Dove Review

Although Monster Couch is animated in parts, featuring three comical “monster” hosts, it is also largely a screening of the old Vincent Price film, House on Haunted Hill, which premiered in 1959. The three hosts are Drac, Frank, and Rip, who sit on a monster couch that talks and jokes and laughs.

During the film, the three monsters offer commentary, and sometimes they are funny and cute, and at other times a bit annoying as they interrupt dialog. An example of their humor is when there is a quiet moment between several characters in the movie, and one of the hosts comments,”This is great acting!”

The print of the movie is excellent, and the plot is intriguing. Five people have agreed to stay in the house all night, the house that is known to be haunted and, in fact, several people have been murdered in the house. They are to be paid $10,000 if they survive the night. But who do you trust?

The owner, Mr. Loren (Price) seems to be a mixture between sincerity and mystery, as does his wife, Annabelle. Several strange things occur in the house, such as a bloody, decapitated head being found in a chest, and an acid vat is said to be the cause of many deaths, with only skeletons remaining. In fact, in one scene a dead rat is dropped into the acid and sure enough he is pulled up as only a remaining skeleton. Besides Mr. Loren and his wife, the people who stay in the house and hope to survive are Lance Schroeder, played by Richard Long, Dr. David Trent, Watson Pritchard, Nora Manning–a young woman, and finally Ruth Bridges, an elderly lady.

There are some scenes that would be difficult for some viewers to watch, including a couple of hanging scenes in which we first see a body hanging, and then another scene which reveals the face of the person who was hanged. The biggest problem as far as family viewing is concerned, is the number of comments made by the various animated characters. A couple of beautiful women are seen in the film, and comments are made like, “I was just undressing you with my eyes!” Another comment, after a woman mentions that her husband might try to kill someone, is, “I know what I’d do to you!” When a woman says she will be in her room, the character Drac says, “I’d go in with her!” The innuendos are not appropriate for kids. There are also comments like, “Va Va Va Voom!” and “Hubba, hubba!”

Because of these violent/gory scenes and crude humor, this film is Not Dove-approved.

The Dove Take:

Due to the crude innuendos and violent moments, this remake of the 1959’s House on Haunted Hill is not appropriate for most audiences.

Dove Rating Details

0

Faith

None

3

Integrity

A man holds a knife and says it was used to cut up a husband and a wife into several tiny pieces which included their fingers; a bloody decapitated head is seen in a chest; a couple of scenes of a woman who has been hanged; a woman is murdered; a dead rat is dropped into a vat of acid and the skeletal remains are seen; guns are featured.

3

Sex

Several sexual innuendos and a character says a woman in the movie is built but lacks brains.

2

Language

OMG-1; "D*** you!"; "Suckers"; "Crap"; "Idiot".

3

Violence

A man holds a knife and says it was used to cut up a husband and a wife into several tiny pieces which included their fingers; a bloody decapitated head is seen in a chest; a couple of scenes of a woman who has been hanged; a woman is murdered; a dead rat is dropped into a vat of acid and the skeletal remains are seen; guns are featured.

2

Drugs

The smoking of cigarettes in a few scenes; a woman drinks champagne; comments about drinking and a character being drunk; the mention of scotch and whiskey.

1