Rating: Unrated
Starring:
Amanda Righetti as Ariel Wolfe
Erik Palladino as Desmond
Cerina Vincent as Michelle
Tom Riley as Paul
Andrew Lee Potts as Kyle
Steven Pacey as Richard
Andrew Pleavin as Samuel
Jeffrey Combs as Dr. Richard Benjamin Vannacutt
Chucky Venice as Juan
Clyta Rainford as Harue
Laia Gonzàlez as Nurse
Gil Kolirin as Norris Boz
George Zlatarev as Malcolm
Special Features:
Character Confessionals Gallery
The Search For An Idol: Dr. Richard Hammer’s Quest
Additional Scenes
Mushroomhead Simple Survival Music Video
Other Info:
Widescreen (2.40:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Spanish Language
French and Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 81 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD cover:
“Sarah Wolfe was the only living survivor from the massacre at the Vanacutt Mansion, but no one believed her claims that ghosts were responsible for the gruesome murders that took place there. Now her recent and questionable suicide leaves her sister, Ariel, no choice but to devote herself to finding out who – or what – was responsible for her death. Ariel discovers that Sarah sent her the diary of the sadistic Dr. Vanacutt just before she died, offering clues to the diabolical evil that resides within the house. But the diary also makes Ariel a target in a deadly treasure hunt that leads a group of unwitting victims back to the Vanacutt Mansion, reawakening the terror imprisoned within the house on the hill. This time, the house and the evil spirits inside are out to make sure that no one leaves alive.”
“Return to House on Haunted Hill” is not rated. The theatrical version is rated R for strong bloody horror violence, language and brief sexuality/nudity.
Mini Review:
“Return to House on Haunted Hill” pointed out a trend I see more and more in horror movies these days the creators seem to think that gore equals scares. The way they try to shock audiences is by showing tons of blood, intestines, or other guts splashed across the screen. That’s the primary problem with “Return to House on Haunted Hill.” They just kill people over and over again in equally gory ways. Each time is less shocking than the previous kill. If you look at most classic horror stories, they use gore sparingly. “Jaws,” “Alien,” “Psycho,” and other great scary movies built up tension slowly by leaving it to the viewer’s imagination, then they splash the gore across the screen sparingly for the greatest effect. It’s a talent that most horror movie makers these days seem to fail to grasp.
The other problem with “Return to House on Haunted Hill” is that it simply has a bad script. The setup for the characters ending up in the house is weak, their reactions when they are in the house are poorly thought out, and the rules for the ghosts don’t seem to follow any logic. The result is an utterly forgettable splatter-fest.
I’d only recommend “Return to House on Haunted Hill” to die-hard horror fans that don’t care about story or acting as long as the gore effects look cool. This film has almost nothing to offer beyond the effects.
There are four bonus features. Besides the music video and a couple of weak deleted scenes, you’ll find a fake documentary on Dr. Hammer’s search for the idol and a series of Character Confessionals. In them, the actors talk about their character’s histories and motivations.
