This October, skip the traditional scream-inducing teen slasher flick and get into a Halloween state of mind with a movie that is truly twisted, dark, haunting and hilarious.
The House of Yes, the 1997 dark, dark comedy directed by Mark Waters and based on the play by Wendy MacLeod, provides all of the usual bumps in the night, but with lots of extra wit and intelligence.
Set on Thanksgiving Day of 1983, The House of Yes glimpses into the complex and crazy lives of the Pascal family.
Marty Pascal (Josh Hamilton) brings home his doe-eyed fiancé Lesly (Tori Spelling) to meet his family and spend Thanksgiving with them in their elegant Washington, D.C., mansion.
A pre-marriage get-together seems like a perfectly common occurrence and Lesly and Marty seem like a perfectly normal couple.
But all normalcy is abandoned upon entering the Pascal's house of "yes," where indulgence reigns.
Mrs. Pascal, the family matriarch, played masterfully and shrewdly by actress Geneviéve Bujold, was a "free spirit" in her youth who believes that, "You raise cattle. Children just happen." Freddie Prinze, Jr., in probably his most dramatic role yet, plays Anthony, the youngest Pascal brother who dropped out of a prestigious university and spends his days looking after his older sister, Jackie-O.
Parker Posey flawlessly plays Jackie-O, Marty's twin sister who is sophisticated, beautiful, clever, witty, spoiled and indisputably insane.
Mr. Pascal is not present, though his absence is obscurely explained by the movie's end.
"We all have our secrets," Jackie-O declares in one of her moments of disturbingly direct clarity.
Throughout the next 24 hours, the viewers learn through Lesly's eyes that this family has secrets that are more alarming and upsetting than an alcoholic uncle.
As a furious rainstorm crashes and bangs outside, the shadowy mansion goes black and the family's long-concealed truths finally come to light.
Although the movie deals with dramatic and controversial themes such as insanity, incest, murder and seduction, The House of Yes retains a humorous tone and offers many laugh out loud one-liners and situations, as well as chilling and unsettling incidents.
The film's comedic writing is strengthened by Posey's perfect performance for which she earned a Special Recognition award at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.
Posey's intriguing Jackie-O is blissful to watch. Excessive cleverness, insight and glamour characterize this unique, affected character who asserts, "I've been over the edge; now I'm back."
The House of Yes' one downfall is Spelling's Lesly, who is the antithesis of all that is Jackie. Not only is Lesly unbelievably dimwitted and cutesy, but Spelling's acting ability is nonexistent.
However, the film's wry humor, creepy music score and compelling performances by the rest of the cast overshadow this weakness, making it an absorbing, entertaining film that will thrill and chill even the most impassive movie watchers.
