Frederick (Vincent Price) and Annabelle ( Carol Ohmart) banter as callous “lovers” who not so jokingly detail their desires to murder one another, just like how Steven Price ( Geoffrey Rush) and Evelyn ( Famke Janssen) project their disgust for each other with even more scandalous vitriol. The game is afoot despite different players in each respective title-to a degree.

The premise of both 1959’s and 1999’s House on Haunted Hill starts with a hostess’ elaborate party, her husband’s issued challenge with a cash prize, and a supposedly supernaturally cursed estate. It’s a shame, too, because House on Haunted Hill will live on in glorious infamy for its over-the-top theatrics alone. They don’t make ‘em like House on Haunted Hill or Thir13en Ghosts, and that’s exemplified in the extraness of Malone’s predated FeardotCom freakshow.

Over the years that Blumhouse has since demonstrated its genre dominance, there’s been a ripple effect as outside horror producers aim to squeeze spending and maximize profits because, generally, Friday night frighteners will dependably turn their profits based on committed thrillseeker fanbases. There’s a reason why Malone’s exquisitely dangerous game and 2001’s Thir13en Ghosts remain not-so-secret sleepover gems of the aughts-just compare production values. I remain in awe of Dark Castle’s commitment to budgetary freedoms when it came to their early remakes, based on the price tag of $37 million for House on Haunted Hill. Before Freddy faceplanted, Jason hired a lawyer, and “The Hitcher” caught another lift, an ode to Vincent Price would lead the charge as remakes became the newest en vogue horror trend-whether coincidental or influential. Before Dark Castle Entertainment ushered “ old-school horror into a new millennium” with Thir13en Ghosts, another William Castle classic would close out the 90s with a revamped contest to outlast a haunted house’s threats. Would there be “The Great 2000s Boom” of horror remakes without William Malone’s pre-Y2K House on Haunted Hill trendsetter? Undoubtedly, but what’s the fun of starting any piece without an inflammatory claim based on a smidgen of believability.

The good, the bad, the unnecessary – Matt’s recounting them all. We all complain about Hollywood’s lack of originality whenever studios announce new remakes, reboots, and reimaginings, but the reality? Far more positive examples of refurbished classics and updated legacies exist than you’re willing to remember (or admit). Welcome to Revenge of the Remakes, where columnist Matt Donato takes us on a journey through the world of horror remakes.

House on haunted hill trailer