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DVD Stalk Blog - Stalking You Daily!

Return to House on Haunted Hill Hits Stores!
Just a reminder to everyone that the unrated DVD release of Victor Garcia's not-as-bad-as-you-might-expect Warner Premiere sequel, Return to House on Haunted Hill hits stores this Tuesday. Here's the basic gist of the film for you:
"The house has a second story, even more terrifying then the first! When a new group of unsuspecting visitors enters the legendary House On Haunted Hill, they come face to horrifying face with an unimaginable, unrelenting evil. Trapped with the spirits of the sadistic Dr. Vannacutt (Jeffrey Combs) and the insane asylum inmates who died there, the newcomers discover one by one that this time the house won't let anyone leave alive."
When Return to House on Haunted Hill hit the doorstep here at DVD Stalk, I have to admit that I had some major reservations. Let's see... direct-to-video sequel to a fairly crappy remake... hmmm. So I probably didn't really give the film a fair shake from the very start. That being said, when I actually sat down to check it out, Return to House on Haunted Hill does have a few really fine moments. Unfortunately, they're amidst a sea of really bad ones. This isn't a good film, by any stretch of the imagination, but it is one that gorehounds will probably appreciate - there are some really killer gore scenes (and a pseudo-lesbian-threesome), including one where a ghostly hand digs right into someone's gut.

Amanda Righetti and Cerina Vincent are unspeakably hot, as usual, but not even they can save this little flick. We see Cerina get into it with her professor, but alas, she keeps the bra on (I mean...come on, we already saw them in Cabin Fever, Cerina. It's the least you could have done for Warner Premiere). Righetti stays fully clothed the whole time too, but she's tossed into just about every possible scenario where she could possibly get soaking wet in that oh-so-tight white tanktop. Yeah, exactly.

The only real standout performance is from genre-mainstay Jeffrey Combs, who speaks nary a word throughout the entire film but still manages to carry that creepy aura around him enough to make it all interesting.

The audio-visual aspects of the Warner Premiere disc are just fine, but the extras (most of which are fictionally played in the part of the characters that we don't really care that much about in the first place) are pretty much a waste of time.

While I can't give Return to House on Haunted Hill a strong recommendation, I can say that it will certainly appeal to some. There's plenty of gorey moments, some very nice eye-candy, and a positively creepy Jeffrey Combs. If you're willing to overlook the ridiculous plot and ham-handed acting, Return to House on Haunted Hill actually might suprise you from time to time.

Stay tuned for our full review coming up and a bit more in this week's column. In the meantime, get over to your favorite retailer and check out Return to House on Haunted Hill.

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