Shout Factory has finally released two films from the famed "La Casa" series on a Blu-ray twofer, and it is worth every penny.
Going in, you need to know that both Ghosthouse and Witchery are Italian productions, both of which are considered "unofficial sequels" to the Evil Dead series. Other than the aforementioned unofficial association with the Evil Dead films, they have virtually nothing in common with one another. This Blu-ray contains a Z-grade double bill of the highest order. Fans of The Room should take notice, as this is the kind of stuff that only Tommy Wiseau could deem acceptable filmmaking.
Ghosthouse concerns a ham radio operator and his foreign girlfriend, who spend their time listening in on strange transmissions when they're not busy obsessing over homemade chili. Seriously, guys. These two love chili.
One night, they hear a distressing cry for help come over the radio, and somehow manage to track down the location from which the message came. Their search leads them to a creepy old abandoned house. They proceed to trespass and snoop around. One look upstairs, and sure enough, they find a ham radio. Only they are not alone. A few other people are there, in a camper beside the house. The transmissions may have come from one of them. But how? And why are they all being stalked by a creepy, dead little girl with a clown doll? All of these questions will be answered by the end of the film. Well, at least some of those questions. Within Ghosthouse, there are plot holes galore - backed by an incredibly annoying film score. And the director seems to have a fascination with exploding glass. Oh, well. It's all in good fun.
So, grab a bowl of chili, sit back, and enjoy Ghosthouse. You may very well regret it, but you will never forget it.
Witchery stars David Hasselhoff and Linda Blair. When the film opens, Linda Blair awakens from a strange dream involving a pregnant woman who is being chased by a bunch of men with pitchforks. You see, her family is contemplating the purchase of an old hotel - a place that is currently inhabited by an old witch. Ever since then, the pregnant Linda has been plagued with nightmares, some of them involving old, decrepit cannibal women. Still, she travels to the resort with her family to look over the property, and see if renovations need to be made.
In the meantime, a young woman and her boyfriend (a horny David Hasselhoff) have taken it upon themselves to explore the resort without permission, as the young, virginal woman is doing research involving witchcraft. She has become obsessed with a particular book on the subject, much to Hasselhoff's dismay. You see, all he wants to do is get inside her panties. So far, all of his attempts have been thwarted.
The family arrives by boat, just as a storm is approaching. They enter the resort to find Hasselhoff and the virgin, who have much explaining to do, but manage to avoid a huge confrontation. Before long, the storm becomes so bad that it is impossible for them to leave...and the old witch in black who resides on the premises sets out to make their lives a living hell.
As with Ghosthouse, Witchery looks like it was shot on a budget of $1.25, and it there are several moments which are intended to be horrific, but are instead drop dead hilarious. Linda Blair and David Hasselhoff are the stand-outs here, and I'm sure that this is a film that they would erase from their resumes if they could. It was released on VHS here in the US, and given a theatrical release in Italy. Among fans of schlock cinema, it shouldn't be ignored, as it holds a certain naive charm.
Shout Factory has done right by these films, preserving them in all of their horrid glory. The only special features come in the form of two theatrical trailers. Really, that's all that we need. This is a worthy purchase, and comes highly recommended!
Going in, you need to know that both Ghosthouse and Witchery are Italian productions, both of which are considered "unofficial sequels" to the Evil Dead series. Other than the aforementioned unofficial association with the Evil Dead films, they have virtually nothing in common with one another. This Blu-ray contains a Z-grade double bill of the highest order. Fans of The Room should take notice, as this is the kind of stuff that only Tommy Wiseau could deem acceptable filmmaking.
Ghosthouse concerns a ham radio operator and his foreign girlfriend, who spend their time listening in on strange transmissions when they're not busy obsessing over homemade chili. Seriously, guys. These two love chili.
One night, they hear a distressing cry for help come over the radio, and somehow manage to track down the location from which the message came. Their search leads them to a creepy old abandoned house. They proceed to trespass and snoop around. One look upstairs, and sure enough, they find a ham radio. Only they are not alone. A few other people are there, in a camper beside the house. The transmissions may have come from one of them. But how? And why are they all being stalked by a creepy, dead little girl with a clown doll? All of these questions will be answered by the end of the film. Well, at least some of those questions. Within Ghosthouse, there are plot holes galore - backed by an incredibly annoying film score. And the director seems to have a fascination with exploding glass. Oh, well. It's all in good fun.
So, grab a bowl of chili, sit back, and enjoy Ghosthouse. You may very well regret it, but you will never forget it.
Witchery stars David Hasselhoff and Linda Blair. When the film opens, Linda Blair awakens from a strange dream involving a pregnant woman who is being chased by a bunch of men with pitchforks. You see, her family is contemplating the purchase of an old hotel - a place that is currently inhabited by an old witch. Ever since then, the pregnant Linda has been plagued with nightmares, some of them involving old, decrepit cannibal women. Still, she travels to the resort with her family to look over the property, and see if renovations need to be made.
In the meantime, a young woman and her boyfriend (a horny David Hasselhoff) have taken it upon themselves to explore the resort without permission, as the young, virginal woman is doing research involving witchcraft. She has become obsessed with a particular book on the subject, much to Hasselhoff's dismay. You see, all he wants to do is get inside her panties. So far, all of his attempts have been thwarted.
The family arrives by boat, just as a storm is approaching. They enter the resort to find Hasselhoff and the virgin, who have much explaining to do, but manage to avoid a huge confrontation. Before long, the storm becomes so bad that it is impossible for them to leave...and the old witch in black who resides on the premises sets out to make their lives a living hell.
As with Ghosthouse, Witchery looks like it was shot on a budget of $1.25, and it there are several moments which are intended to be horrific, but are instead drop dead hilarious. Linda Blair and David Hasselhoff are the stand-outs here, and I'm sure that this is a film that they would erase from their resumes if they could. It was released on VHS here in the US, and given a theatrical release in Italy. Among fans of schlock cinema, it shouldn't be ignored, as it holds a certain naive charm.
Shout Factory has done right by these films, preserving them in all of their horrid glory. The only special features come in the form of two theatrical trailers. Really, that's all that we need. This is a worthy purchase, and comes highly recommended!