Popular reviews

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  Review by FakeVoorhees ★★★

  Solid '70s made-for-TV horror. Pretty standard haunted house and possession stuff but very fast-paced for a TV movie. I've seen a handful of John Llewellyn Moxey's movies at this point and the guy has not disappointed me yet.

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  Review by hiruko ★★★½

  “Don’t break the circle! Keep holding hands!”

  Before The Exorcist...
  Before The Amityville Horror...
  There was - The House That Would Not Die!

  An Aaron Spelling produced TV movie of superior quality. Starring Barbara Stanwyck, who’s not only still in the game, but, in her early 60’s is still looking mighty fine. Under the perceptive eye of veteran TV director John Llewellyn Moxey, there are some effectively creepy moments  in this haunted house / possession piece. Nothing that’ll keep you up at night, but more than a few old fashioned scares to keep you from falling asleep during the movie. It’s well done and even though it lacks flare, its straight forward approach suits the vibe perfectly. There’s something undeniably cozy about a good horror TV movie - I’m there for it and this one delivers the fix.

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  Review by single white femalien ★★★½ 1

  barbara stanwyck rulez

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  Review by Curtis ★★½

  Barbara Stanwyck and her niece Sara move into an old house in Pennsylvania which apparently has piles of ghosts banging around in its walls. Richard Egan shows up as the world's pushiest neighbor, bringing a mustachioed Michael Anderson, Jr. along to pair up with Sara. Not content with just some bad dreams and wandering art, our principal cast gets together for a séance to really give that spiritual hornet's nest they're living in a good, hard kick...

  The House That Would Not Die is firmly of its time. It's got the budget and production design of a TV movie, the scares aren't particularly scary and there are moments when shots aren't even in focus. The presence of Barbara Stanwyck elevates…

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  Review by Carlo 666

  Evil Dead made for TV in 1970 so the craziest practical effect is wind and even the blues look brown.

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  Review by The Great Owl ★★★★

  From the moment Ruth, played by Barbara Stanwyck, and her niece, Sara, played by Kitty Winn, move into an old Gettysburg, Pennsylvania house that Ruth has inherited, they are thrilled with the pleasantly rustic look of the home. Unfortunately for them, this place is haunted by the ghosts of its original Revolutionary War-era inhabitants. When Sara and a middle-aged next-door neighbor professor, played by Richard Egan, begin to show disturbing signs of possession, Ruth and a student, played by Michael Anderson Jr., must delve into the unsavory history of the house in order to save their loved ones.

  The 1970 made-for-television supernatural horror movie, The House That Would Not Die, based on the novel, Ammie, Come Home, by Barbara Michaels…

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  Review by Pippin ★½

  I know I shouldn't watch horrible made-for-TV movies, but I enjoy Kitty Winn (and I believe this is her first film!!) and the fascination of seeing Barbara Stanwyck in this overpowered me.

  What a terrible movie!

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  Review by Blaze the Action Junkie ★★

  While certainly not claiming to be the first film hosting things like seances, exorcisms & possessions, this one sets forth ideas that were taken to the next level just a few years later in The Exorcist (1973). I actually found this one about as entertaining as much newer films with the same ideas, however, it does lack any effects at all being a low budget film from before the era of effective visuals. The acting isn't terrible, and the plot is simple and solid. It's not bad for a TV Movie its age.

  1970 Ranked
  1970’s Ranked
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  Review by Chris Underwood ★★★½ 2

  Somewhat uneven and even at only 80 minutes begins to outstay its welcome. But I don't wish to be too harsh for there is a marvellous performance by Barbara Stanwyck which helps to hold this together and if only Richard Egan could have been half as good this might have a been a great picture. It’s a TV movie with minimal budget but even without special effects the possession scenes are most effective. This starts as a haunted house movie but swiftly moves into the possession business and in these scenes Egan acquits himself well and Kitty Winn (who would have a role in The Exorcist three years later) is particularly good and indeed is the main reason for those shivers down the spine more than once during this modest but successful little film.

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  Review by johnholmes ★★½

  English part below

  aka DAS GEISTERHAUS

  Abermals wird in ein neues Landhaus gezogen, was itgendwelche Geister gar nicht so dufte finden.

  Geil ist, mit welcher Selbstverständlichkeit hier dem Übernatürlichen begegnet wird, als wäre das alles so normal wie Frittenfett.

  Echoes-Style wird mit den neuen Nachbarn aus Spaß am ersten Tag erstmal eine Seance abgehalten, nett essen ist schließlicht out.

  Das Frauenbild wird auch gleich mal geklärt. Wenn sie hysterisch ist hilft nur die Hand ins Gesicht und sie hat sich zu entschuldigen, genau wie beim sexuellen Übergriff vorher......hier herrscht noch Zucht und Ordnung.

  Unaufgeregt das Ganze, aber bei den Figuren den heutigen weit voraus, da alle von Sekunde 1 reflektiert zusammenhalten und das Problem angehen, ohne ewiges Staunen oder Hinterfragen.…

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  Review by Grant McLanaghan

  Not technically Barbara Stanwyck’s TV movie debut but the first one to be broadcast, The House That Would Not Die features a fairly standard possession/haunting/restless spirit storyline, which struggles to adequately fill a 74-minute runtime. And the dialogue’s rather unconvincing. However, John Llewellyn Moxey’s direction is decent enough and he creates a suitably moody atmosphere, especially during an effective séance sequence.

  Sara (Kitty Winn – soon to play Regan’s home tutor in The Exorcist) is one of a pair of characters that experience the presence of two figures from the past, both of whom who lived in the house that her aunt Ruth (Stanwyck) has just inherited.

  Although not a satanic mystery, this TV movie is a fairly early example of the supernatural films released in the wake of Rosemary’s Baby. As such, it's interesting if not exceptional.

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  Review by Filipe Furtado ★★★

  A 30s chiller updated to 70s TV horror. It pretty much takes place in a room and has four characters while shifting between possession/haunted house tale. Director Moxey contributes its share of lo fi shock effects, but the movie is mostly given to its fine cast. Barbara Stainwyck can always be trusted to class up this kind of thing and like a lot of 70s TV horror it comes and goes in 75 minutes and benefits from the economy, nothing is wasted, it sets the situation and let's it play till the end with little detours.