Review of House of Fears (2007) by Donald M — 05 Mar 2011

I thought it was really well done. Maybe I'm a bit biased because this was filmed in a place that is very near and dear to me, The Rocky Point Haunted House in Utah. The house has been closed for a few years now and this remains one of the few memories of what was once one of the greatest Haunts nationwide.

I knew they had filmed a movie at RPHH but I could never seem to find out if it had been released. I stumbled across this by accident and from the description I immediately knew this had to be it. I like Ryan Little and the films he has made so I was happy to see this was one of his. I wasn't prepared for it to look as polished as it did, not that Ryans films aren't polished, he has made some amazing films. In a time when we see hundreds of straight to DVD horror flicks hitting the shelves, most of which look like they were filmed in someone's backyard with a hand held camcorder, House of Fears looked great and was better than half the horror crap thats being released lately.

If your a horror fan who's looking for buckets of blood and gore this won't feed your appetite. If your into the recent glut of torture porn then this is not your cup of... tea... at all. It's not heavy on the special effects, no CGI (thank the Lord), and honestly I didn't find it all that terribly scary, but I think that it did a good job of raising the tension levels and keeping you entertained and I rather see a good ol' supernatural flick like this than another Saw or Hostel anyday.

The actors, for the most part, all did a great job and I loved the cameo by one of Supernaturals own, Jared Padalecki. I felt there were a few weak performances but alot of that was due to a slightly lacking script. Some of the dialog was just terribly bad and I felt it dragged down what could have been a much better movie. I liked the humor but I think it could have taken itself a little more seriously and still been able to hold its own.

Some of the creature effects were well done and the sets were top notch. RPHH was one of the most visually stunning Haunts around with some absolutely incredible makeup artists handling the actors on a nightly basis. Cydney Neil had a real artistic flair and utilized some of the best in the business to build and decorate the amazingly detailed sets in her Haunt. Her black-light maze was second to none and had to be seen in person to really get the full effect of its magnificence. So what disappointed me most was that we didn't get to see more of these sets as well as more of the incredible makeup work and actors who brought life to RPHH. I think adding more of these things could only have enhanced the movie and made it that much more visually stunning.

For many of the RPHH alumni and those who miss exploring its hallowed halls each Halloween season, this movie may serve as a sort of memory book to remind us of the greatness that was the house that Cyd built. RPHH is timeless and it's nice to see it immortalized in a fairly decent homage. For that reason I would give it 5 stars. But this review is to serve those who want to see a decent horror movie and in that respect I give it a 4 based on a weak script and slightly weak story. All in all though, I think this wasn't a waste of time and if you like a good thriller and don't need gore galore I don't think you will be disappointed in watching House of Fear... Check it out. I think if your looking for something with a more bloody body count you should definitely check out Dark Ride.