionaire Steven Price (is the name a nod to Vincent?) played by Geoffrey Rush, doing his best sideshow barker impersonation/Williams Castle impersonation, and wife (Famke Janssen) are having a party, in the restored former asylum. The guest's trip to the house is still via several hearse and from this point much of the original plot is maintained.

The part that bothered me about the arrival scene at the house, was the inappropriate song. It set the wrong mood, and I worried about what was going to be next. Thankfully, the rest of the score (except the end title) was strictly orchestral, and sent a nice dark mood to try to help to scare you. Applause to Don Davis.

House does rely rather heavily on special effects as do all the current re-makes. Is it really better or worse for it? I think it adds, and they didn't just redo the same show. It's spooky and a good Halloween movie, and a dark theater is excellent for it's effect. I am sorry, but there was nothing that I found really scary or horrifying. Of course, I haven't really been scared by a movie since I saw the Wolf Man (1941), with Lon Chaney jr, in 1958.