I am absolutely gutted by the quality, or rather the lack of quality about this film, you are told that you're in for a series of chilling stories, in reality you're given four very tedious tales.
The introduction was fantastic, you have to hand it to Ian McNeice, who's presence and delivery are great. Sadly the stories themselves are dull, and the acting is questionable.
On the plus side there is Johnny time, I'm sure many would have sooner enjoyed Johnny time as opposed to dinner with those two idiots.
Poor, 3/10.
The House of Screaming Death
2017
Action / Horror
The House of Screaming Death
2017
Action / Horror
Plot summary
A dark and stormy night... A collector of the macabre weaves four tales of terror for a group of very special guests. "The Lady in Grey" - 1943; as the flames of war spread, a veteran of the Great War looks back on the history of Bray Manor and the ghosts that haunt him and the hallways of the ancient house. "The Witch in the Mirror" - 1970; Lily Proctor inherits the old house and as the spirit of a witch trapped in the Netherworld by the spectral Necromancers tries desperately to escape back into our realm a dark secret from Lily's past is revealed. "The Vampyre" - 1888; following a string of killings a young gentleman comes to Bray Manor. Painted as an outcast by the villagers he befriends a helpless stranger, but his kind heart may be his own undoing. "The Diabolique" - Sam Campbell finds himself at the center of strange happenings as an ancient, demonic spirit strives to break into our world. Each of these stories has a sting in its tail, but the final revelations of who the Architect is may just be the biggest shock of all.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
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Movie Reviews
Don't bother, it's not good.
The House of Screaming Death
The Architect (McNeice) introduces 4 horror stories a la Hammer / Amicus tales of the sixties set around an old house. The first, a short romantic ghost tale, the second is about witchcraft, the third a vampire on the loose and finally a nasty ancient demon.
So, on the plus side it is always a treat to see the great Ian McNeice at work. On the down side the stories and script are dreadful, it is not at all frightening, the acting is lousy throughout and technically it suffers as well - some cheap effects and make up plus some of the sets are daft (note the spotless, modern bar in the old vampire story with electric ceiling lights with a lady drinking white wine out of a modern wine glass). Best avoided.
Disappointing
Like another reviewer, I also wanted to like this film. It's supposed to be in appreciation of the Hammer movies of the 70s as well as other horror venues, and as a fan of Hammer and American International films from my youth, I was hopeful that this would be enjoyable. However, it pales far in comparison.
Gone are the bright, rich colors and creepy music. All of the sequences are gloomy and dark. The acting is wooden at best, and I struggled with boredom throughput the film. In one episode, a girl stabs someone in the chest with a pitchfork. The tines only go in about an inch-hardly fatal-but the recipient immediately gushes blood from their mouth and collapses. Then the girl puts her hands to her face and they are covered in blood. How in the world do you get blood on your hands while holding a pitchfork? Minor, yes, but annoying. This is not "Dracula Has Risen From the Grave." It is just not scary or interesting. In all, a disappointment.