Review of House of the Long Shadows

This film has a great cast for horror fans, like myself for instance. The wonderful Vincent Price, Christopher lee, Peter Chushing and a frail looking John Carrdine all make an appearance (we wont spoil things and mention the rest of the cast, at this point). An American author named Kenneth Magee (Desi Arnaz Jr) travels to London to promote his latest book. While at dinner he enters in to a bet with his publisher to write a novel within 24 hours. However, Magee insists upon total solitude and no distractions of any kind. His publisher conveniently knows someone who owns Baldpate Manor, an isolated country mansion located deep in the Welsh countryside which hasn't been lived in since before the war. Once there, he has to stop and ask for directions on the way, he find an old man (Carridine) and his daughter who claim to be the caretakers. However, Magee soon discovers he is the only one who's meant to be there, and there are no caretakers. As the night progresses more strange people turn up (Lee, Chushing and Price among others) and it soon becomes clear that these happenings aren't a coincidence.

So, we have a great horror cast stuck in this overblown Scooby-Doo episode. This twist ending is just so silly its unbelievable, and you can see it coming a mile off. Most of the film is set in a big country mansion with no electricity so its pretty dark. The photography is kind of flat and by the numbers, too. Basically it doesn't really add anything to the horror/mystery genre except the great cast all in one film. Just a shame its an average one like this. OK I guess, probably just about worth an hour and a half of your time. Just.