Blu-ray Review – House of the Long Shadows

In the early 1980s, Cannon Films was looking for a fright picture to vary their line-up of genre and exploitation releases. Producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus sought out Pete Walker to concoct a particular horror brew for 1983, pulling the B-movie helmer ("House of Whipcord," "Frightmare," "The Flesh and Blood Show") out of retirement to craft an ode to the scary features of yesteryear, where dark corners and fiendish intentions were the trends of the day. "House of the Long Shadows" is throwback entertainment from Cannon, collecting a rogues' gallery of horror stars, bringing in Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, and John Carradine to flavor up a tale of mystery, murder, and mild parody, bringing with them decades of experience and unparalleled professionalism. Walker's lucky to have them, as "House of the Long Shadows" isn't much of a pulse-pounder, with a draggy, expositional mood that dilutes chills and even comedy, with the production often caught stargazing instead of tightening moments of suspense. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com