I love the classic made in 1959, but this remade one I'm sorry to say does not do it justice. All the actors do a great job but, the story is weird and hard to follow. The story plays out the same way the original does except with a few different things,and the characters are different. Steven Price (Geoffrey Rush) is an amusement park creator and billionaire. He and his wife just like in the original really hate each other, to really tick off his wife he creates a completely new lists of invited guests to his wife's so called "Birthday Party" out of these guests are a Doctor, a Professional Baseball player, a secretary for a V.I.P for a major company, a TV celebrity, and the previous owner of the house who is crazy. If one of these people survive the night they will earn $100,000,000 million dollars. As like the original as the night wears on, things go to hell, Price and his wife compete with each other by playing tricks on the guests, but then things take a gruesome turn and people start dying. And a certain darkness comes over the house.I give this new version that was made in 1999 a 7. My reasons for giving this version a 7 and not any lower are these reasons. The story did have a few interesting twists in it, like Price is just not some billionaire but a amusement park creator, his wife is even more snobbish and evil in this one and she even kills her secrete lover who is the doctor, and this one seems more darker and evil. I also give it a 7 because Geoffrey Rush is in it and I feel this film didn't do him justice he deserves he did a great job and when I first saw him I was like "There is Barbossa From Pirates of the Caribbean!" A Few other Actors I recognized like Bridgette Wilson, and Famke Jansen, but the others were completely new to me. I was expecting to be scared, but I really didn't get scared, sure some parts were frightening but it was more fun and mysterious then all out horror and scary. I enjoyed the fact they made a classic song like "Sweet Dreams" a rock out version. I know the producers tried on this remake but it didn't do so well as I would have expected, it was fun, but it doesn't bring justice like it supposed to.7/10 for 1999 House on Haunted Hill.

Surprisingly, not as bad as I had expected, but nowhere near as good as the original, as another multimillionaire invites another group of misfits to spend the night in another supposedly haunted place. This time, instead of being a mansion on an isolated hilltop, it is an abandoned asylum, with a slaughteriffic history of violence and bloodshed.It's creepy, and has more than enough atmosphere and visuals, and a great looking trio of girls, but it's also not as much fun, gimmicky, or noirish as the original. Geoffrey Rush is a good actor and does well in the role, but he is not even close to Vincent Price's campy suaveness. Famke Janseen look very sexy, but her character is too mean spirited to evoke much sympathy. Lisa Loeb's cameo seems to be a bit too self aware, but that scene does have a good shock twist to it.Film degenerates in the final act, especially in the final fifteen minutes, when the black smoke appears to consume them all. That's it? That was the best they could do for an ending?

First off let's get this out of the way,, of course folks the Original with Vincent Price was better.. that being said,, I like how this one doesn't entirely follow the original,, case in point,, in this "new" one the house used to be an old Asylum where hundreds , perhaps thousands were mistreated to cruel and unusual punishment, most of the film does follow the original,, same premise,, millionaire invites 10 people to spend the night and if they survive the money is theirs. what I liked about this film , is all of the special fx. all of the blood and gore that we wanted in the first one and couldn't get because it was just the dawn of color, and the technology obviously wasn't there yet,, all in all I think this one was pretty good,, so I apologize to Vincent Price,,, but still the ORIGINAL was better as far as plot and acting wise goes,,,

The big budget, slick Hollywood remake of William Castles' fondly remembered 1959 spook show may be able to boast all the special effects that money can buy, but it lacks the playful tone of Castle. Its characters, by and large, are not worth really caring about. It's grim, oppressive, and does live up to the word "horror". It's made in the modern style with a hip, attractive cast and an accent on gore and sadism. Fortunately, one good thing is that if there's one thing that director William Malone ("Parasomnia", "FeardotCom") is good at, it's creating a visual style. The movie *does* look great.Five people are invited to the birthday bash for Evelyn Stockard-Price (Famke Janssen), which conveniently is located in your standard issue cliffside mansion that naturally used to be an insane asylum. They're provided with loaded guns as party favours, and informed that if they can survive the night, they stand to become $1 million richer. Soon horrible things begin to happen to them.This does get a reasonable boost from talented Geoffrey Rush's delicious Vincent Price imitation, and the delightful bitchiness delivered by Janssen. In addition to the lovely Ms. Janssen, other ladies providing eye candy include Ali Larter and Bridgette Wilson-Sampras. Taye Diggs is good as a hero type, but Chris Kattan is a little too much as whiny building owner Watson Pritchett. It's nice as it always is to see Jeffrey Combs, as he plays demented surgeon Dr. Vannacutt. Singer Lisa Loeb is a reporter. And recognize that nurse? It's Gozer from "Ghost Busters", a.k.a. model / actress Slavitza Jovan.Eventually, the movie does go overboard in the special effects department, giving us a generous dose of digitally created and very unscary ghosts. The ending is somewhat amusing if not that satisfying.Six out of 10.