Respectable Evil Dead clone

 HOUSE (1986)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

I knew so little about "House," a haunted house tongue-in-cheek comedy from 1986, that I was really only aware of it starring the sincere-looking William Katt. He is one of those actors that sells sincerity, whether he believes it or not (oh, wow, just when I wrote that I realized his TV show "The Greatest American Hero" had that last line as one of its theme song lyrics). Pop culture reference aside, I approached "House" as a serious horror flick and, to my surprise, it was insanely funny. Then I realized the humor was not unintentional, this movie is supposed to be funny. It is bizarre and frequently humorous though it is not as dementedly high-pitched in inventiveness as "The Evil Dead" or its sequels were. 

Katt is a best-selling author named Roger Cobb who is sick and tired of writing horror novels - he would rather write about his traumatic experiences in Vietnam. And what better place to write about such experiences than in the very house where his aunt had recently hung herself? Ah, yes, perfect. Cobb has his share of personal problems like a child that had drowned in the very pool of the house he is occupying (is this house the most appropriate setting for writing a novel?) Let's not omit the fact that Cobb was once married to an actress (Kay Lenz) who is worried about his mental health. Roger also has a very nosy neighbor (George Wendt, dead-on perfect casting and extremely funny) who is a fan of Roger's books of course. A curious thing about Wendt's character. He lives in the house next door yet only sleeps in the second floor in a couch! And he takes phone calls there yet never once do we see the rest of his house! Should it matter? I guess not but if you pay close attention, he seems to live alone in a bedroom that looks like some sort of office. 

"House" has spooky-goings-on throughout including a poor man's H.R. Giger monster with tentacles in Roger's closet! There are other ugly creatures like Big Ben (Richard Moll), Roger's Vietnam buddy who holds a grudge against him - Moll looks like one of those Romero zombies from "Day of the Dead." In addition, the bathroom mirror is a portal to otherworldly beasties with wings! Some of the humor involving a decapitated monster's hand that Roger tries to hide from a beautiful woman next door is right out of "Evil Dead." Most of this movie owes more of a debt to "Evil Dead" than any other haunted house movie.

"House" is respectably comedic without ever getting gratuitously gross or gory. Katt is the ideal Everyman I suppose. You'll forget most of this movie after it is over but I can't say it won't leave you with a respectably silly grin on your face.