Geoffrey Rush, as I had expected, was my favourite thing about this movie. Unexpectedly, I didn't mind Chris Kattan (in fact, he was one of my other favourite things). I didn't like Peter Gallagher, as usual. The rest of the cast I could take or leave - they were neither spectacular nor awful, though Famke Janssen fought a losing battle with the superior presence and talent of Rush. I was happy to see that this film owes more to classic horror films than to modern slasher flicks. It doesn't rely on flashy effects, but for a modern audience accustomed to eye candy, this may not hold gnatlike attention spans. I was genuinely "scared" by some scenes - in horror, it's the simple and primal that seems to affect one most deeply - but it's no screamfest. Don't go in expecting the tightest and thickest of plots; as with all movies, go in with an open mind, and you may find it very enjoyable.
Review of House on Haunted Hill
