Best Horror Movies

Gimmick theme park owner/builder Geoffrey Rush throws soon-to-be ex-wife Famke Janssen a birthday party, with a theme and gimmick of its own: the guests are each given a loaded .45, and a million dollar check in their name – should they survive the night. The party occurs in a locked-down, now-abandoned asylum on an isolated seaside hilltop, where fifty years ago mad doctor Jeffrey Combs performed vivisection’s on his patients. Funny thing is, neither Janssen or Rush recognize the guests who arrive – each blames the other for some secret shenanigan, which is no surprise since they blame each other for everything else, anyway. Neither they nor their unwitting guests realize that the house has a guest list – and an agenda – of its own.

This is a slick, handsomely mounted production. It benefits from excellent atmosphere, augmented by good cinematography, clever tricks and angles, and a terrific soundtrack which includes Marilyn Manson’s cover of “Sweet Dreams.” The plot is often unbelievable, but it’s good and gory and scary as hell. The cast is great, including Peter Gallagher, Ali Larter and the underrated Bridgette Wilson among the menaced guests.

The shocks are varied, but effective. There’s an excellent psychotic break/nightmare sequence involving faceless and indescribable monsters, who multiphase-jitter at undercranked speed a la Jacob’s Ladder. Combs’ part is small but important as the chief ghost of the haunted house, and he plays it well.

What is most prevalent throughout is an aura of evil, fueled more by the current of hatred running between Rush and Janssen than anything else, which infuses and infects everything around it. There’s some nice comic relief, and the dialogue is credible and up-to-date. The script is pretty good, overall.

This is a great movie for a Halloween party, or just a chilly night indoors.

Cast

• Geoffrey Rush as Steven H. Price a multi millionaire fair owner
• Famke Janssen as Evelyn Stockard-Price the seductive wife of steven and wants all of his money
• Ali Larter as Sara Wolfe/Jennifer Jenzen
• Taye Diggs as Eddie Baker
• Bridgette Wilson as Melissa Margaret Marr
• Chris Kattan as Watson Pritchett
• Peter Gallagher as Donald W. Blackburn
• Max Perlich as Carl Schecter
• Jeffrey Combs as Dr. Richard Vanacutt a doctor who performed……….
• Lisa Loeb as Channel 3 Reporter
• James Marsters as Channel 3 Cameraman