housE (1985) Movie Info
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | House (1985) |
| Original Title | House |
| Director | Steve Miner |
| Screenplay Writer | Fred Dekker |
| Story By | Fred Dekker |
| Based on Novel by | Novel by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker |
| Producer(s) | Sean S. Cunningham |
| Executive Producer(s) | — |
| Lead Actors | William Katt, George Wendt |
| Cast | William Katt, George Wendt, Richard Moll, Kay Lenz |
| Genre | Horror, Comedy |
| Subgenre | Haunted House Horror |
| Release Date | February 28, 1986 (United States) |
| Runtime / Duration | 1h 33m (93 minutes) |
| Budget | ~$3 million |
| Box Office (Worldwide) | ~$22 million |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
| Production Company | New World Pictures |
| Distributor | New World Pictures |
| Filming Locations | California, USA |
| Music By | Harry Manfredini |
| Cinematography | Mac Ahlberg |
| Edited By | Steve Miner |
| Production Design | Gregg Fonseca |
| Costume Design | — |
| Special Effects | Practical creature and makeup effects |
| MPAA Rating | R |
| Aspect Ratio | 1.85:1 |
| Sound Mix | Dolby Stereo |
| Format | Color |
| Themes | Trauma, grief, supernatural terror |
| Setting | Haunted suburban house |
| Notable Trivia | Directed by Steve Miner after Friday the 13th Part 2 and Part III |
| Critical Reception | Positive cult reception |
| Home Media | VHS, DVD, Blu-ray |
| Sequels / Franchise | Spawned multiple sequels |
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Following the suicide of his creepy aunt, horror novelist Roger Cobb (William Katt, the Greatest American Hero himself) moves into the mansion previously owned by the deceased. Cobb hopes to not only begin a long overdue memoir about his experiences in Vietnam, but also to locate his missing child Jimmy, who mysteriously vanished in the swimming pool located behind the mansion while Roger and his family had been visiting weeks earlier.
As Cobb settles in to confront his personal demons, he soon discovers that the house has a few hidden monsters of its own the kind that will tear you to pieces given the chance. Catching glimpses that suggest his son is alive and somewhere in the mansion, Cobb delves deeper and deeper into the supernatural events surrounding him. This isn’t your average haunting kiddies. This is House!
In 1985 director Steve Miner had to his credit the second and third Friday the 13th films and knew that these projects though loved by genre fans were not exactly a one way ticket to expanding his horizons behind the camera. Seeking to try something different, Miner became aware of a script written by Ethan Wiley based on an idea from writer/director Fred Dekker (Night of the Creeps). Miner read this bizarre little horror comedy Wiley had cooked up and contacted his long time associate Sean “Friday the 13th” Cunningham. Thus was born one of the definitive 80’s genre films.
Looking back at the slate of sorry sequels bearing its name, anyone who hasn’t seen the film might be tempted to dismiss House as the unfortunate beginning of a really bad ride. That’d be a shame, because this is a smart, funny and energetic little concoction that starts strong and just keeps the viewer interested right up until the final frames.
The casting was inspired. William Katt has always portrayed a believable everyman and he delivers the goods as Cobb, finding just the right balance between playing it straight and knowing when to loosen it up for the laughs. Additionally, George Wendt (Norm from Cheers) lends solid support as a nosy but well meaning next door neighbor who finds himself in over his head, while His Tallness Richard Moll shines in well orchestrated flashback sequences as an unstable soldier.
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