The Corner Penthouse

Film Masters recently released the House on Haunted Hill (1959) Blu-ray. Read on to find out more about it...

[ SYNOPSIS ]

A millionaire offers ten thousand dollars to five people if they agree to stay overnight in a large, spooky, rented house. When you consider that the millionaire is Vincent Price, and the film is directed by Schlock master William Castle, you can bet the five guests are in for a long, bumpy night. This "super shocker of the century" was a smash hit upon its 1959 release.

[ SPECIFICATIONS ]

The movie is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a runtime of 1:14:50. The movie has not been rated. Audio languages include English. Subtitle languages English SDH.

[ SPECIAL FEATURES ]

All of the content listed below can be found the Blu-ray disc. The three theatrical trailers, all of which are in the public domain, are no where to be found. What a shame.

• Audio Commentary - with Cereal at Midnight host Heath Holland (includes subtitles).

[ ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ]

No digital copy code voucher is included inside the standard one-disc blue Blu-ray case. However, not only is a slipcover included, but there is also a liner booklet with photos and the essay "Hail to the King: In Praise of William Castle" by Jason A. Ney.

[ NOTES ]

House on Haunted Hill (1959) is available on Blu-ray from Film Masters. As can be seen in my House on Haunted Hill (1959) comparison article, the picture quality is not that great. It looks like a DVD upscale. Also, the 1.85:1 aspect ratio (a tiny sliver of black bars at the top and bottom) is a matted widescreen format. A 1.33:1 (4:3) open matte transfer, showing extra picture at the top and bottom, is available on DVD from Legend Films, in both the original black and white and a new colorized version. For public domain extras missing from both releases, there is a self-made "Supplement" DVD ISO that can be downloaded from the final paragraph in my previously-linked comparison article. As far as I'm aware, this new Film Masters Blu-ray is the only factory-pressed disc version of the movie individually available on Blu-ray in the United States. Recommended only on that basis alone, in spite of the poor picture quality and the lack of trailers and other public domain extras.

This item has been provided by Film Masters for review on this site.