House (1986)

Director:

Steve Miner

Writers:

Fred Dekker (story)
Ethan Wiley (screenplay)

Release Date:

28 February 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror

Tagline:

Ding dong, you're dead.

Plot:

Roger Cobb is a Vietnam vet. Whose career as a horror novelist has taken a turn for the worse when his...

Plot Keywords:

Vietnam | Author | Shot In The Back | Cut Into Pieces | Supernatural

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

William Katt	...	Roger Cobb
George Wendt	...	Harold Gorton
Richard Moll	...	Big Ben
Kay Lenz	...	Sandy Sinclair
Mary Stavin	...	Tanya
Michael Ensign	...	Chet Parker
Erik Silver	...	Jimmy
Mark Silver	...	Jimmy
Susan French	...	Aunt Elizabeth
Alan Autry	...	Cop #3
Steven Williams	...	Cop #4
James Calvert	...	Grocery Boy (as Jim Calvert)
Mindy Sterling	...	Woman in Bookstore
Jayson Kane	...	Cheesy Stud
Billy Beck	...	Priest
Bill McLean	...	Older Man
Steve Susskind	...	Frank McGraw
John William Young	...	Would-be Writer (as John Young)
Dwier Brown	...	Lieutenant
Joey Green	...	Fitzsimmons
Stephen Nichols	...	Scott
Donald Willis	...	Soldier
Ronn Carroll	...	Policeman
Robert Joseph	...	Robert
Curt Wilmot	...	Skeleton Big Ben
Ronn Wright	...	Enthusiastic Patron
Renee Lillian	...	Zealous Fan
Peter Pitofsky	...	Witch
Elizabeth Barrington	...	Little Critter
Jerry Maren	...	Little Critter
Felix Silla	...	Little Critter

Directed by
Steve Miner

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Fred Dekker		story
Ethan Wiley		screenplay

Produced by
Richard F. Brophy	....	line producer
Sean S. Cunningham	....	producer
Roger Corman	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Harry Manfredini

Cinematography by
Mac Ahlberg

Film Editing by
Michael N. Knue

Production Design by
Gregg Fonseca

Set Decoration by
Anne H. Ahrens		(as Anne Huntley)

Costume Design by
Bernadette O'Brien

Makeup Department
Robert Boyd	....	hair stylist
Barney Burman	....	special makeup effects artist
Ronnie Specter	....	hair stylist
Ronnie Specter	....	makeup artist
Brian Wade	....	special makeup effects artist

Art Department
Paul Byers	....	assistant property master
Richard Bryan Douglas	....	construction foreman
Elizabeth Flaherty	....	art department coordinator
Doug Lefler	....	storyboard artist
Lyndell Wolff	....	carpenter

Sound Department
James Bailey	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Brent Baker	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Tassilo Baur	....	mechanical special effects
James Belohovek	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Martin Bresin	....	technical advisor
Rick Brophy	....	creature effects production manager: Backwood Films
Steve Burg	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
James Cummins	....	creature effects designer: Backwood Films
Earl Ellis	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Eric Fiedler	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Tracy Fletcher	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Bobbi Heller	....	creature effects assistant production manager: Backwood Films
Cary Howe	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Larry Odien	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Larry Odien	....	special effects assistant
Anton Rupprecht	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Shannon Shea	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Richard Snell	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Michael Spatola	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Robert Spurlock	....	technical advisor
Bill Sturgeon	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Kirk R. Thatcher	....	creature designer: Backwood Films
Joe Viskocil	....	mechanical effects
Lauren Vogt	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Dirk Von Besser	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Brian Wade	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films
Harold Weed	....	creature effects crew: Backwood Films

Visual Effects by
Hoyt Yeatman	....	special effects: DQI (uncredited)

Stunts
Dan Bradley	....	stunts
Tony Cecere	....	stunts
Kane Hodder	....	stunt coordinator
Kane Hodder	....	stunts
Jeff Imada	....	stunts
Roger Yuan	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Allan Gornick Jr.	....	underwater cinematographer
Steve Slocomb	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Audrey Stanzler	....	assistant to the casting director

Editorial Department
Hala Gabriel	....	assistant editor

Transportation Department
Kerry Johnson	....	transportation assistant (uncredited)

Other crew
Thompson Lane	....	stand-in
Karl Mitchell	....	animal wrangler
Audrey Stanzler	....	assistant talent coordinator
Bill Sturgeon	....	puppeteer
Coby Turner	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• New World Pictures

Distributors

• New World Pictures (1986) (USA) (theatrical)
• New World Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Future Film (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (laserdisc)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Silver Media Group (Greece) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Backwood Film (creature special effects)
• Dream Quest Images (special visual effects)

Also Known As:

House: Ding Dong, You're Dead (USA) (video title)
A Casa do Espanto (Brazil) [pt]
Chi è sepolto in quella casa? (Italy) [it]
Det spökar hos grannen (Finland: Swedish title) [sv]
Dom (Poland) [pl]
House - Das Horrorhaus (West Germany) [de]
House, una casa alucinante (Spain) [es]
Naapurissa kummittelee (Finland) [fi]
Titta vi spökar (Sweden) [sv]
To spiti (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Iceland:16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

New World Pictures

Trivia:

Glenn Close and Sigourney Weaver were considered for the female lead role.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Roger and Jimmy are surprised by Skeleton Ben at the front door, their clothes and hair are dripping wet. Two seconds later, their clothes and hair are perfectly dry.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Grocery Boy: Mrs. Hooper?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Monster Squad Forever! (2007) (V)

Good chills and laughs

This is one of my favorite haunted house stories and comedy horrors. The characters are likeable and so is the story. The plot follows William Katt as he encounters many strange things in his old aunts home. His kid has been missing for some time and he is seperated from his wife. He has an annoying neighbor played by George Wendt who does an excellent job. What is behind all the weird stuff going on in the house, well I won't give it away, but just watch the flashback scenes and you will figure it out. Especially the last one that he actually acts out.