House (film)

House was a 1986 horror film. Roger Cobb is a traumatized writer, dealing with PTSD from his time in Vietnam, the disappearance of his son, and the resulting dissolution of his marriage. Adding to that, the aunt who raises him commits suicide, in a house she's always claimed to be haunted... and where, in fact, Roger's son disappeared. Trying to come to terms with everything, Roger moves back into the house... and thus begins an assault on his sanity and life as the malevolent forces that inhabit the house try to destroy him utterly.

The movie was followed the next year by House II: The Second Story. The two films are not connected by any characters or settings, only sharing the concept of a house with a dark and malevolent secret. Jesse Mclaughlin moves into the house he hasn't visited since his parents sent him away (and were immediately murdered), and tries to find the family's heirloom crystal skull, which was supposedly buried with his great-great-grandfather... who turns out to be alive (sort of). The film is much Lighter and Softer, essentially a rather mild Dark Comedy, contrasting with the first movie's horrific (but cheesy) tone.

In 1989 along came The Horror Show. Despite not being called "House" and having only the vaguest of connection even as far as theme goes, it was released in a few countries as House III. Detective Lucas McCarthy apprehends a serial killer, whose execution just makes him more powerful than McCarthy could have imagined. The killer's ghost proceeds to haunt the shit out of Lucas and his family... and, you know, they live in a house when they're being haunted, so there's your connection.

Finally, in 1992, House IV went directly to video, no doubt confusing the dozens of people who saw it as to where House III had gone. (Because the creators decided, due to the limited release of The Horror Show as House III, to just go ahead and call this one House IV. Worked out great, huh?) It's finally an actual sequel to the first movie... sort of. See, there's a character named Roger Cobb, and he's played by the same guy who played Roger Cobb in House, and... that's pretty much where any continuity ends. This movie is hilariously awful, and the only way it might be scary is in trying to comprehend what the creators were thinking when they made it. For a short overview of some of the insanity (albeit with a mistake as to one of the character's names), see this review.

""Yeah, eh, looks like ya got some kinda alternate universe in there or something." ... "I been through this kinda thing before.""
 * Almighty Janitor: The electrician in House 2.


 * He keeps a sword in his toolbox, is obviously learned in tomb delving, and amusingly enough seems to be much better at being an adventurer than being an electrician.
 * Blessed with Suck: Jesse's great-great grandfather has lived to be 170 thanks to the crystal skull! ... By turning into a mummified living corpse with almost none of his old vitality, and he now can't live without the skull's presence.
 * Ear Worm: The "Pizza Man" song from House IV. Not in the good way, either.
 * Hypocritical Humor: Charlie announces "Oh yeah, we hate success. We want lots of money and fame, but definitely no success."