Hider in the House Year: 1989 Director: Matthew Patrick Written by: Lem Dobbs Threat: Psychopath Weapon of Choice: Flashlight IMDb page:

Other movies in this series:
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Rish's Reviews
For a year or so in college I worked in a video store, and on more than one occasion, a customer came in and started talking about a really scary movie where a crazy guy lives in the attic of this house and pretends the family that moves into the house is his own. Well, that flick was Hider in the House and in seeing it on a video shelf, I was brought back to those days, and gave it a rent.
You know, I'm not sure if "Hider" is a real word. [editor's note: it is a word, although an awkward one.]
So, like I said, Gary Busey plays the Hider in the House, who just got out of a mental institution for committing murder, and moves into the attic of a house for sale. When a family (Mimi Rogers, Michael McKean, and kids) moves in, he stays put. Instead of being a menace, his character only wants to be safe. Immediately, it makes him sympathetic. They show he has a violent temper, so that gives him some threat, but . . .
He does eat with a knife, though.
The film was pretty well done. I'd heard it was scary, and I suppose it is, in an entirely plausible sort of way. Gary Busey is a frightening-looking man. Mimi Rogers is almost illogically hot, especially as a mother of two who works full-time. McKean is the work-oriented, adulterous husband. I wonder if we're supposed to hate him. Why else cast Michael McKean, right?*
I didn't know what to think of Busey's character. He's an intelligent guy, but also very childlike. It's a good performance, actually. There's a conveniently creepy neighbour who the Hider sets up as the scapegoat for our man. You know, it's similar to The Stepfather films, where the main character sort of adopts a family he likes and wipes out anyone who he feels threatens that family. In fact, if I were feeling a little more vindictive, I'd say this movie rips off The Stepfather. But I won't.
The film was written by a writer of one of tyranist's favourite Nineties films, Dark City. There was a really gratuitous skinny-dipping scene. Unfortunately, it was also an Unfufilled Promise of Nudity, so no points there. There was also a neat scene with the exterminator hearing the H.I.T.H., but thinking it's rats.
I should have more to say here. My notes are covered with badly-drawn sketches of Spider-man and what is either a werewolf or Jesus. I guess that tells you how wrapped up in the story I was.
I used to really love it when tyranist and I would tabulate Skulls after a horror movie. He always took the captain's seat and would read the list, marking the ones we found applicable. Often, to keep me on my toes, he would change the Skull so it pertained to the movie we just watched. For example, after watching Nightmare on Elm Street, he'd say, "Victim cowers in front of window/door? Victim locks self in with killer? Victim sucked into bed and sprayed out in liquid form?" On this one, he would have surely changed "dog/pet miraculously survives" to "dog/pet miraculously does not survive." So be warned, kids: the dog dies! I imagine animal lovers won't forgive the Hider for offing the family pet. To his credit, though, Busey's character does teach the son how to kick bullies in the nuts. I wish my dad had taught me that.
Or at least the guy we had living in our crawlspace for six months back in '86.
The IMDB claims this was made for television. I'm not sure if I believe that, but hey, I've been wrong before.
I'd Recommend It To: A guy is beaten to death with a flashlight. Awesome. For that death alone, the film is recommended.
*I don't hate Michael McKean myself. In fact, I was predisposed to like his character because I like the man.
Posted: October 17, 2005

Total Skulls: 8

Sequel
Sequel setup
Rips off earlier film
Horror film showing on TV/in theater in movie
Future celebrity appears
Former celebrity appears		Michael McKean
Bad title
Bad premise
Bad acting
Bad dialogue
Bad execution
MTV Editing
OTS
Girl unnecessarily gets naked
Wanton sex
Death associated with sex
Unfulfilled promise of nudity
Characters forget about threat
Secluded location
Power is cut
Phone lines are cut
Someone investigates a strange noise
Someone runs up stairs instead of going out front door
Camera is the killer
Victims cower in front of a window/door
Victim locks self in with killer
Victim running from killer inexplicably falls
Toilet stall scene
Shower/bath scene
Car stalls or won't start
Cat jumps out
Fake scare
Laughable scare
Stupid discovery of corpse
Dream sequence
Hallucination/Vision
No one believes only witness
Crazy, drunk, old man knows the truth
Warning goes unheeded
Music detracts from scene
Death in first five minutes
x years before/later
Flashback sequence
Dark and stormy night
Killer doesn't stay dead
Killer wears a mask
Killer is in closet
Killer is in car with victim
Villain is more sympathetic than heroes
Unscary villain/monster
Beheading
Blood fountain
Blood spatters - camera, wall, etc.
Poor death effect
Excessive gore
No one dies at all
Virgin survives
Geek/Nerd survives
Little kid lamely survives
Dog/Pet miraculously survives
Unresolved subplots
"It was all a dream" ending
Unbelievably happy ending
Unbelievably crappy ending
What the hell?