Today on underappreciated haunted house films

I'll add one that I'd never heard of that I think you may have recommended to me, Jack. That title being Ghostwatch.

That was a very effective and cool piece of work. You could argue that it's not a 'movie,' since it was a TV presentation, but I'd argue the contrary since it's the same sort of concept of a mockumentary or found footage film. I could imagine people, especially young people, really and sincerely buying into it as reality, and being totally freaked out buy it. Other than The Blair Witch Project maybe it feels like the closest thing to a modernized event like Orson Welles' War of the Worlds radio drama.

I’ve never been a big Hell House fan (though Gayle Hunnicutt is beautiful as ever in it): the ghost-hunting machine I find especially silly.

Seconding masterofallgoons’ recommendation of the brilliant Ghostwatch.

Some other underappreciated-by-horror-fans haunted houses that haven’t yet been mentioned and spring to mind (I’m limiting to strictly haunted houses):

The Uninvited (1944)

“The Christmas Party” (segment of anthology film Dead of Night, 1945)

House on Haunted Hill (1959; OK, strictly speaking it may not have ghosts, but c’mon, it counts)

The Woman in Black (1989; much better than the recent Daniel Radcliffe version)

Stir of Echoes (1999; the scares are great, but the mystery should’ve been more surprising)

The Haunting (1999; no, it’s not as good as the ’63 [though I’m not all that enamored of that one], but it’s not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. The first half gives us one of the best, most baroque haunted-house sets in the history of the movies)

The Turning (2020; surprisingly creepy. Atmospheric and stylish)

Actually, it's rather sad to see what John Carradine, Lon Chaney Jr., and Basil Rathbone were reduced to.

Well I think The Changeling is a better haunted house movie, but nevertheless The Legend Of Hell House is still quite remarkable. I gave it some praise during the last October Challenge.

Delighted to see we agree on the Haunting remake! As you say, it’s not especially good, but the sets are so amazing and set up such a wonderful haunted house (just look at those Gates of Hell!) that I can’t help but sort of like it at least a little.

The Turning I saw Sunday after hearing only bad things as well. And I understand what everyone doesn’t like about it: the ending is kind of a mess. But 3/4 of it are really good, with one imaginative, spooky image after another. It’s not scary, per se, but there’s something disturbing (in a good way from a horror-movie perspective!) about it all the same.

The Bat, from the Mary Roberts Rineheart novel, filmed before, low budget, unimaginative art direction (that's kind on my part), with, (the good stuff) such wonderful players as Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead headlining the film; a few surprises along the way, with ambiance that's simultaneously cozy and Gothic, thus making the picture safe for the blue haired ladies who were still around back sixty plus years ago, and a charming relic of a bygone era; and this was true even when the film first came out!

(There are many other pictures I could name but either they're not about literally houses, they're set in castles, abbeys, even lighthouses, makes me wonder if they'd be a good fit. Then there are films too well known, or lacking in some essential element so make them "qualify", so I passed on them.)

It was destined to be forgotten with that title. Maybe they intentionally gave it a name that would describe its legacy.

Nalkarj good picks on that list. Admittedly I don’t like the Haunting remake but I think it’s overlooked from a production design standpoint. The house looks appropriately creepy.

Castle of Blood 1964