House on Haunted Hill

[It's] hard to come down too harshly on this remake.

The mix of laughs, shocks and gruesomeness is much the same as in the two Tales from the Crypt movies, but Malone coaxes a slightly fresher flavour, taking on board the influence of David Fincher and even Lars von Trier.

Consistently inert -- even though the fee for successful housesitting has been raised to a million bucks a night.

Instead of thrill and chills, it's kills and spills.

Slow-moving, yawn-inducing.

Does everything a remake should do: take the concept of the original and do something new with it. The CGI is atrocious, but it's a campy, gory and fun time.

The passage of time hasn't improved this version one iota, although at least home viewers don't have to subject themselves to the lobby posters sporting that year's daftest tagline ("Evil Loves To Party").

House on Haunted Hill has a great first act and a handful of decent moments making it worth a watch, especially if you were weaned on '90s horror.

To compensate for any real spooks, there are some solid gore effects and stellar set pieces.