Sometimes you just get lucky - AIP wound up its existence with one of its biggest hits, a spectacularly stupid haunted house movie full of inconsistencies and an incredible lack of logic. But it was based on a true story - or so the book said - which gave this cache at a time when that was important. Also Lalo Schifrin added a spooky theme, the house was well cast (I'm not kidding - it's an effective house with great spooky windows and leave strewn lawns), it had some decent actors, and one of the kids have an imaginary friend.
But it's just dumb. Rod Steiger runs in and out of the action like a lunatic - he visits the house, takes off, rails against God/Satan, clashes with some priests, goes blind... and doesn't have anything to do with Margot Kidder/James Brolin. James Brolin goes mad, only he doesn't really; Kidder seduces him with one leg warmer and shows some side boob; the kids are hard to tell apart; the leads have some crazy psychic friend who discovers the gates to hell underneath the house.
There is a lack of any decent suspense or scary bits, it's not well written or directed and it goes on for too long. But it was a big hit and has spawned a mini industry so there you go.
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