House of the Long Shadows (1984)

..but different in many respects than the 1935 Gene Raymond version . Notable here is the presence of Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and John Carradine as some of the 'key holders'..but the main character is...Desi Arnaz Jr. (?) Actually, I was doubtful about Jr's talents, but he does pretty well sharing scenes with these giants of horror. If you don't know the story: Arnaz is an author, who takes a bet that he can write a gothic novel if he can have a weekend away from everyone. He is given a key to Baldpate, and assured he will be alone..but of course, he isn't. Along with the four mentioned, a stern matronly Shela Keith is there when he arrives, and a couple seeking shelter from the storm (of course..it's a dark and stormy night..) Julie Peasgood and Richard Todd also show up. Unlike the other filmed version, there turns out to be 'relationship' between Price, Lee, Cushing, Carradine and Keith that adds another layer to the story. The spooky turns bloody, when particularly horrific murders begin to occur, and the bodies begin to stack up, leaving Arnaz to wonder if there's another keyholder that's out for revenge. The ending is completely different than the 35 version..in fact, it's similar to the original play written by George M Cohan and I preferred it. No gangsters, no inept police..an interesting twist. Although I thought the film got off to a very slow start, it does get interesting, and worthwhile just to see some great old 'masters of horror' together..even if it's tongue-in-cheek.According to the story on the "Electric Boogaloo" documentary about Cannon films, Menahem Golan went in saying "Get me those Monster guys! We need to get them all together for one of those Monster pictures!"He was surprised when they got Price, Lee, and Cushing together, and associates later suspected Golan didn't realize that Boris Karloff and Peter Lorre were dead.

An American writer goes to a remote Welsh manor on a $20,000 bet... to write the all American classic novel in twenty-four hours. Upon his arrival, the writer discovers that the manor, thought empty, actually has several, rather odd inhabitants, who make guest appearances throughout the film, and by George, don't they look familiar?.....Good old Cannon pictures, this is their attempt at making a Hammer Horror film, and they even have the cream of the crop popping up every now and again for a 'reunion' of sorts.If you view the film as if it's a comedy, there is much fun to be had.From every seasoned actor making a wonderfully impacting entrance (all that's missing is some scary incidental music when they introduce themselves), to Peter Cushings wonderful Jonathan Ross type speech impediment.The main story is very Woman In Black-esque, and the makers could have gone either way with this. If they decided to just have the writer on his own, with just the the spirits of the house, it could have been a bonafide spine tingler.But it plays more like an episode of Noels House Party. Every fifteen minutes after the second act, someone polls up, explains why they are there, slightly vex the writer and gradually reveal why they happened to turn up on this particular night.But the final act goes for broke and really shakes things up. If you were really listening to the smug American and the pompous Brit proposition each other, you can see the outcome coming a mile off, but the final third is just so much fun, you can forgive the ridiculous plot holes.It's great to see these four acclaimed horror icons in the same film, and there is a wonderful element of camp about the whole proceedings, but straight horror enthusiasts may not take kindly to the film making light of these legendary actors.Would make a very interesting triple bill with April Fool's Day, and The Game..

This is a great movie. OK, it's not Shakespeare, I know, but I remember seeing this on cable when I was a kid and I loved it!! Were those people real or were they simply the writer's imagination? I still don't know for sure. It would be great to see this as an adult. I loved Murder By Death as a child and even more so as an adult (when I understood the humor better) and this is one of those movies from my memories that I think I'd enjoy just as much. There were so many acting greats in this flick, it was like a horror who's who. I would be so thrilled to watch this again. This movie was such good fun. I hope someone finally gets to putting this on DVD. I don't understand why we can get trashy slasher flicks on DVD but not this one. So sad for us all!

QUESTION:What do you get when Vincent Price, Peter Cushing, Christpher Lee, John Carradine and Dezi Arnas Jr. come together under one roof??ANSWER: A wickedly awesome horror'esque movie! House of Long Shadows is one of my favourite movies. It is impossible to discuss about this film without acknowledging the most amazing cast ever.So many greats in the horror industry, it's a horror fans wet-dream to see them all together. This movie is full of intense stares, drawn out moments of suspense and a great story line to work from! We have Vincent Price, a true master at his craft.If anyone out there doesn't think they know who Price is, you do. Throw on the Thriller track or watch Alice Cooper: The Nightmare. Price has a mass of horror movies behind him such as The Raven, Tales of Terror, The Fly. It's an endless list. For a younger generation he is the creator of Edward, not the Twinkle-Bitch from Twilight, the masterful Edward Scissorhands.Synonymous with Sherlock Holmes, Peter Cushing is a man who has a filmography that is for everyone. Flicks like The Satanic Rites of Dracula and The Creeping Flesh put this actor into the horror movie spotlight. Cushing can be one scary Mother F'er when he wants to be.Christopher Lee's work spans decades and he is still receiving excellent rolls and has a great continuing career. Best known for playing Dracula, in the Hammer classics, Lee has starred in The Face of Fu Manchu, Curse of The Crimson Altar and Dracula a.d. 1972 a true renaissance man. Honorable mention to the trilogy LOTR. This guy has eyes that can freeze the warmest of hearts! John Corradine did the voice for the Great Owl in the epic Secret of Nihm. He carried his roles like a pro, Corradine was someone often over looked, yet made a statement with his work. Any guy who worked on the project Vampire Hookers is good in my books.John Corradine did the voice for the Great Owl in the epic Secret of Nihm. He carried his roles like a pro, Corradine was someone often over looked, yet made a statement with his work. Any guy who worked on the project Vampire Hookers is good in my books.Then we come to Dezi Arnas Jr. What can I say? He was on The Lucy Show and Matlock. He is not well known in the horror genre, but does have his place in the entertainment industry. Still, kind of scary. No? House of Long Shadows begins with Dezi's character Kenneth Magee making a bet with a friend for a mass amount of money, $20 000 to write a masterpiece of a novel within 24 hours. Kenneth sets off to a Welsh manor to write.Upon his arrival Kenneth learns that the Manson is not empty but a strange and eerie family reunion is to take place.As more of the Grisbane Family arrive, their skeletons bust out of the closet. We learn of Roderick, a brother to the family who's been locked up for forty years because of his gruesome acts as a child. Kenneth tries to write his novel but is distracted by a fellow American sent to deter him from finishing his task.This movie has everything that newer releases are lacking. Don't doubt that it's because of the amazing cast. House of Long Shadows has, but the Directing by Peter Walker (Die Screaming, Marianne & Schizo) really pulled things off. The feeling was dark and gritty, the use of the long narrow hallways and portraits on the walls were great backdrop.The special effects, awesome. There is a death scene in it that is so well done and still gives me chills thinking about it. That said, there wasn't a need for over kill on the gore because of the strong storyline and freakishly excellent acting.This movie has a dollop of Scream 3, a dash of April Fool's Day and finally topped off with the atmosphere of the old Hammer films as the cherry. House Of Long Shadows is an homage to the actors and what they, as a whole, stand for in the horror genre.Geeker.http://iamgeeker.wordpress.com/