14 December 2024
The House Where Evil Dwells (1982)
88 min.
Directed by Kevin Connor.
With Edward Albert, Susan George, Doug McClure, Amy Barrett, Mako Hattori, Toshiyuki Sasaki.
A lethargic haunted house entry from 1982.

Magazine writer Albert, his wife George and their daughter relocate to Japan on assignment and move into a charming old country home outside Kyoto.

But the house was the scene of a double murder and suicide over a century ago...and the malevolent spirits within are determined to possess the new occupants.

Crippled by a lack of suspense (the plot, albeit promising, is telegraphed from the get go), this doesn't have much going for it except the refreshing locale and the vet talents of Albert and George.

The constant appearance of the three 'ghosts' is proof once again: just because a storyline can be augmented via special effects, doesn't necessarily mean it should be.

Would have been significantly improved had this been made in the '70s with subtlety and suggestion rather than visual obviousness.

And we could have done without the 'crab attack scene' altogether.

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