FEAR HOUSE I am happy to report is good old fashioned campy horror fun done in the grand spook story style of an old William Castle film.
It's a throw back to the fright fests of the late 60 and early 70's. Think Burnt Offerings and the like with a little bit of the original House on Haunted Hill thrown in for good measure. This one isn't a gore fest. It relies much more on suspense and tone to set the spooky stage. The idea while certainly not completely original does pack enough surprises to make it all seem refreshed up a a bit and not so stale .
The story goes something along these lines. A bestselling writer buys an old house and then promptly seems to disappear. A group of her friends go a looking for her and find her in that house that she just bought and she seems to have gone a bit mad. What is soon figured out is that the house holds a secret that will now alter the lives of all those present.
As the gang attempts to take their friend and leave it is quickly figured out that those attempting to exit and killed. Not just killed but killed by experiencing their worst fear. Hence the title of the film FEAR HOUSE.
What I found most refreshing about this project is that it doesn't try to be anything more than what it is, an independent ghost story that uses it brains and story to scare you rather than random bloody violence.
I really enjoyed this little ditty and although I know it won't appeal to all of you I think that if you're more of a classic horror fan then this one is for you.
Writer / Director Micheal Morris has crafted an edgy suspenseful ghost story that indie horror fans can really sink their teeth into. It does fall victim to so of the indie horror traps that so plague the genre. Not enough money, a little questionable acting, etc. but Morris bypasses these pitfalls and delivers the goods.
I like it when I stumble across a film like this as it lets me know that there are still talented, passionate horror fans out there churning out the work and fighting the good fight.
FEAR HOUSE while maybe not perfect is still leaps and bounds ahead of some of the crap that major studios are trying to shove down our throat. If you're standing in a video store and have I AM LEGEND in one hand and FEAR HOUSE in the other do your wallet and your mind a favor and gently place I AM LEGEND back on the rack and slowly back away from it. Clutch FEAR HOUSE to your chest and sprint to the register and buy it.
For all the info on FEAR HOUSE you will find no better place then the films official My Space site which you can view by CLICKING HERE.