Hell House: The OG Haunted House Movie?

Alright, so I finally got around to re-watching "The Legend of Hell House" (1973). Man, talk about a slow burn! I remember seeing this on late-night TV as a kid and being totally creeped out. Watching it now, it's still effective, but in a much more subtle way. Forget your jump scares – this is all about atmosphere and psychological tension. Think "The Haunting" (1963) but with a little more... 70s sleaze, haha. I gotta say, Roddy McDowall *killed* it as the sole survivor of that previous expedition. He just oozes this nervous, haunted energy. And Pamela Franklin as the young psychic, Florence Tanner? Fantastic! That scene where she's trying to communicate and starts getting physically affected by the house... chills, man, chills. I liked the dynamic between her and Clive Revill too - the stiff physicist Dr. Barrett. Their opposing views on the supernatural added a nice layer. My only real gripe is maybe the ending felt a bit rushed? After all that build-up, it almost feels like they just needed to wrap it up quick. It's funny how the special effects look so dated now, but honestly, that almost adds to the charm. It's all practical effects and clever camera angles. You really have to use your imagination, which, IMO, makes it way scarier than some CGI-fest. When they're describing Belasco's depravity…whew. That's some dark stuff. So, is it the scariest movie ever? Nah. But is it a classic of the genre that deserves respect? Absolutely. If you're into slow-burn horror that relies on atmosphere and character development, and you don't mind a little 70s cheese, give "The Legend of Hell House" a shot. It's a great example of how horror movies used to be made, before everything became about cheap jump scares and gore. Let me know what you think!