![]() Backwood Films designed and fabricated seven different creature models for the film. With that in mind, House‘s lasting value remains the “things” that go bump in the night. ![]() ![]() So what is House exactly? Without more space and a greater study of the film’s specific eccentricities, we’ll call it a kitchen sink horror film of ideas and inspirations that works more often than it doesn’t even though it shouldn’t. You have to peel back a few layers, but it’s there - even though the film’s limited budget (and William Katt’s hair) undermines the gravitas of the war-era flashbacks. If you remove the creature effects (that owe a deep debt to Evil Dead and perhaps in turn influenced how Sam Raimi approached Evil Dead 2) and the light-hearted interaction between Cobb and Harold, House becomes a psychological thriller about the Vietnam War. House remains an oddity in the horror genre - a goofy, schlocky horror film that simultaneously entertains a rather serious conversation about post-traumatic stress disorder. Instead of assisting, Harold begins a peeping-tom suicide watch. Cobb attempts to convey suspicions about the house to his next door neighbor Harold (George Wendt). Soon the house itself attempts to expunge its new inhabitant. He’s determined to finish the book about his time in Vietnam, but unsettling nightmares about his time in the war and his potentially sociopathic commanding officer (Richard Moll) deter progress. Troubled author Roger Cobb (William Katt) misplaced his son and as a result of his separation from his wife, moved into the family house in which his aunt committed suicide. But what would the Greatest American Hero know about Germanic word origins? The Story It’s no surprise that the Germans had a hand in this. In Gothic only in gudhus “temple,” literally “god-house ” the usual word for “house” in Gothic being according to OED razn. Old English hus “dwelling, shelter, building designed to be used as a residence,” from Proto-Germanic * husan (source also of Old Norse, Old Frisian hus, Dutch huis, German Haus), of unknown origin, perhaps connected to the root of hide (v.). Take a moment to look at the word “house.” Don’t you think it starts to look a little strange? I looked up the origins, just for a little bit of learning this morning and came up with this: Hausu, House of Sorority Row, Last House on the Left, House of Wax,, House II, House 3, House 4, Road House, Animal House, etc. While we’re on the topic of house-based horror movies, I wonder if you could fulfill and entire Hooptober Challenge list with only movies containing “House” in the title. Revisiting on old favorite on a brand new Arrow Films Blu-ray box set.įrom The Old Dark House, let’s move on to just plain old House, the horror comedy that mingles PTSD and George Wendt.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |