Aquickglimpseatthecastforthisfilmwouldmakeanyhorrorfangiddywithglee.Theactualmoviedoesn'tliveuptothosehighexpectations,butit'sfarfrombeingallbad.DesiArnazJr.(!)playsanauthorwhomakesacrazy$20,000betwithhispublisherthathecouldwriteagreatnovelinonly24hours.Todoso,thepublishergiveshimthekeystoanoldabandonedhousewherehewon'tbedisturbed.Nottrue.OncehegetsthereheisinterruptedbyamultitudeofguestsincludingafamilywhichconsistsofJohnCarradine,SheilaKeith,PeterCushingandVincentPrice.Theyaregatheredthereinatwistedfamilyreuniontoreleasetheirbrotherfromtheroomhe'sbeenimprisonedinforfortyyears.EvenChristopherLeedropsbyasCorrigan,themanwhohasjustpurchasedthehouse.Soon,theyrealizethatthecagedbrotherislooseandoutforrevenge.
Whatagreatplotlineandwhatadreamcast!Thismovieshouldhavebeenahellofalotbetter.It'shardtopinpointtheexactproblemswiththefilm,butIwouldventuretosaythatthelackoflightingwasamajorfault.SurethehousehasnoelectricitybutIthinktheytookthetitleofthemoviealittletooliterally.Scenesafterscenesarebarelyvisibleandtheactors'facesareundecipherable.Onlythemomentsinthemaindinninghallarewelllit.Also,thegreatactorsaregivenverylittletodo.CushinggetsafewchucklesasthescaredbrotherbutPrice,LeeandespeciallyCarradinearesomewhatwastedhere.Well,atleastPricegetsthebestlineofthefilm:`Pleasedon'tinterruptmewhileIamsoliloquizing.'Andontheplusside,thestoryhasenoughtwistsandturnsthroughouttokeepone`sinterestandtheending,whileabitofacop-out,managestosurprise.