The House Where Evil Dwells (1982)

Independently made and subsequently picked up by a major Hollywood distributor, "The House Where Evil Dwells" has been mostly forgotten in the years since, and it doesn't take long to figure out why. True, it has some features that at first promise that it will stand out from other horror movies involving ghosts. It's shot and set in Japan, which gives it a unique backdrop, and the production values are first rate (the movie looks very nice on Blu-ray, by the way.) However, it doesn't take long for the movie to really slow down and make evident that there isn't a terrible amount of story here. And what story there is often has some confusing aspects to it. For example, why are the three ghosts working together when they were involved in a fatal and bloody love triangle before their deaths? And why do they want to recreate what happened to them over a hundred years ago? (It would make more sense if the woman and lover ghosts were fighting the jealous husband ghost's efforts to make a modern day bloody love triangle.) Possibly more explanation (and more plot) got edited out when the movie was taken out the director's hands and reedited by others. As it is, the movie feels kind of simplistic and without any twists. The movie is not boring, but it is utterly forgettable; it'll vanish like a ghost from your mind not long after you finish watching it.

The story line alone for this flick makes it automatically pointless to watch as it tends to sound a lot like the totally not worth watching movie "The Grudge". I wonder if the story/plot similarity between the two films can be considered as related, "The House Where Evil Dwells" (original), "The Grudge" (a remake"?; "The Grudge" is supposed to be a remake of the Japanese film "Ju-on", so maybe not). Maybe "The House Where Evil Dwells" also inspired Ju-on? From this perspective a ghost story, is a ghost story, is a ghost story.....According to the general consensus in the reviews of this film it would make no sense to watch it.

Just plain awful haunted house garbage has visiting American family dealing with possession in a Japanese teahouse.A disgruntled Samurai hacks up his adulterous wife and her lover with his sword after coming home to them in sexual embrace. Their bad karma keeps them in a ghostly form of limbo so they try to pit American husband Ted(Edward Albert), British wife Laura(Susan George)and their US American Ambassader pal Alex(Doug McClure)into an ugly re-staging of the events that has imprisoned them hoping to release the chains that bind them. The Japanese ghosts possess the three anytime they wish, often even causing mischief such as disrupting the water flow from the faucet, tossing a Noh mask from the wall, appearing in a bowl of soup, or becoming visible in the form of giant crabs! There's one hilarious scene where giant crabs chase Ted and Laura's daughter Amy(Amy Barrett)up a tree until she falls. Oh, and the scene where one of the ghosts causes Ted to splash a bowl of soup in Amy's face when she won't drink, is priceless. The final scene where possession causes Ted and Alex to duel in a sword fight and martial arts has to be seen to be believed. I especially giggled at the scene where Ted is chasing the female ghost around the room as she vanishes when he draws near..it's quite a cartoonish scene. Oh, and the female ghost somehow almost drowns Ted underwater! There's also a chuckle-inducing sequence where a monk comes to their home to exorcise the ghosts from it..the monk actually chases them from their abode!I don't know how the cast could keep a straight face in such mindless drivel. Embarrassing to ruin such exotic locations..the setting is indeed this film's only real benefit. George does shed her clothes..too bad that's the only positive thing she brings to this horrible exercise. The opening scene which yields the yuk-yuk premise is actually quite a stunning way to open a film..just too bad it opens this one.

Film starts in 1840 Japan in which a man slashes his wife and her lover to death and the commits suicide. It's a very gory, bloody sequence. Then it jumps to present day...well 1982 to be precise. Ted (Edward Albert), wife Laura (Susan George) and their annoying little kid move to Japan for hubby's work. They rent a house and--surprise! surprise--it just happens to be the house where the murders took place! The three dead people are around as ghosts (the makeup is hysterically bad) and make life hell for the family.Sounds OK--but it's really hopeless. There's a bloody opening and ending and NOTHING happens in between. There is an attack by giant crabs which is just uproarious! They look so fake--I swear I saw the strings pulling one along--and they're muttering!!!!! There's a pointless sex sequence in the first 20 minutes (probably just to show off George's body), another one about 40 minutes later (but that was necessary to the plot) and a really silly exorcism towards the end. The fight scene between Albert and Doug McClure must be seen to be believed.As for acting--Albert was OK as the husband and McClure was pretty good as a family friend. But George--as always--is terrific in a lousy film. She gives this film a much needed lift--but can't save it. I'm giving this a 2 just for her and the gory opening and closing. That aside, this is a very boring film.