The Haunted House of Horror: Tigon Collection – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: UK, 1969
Directors: Michael Armstrong, Gerry Levy
Writers: Michael Armstrong, Gerry Levy
Cast: Frankie Avalon, Jill Haworth, Dennis Price, Mark Wynter, George Sewell, Gina Warwick, Richard O'Sullivan, Carol Dilworth, Julian Barnes, Veronica Doran, Robin Stewart, Jan Holden, Clifford Earl, Robert Raglan

Release Date: January 20th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 91 Minutes 27 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £16.99 (UK)

"Bored by their usual nightlife activities, a group of swinging London twenty-somethings decide to get their kicks by partying in an abandoned ‘haunted’ house. But when one of their number is found murdered, the gang is dragged into a world of horror." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation in original 1.66:1 aspect ratio."

The Haunted House of Horror comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.5 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

This is another solid encode from Fidelity in Motion. The source looks great; colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. That said, though black levels are strong, there are a few moments where they are not as convincing.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, things sound very good.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery (36 images - posters/stills/press book), a theatrical trailer under the title Horror House (1 minute 51 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer under the title Haunted House of Horror (2 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Mel Churcher titled A Party to The Haunted House of Horror (3 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with assistant editor Jonathan Morris titled Helping to Cut The Haunted House of Horror (3 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with director Micheal Armstrong titled House of Horrors - Micheal Armstrong on The Haunted House of Horror (32 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a documentary The Making Of The Haunted House of Horror with comments by Micheal Armstrong, actresses Veronica Doran, Carol Dilworth, actor Mark Wynter, production secretary Jeanne Ferber, editor Peter Pitt, dubbing editor Howard Lanning, hairdresser Russ Carver, and camera operator Jimmy Devis (91 minutes 14 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film critics Kim Newman and Sean Hogan, an audio commentary with film journalists Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson, reversible cover art, a glossy O-ring (limited to the first pressing) and a 36-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with UK pressbook, Tigon double bill pressbook, excerpts from the screenplay kindly supplied by Michael Armstrong, and production stills and posters.

Summary:

Bored partygoers looking for a thrill go to a haunted house.

The Haunted House of Horror was written and directed by Michael Armstrong, who would go on to direct Mark of the Devil. In its original form, The Haunted House of Horror was a much different film. There would be numerous rewrites of the screenplay, which drastically altered Michael Armstrong’s original screenplay. Changing the killer's motivation is the most notable of these changes. AIP's (American International Pictures) meddling would also extend to casting; they would insist that Michael Armstrong use Frankie Avalon.

There is an unsettling pre-credits moment that takes place in the house where the later carnage happens. This moment does a superb job of setting the tone for the other moments that take place in the haunted house. Unfortunately, most of the moments outside of the haunted house are lacking, and the narrative tends to drag during these moments.

Some casting choices that did not happen, like David Bowie and Boris Karloff, are more interesting than the actors who were cast. When it comes to the performances, most of the cast are serviceable. The casting of Frankie Avalon really hurts The Haunted House of Horror; he does not fit in with the rest of the younger cast members. Where they are all British (he’s the only American), he looks older than they do.

Though billed as a horror film, The Haunted House of Horror spends more time looking like a swinging 1960s melodrama. Besides clothing and decor, the soundtrack, which features music by The Pretty Things, firmly entrenches The Haunted House of Horror in late 1960s swinging London. Composer Reg Tisley (The Body Stealers) delivers a moody score that really enhances the scenes in the haunted house.

It is 39 minutes before the first kill, and though it, like the subsequent kills, is gruesome, the overall body count is low. The narrative features a real head-scratcher; instead of reporting that one of their friends was brutally murdered, they cover it up and keep quiet about it. The last 35 minutes are best described as a whodunit in which the killers' motives are fully laid out. Ultimately, The Haunted House of Horror is a film of missed opportunities.

The Haunted House of Horror gets a solid release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer