Monster of the Day #693

Sorry for my absence yesterday; Joe Bannerman was visiting, and we spent much of the extended weekend (get ready) watching bad movies…actually, we watched more good movies, so it was weird that way.

Back to back (albeit one in the late evening, the next in the following morning) we watched Hausu (aka House) and Umberto Lenzi’s Ghosthouse. Both of which Sandy Petersen introduced me to, so I was just paying it forward as Joe had seen neither. I’m not much for ‘stuff’ movies, where ‘stuff’ just happens with no rhyme or reason. Hausu is the rare movie, though, that always seems to know what it’s about despite the fact that is it continually and utterly nuts.

Ghosthouse is the exact opposite, making a very interesting compare and contrast, given that both films are haunted house movies that make not a lick of sense. The difference being that all the characters in Ghosthouse are utterly retarded; indeed, this might be the single most moronic group of people in horror film history. Ghosthouse also seems to have been made by idiots, a vibe you most definitely do NOT get when watching Hausu.

On the other hand, both films are wildly entertaining, and turn out to make a dynamite double bill.

Hausu is available via a typically wonderful Criterion disc, while Ghosthouse (Sandy had given me a copy, but it doesn’t play on my DVD player) I was able to burn a really quite decent copy off of from YouTube, where the entire film is posted.

  • Flangepart

    Plots that make no sense? HAUSU sounds Japanese. If so, It’s bonkers, but in an entertaining way, I’m guessing.
    That’s japan, after all…

  • The Rev.

    It is Japanese, and it is absolutely bonkers. It was a big hit at T-Fest a few years ago.

    Good to know Ghosthouse is on YouTube; I’ve wanted to see it since reading Braineater’s review years ago.

  • Gamera977

    ‘Hausu’ is sheer awesomeness filmed!!! You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll yell WHAT THE HELL!?! at the TV…

    Haven’t seen ‘Ghosthouse’ but it sounds great, I’ll check it out on YouTube.

  • fish eye no miko

    I’ve seen “GhostHouse” as riffed by Mike, Kevin, and Bill of RIffTrax (it’s available as a VOD; no synching needed)…

    I know people joke about characters in horror movies being dumb, but goddamn, the people in “GhostHouse” are some of the DUMBEST sons of bitches I’ve EVER seen in a movie… And it’s not even a case of not believing in the supernatural; there’s also a guy going around killing people (or trying to), and they still run around doing stupid shit.

  • Ghosthouse (here in Texas, we pronounce it “Ghoss -THOUSE” is a work of genius second only to the magnificence that is NIGHTMARE CITY, also by Umberto Lenzi. One of my favorite moments is when the girl walks out into the living room, and her boyfriend tells her that it is all about “Telepathy – in other words, seeing the future”(!) She asks him, “when did you become an expert on Telepathy”. He says, “Just now. While you were in the shower I went to the library and checked out this book and read it.” Genius. Sheer genius. Plus she must take the longest showers ever.

  • But think – if it is scary to see an appliance turn on by itself once, it’s scary A HUNDRED TIMES!

  • Hmm. I think we need to write a script in which the characters from Ghosthouse meet up with the characters from Burial Ground, and have a dumb-off. Who would lose?

  • Ken_Begg

    He was clearly lying, since telepathy has absolutely nothing to do with seeing the future.

    He was also waving a book that looked like it was published by Scholastic Press. So her shower may not have been as long as you suppose. He may have also finished off Encyclopedia Brown Gets His Man while he was waiting. (“Oh my gosh! It was Bugs Meany the whole time!!”)

  • The Rev.

    You might also yell, “BANANAS!” At least, we did.

    (Just see the movie; you’ll figure it out. Well, why we yelled “BANANAS!” Not so much the scene it refers to.)

  • Gamera977

    Yeah, weird ending – though not much weirder than what came before!

  • Flangepart

    A ‘Dumb-off!’

    Why, Asylem pictures alone would keep us going for a week!