# Identify this Haunted House Movie (~1980) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 10, 2019, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-haunted-house-movie-1980/833769 "2019-05-10T10:19:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-haunted-house-movie-1980/833769/21 "2019-06-06T00:51:56Z")
> [@Scoobysnax](#): > > It might be a stretch but [House II](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093220/?ref_=nv_sr_2?ref_=nv_sr_2) from 1987 had a few similarities to your description. I have not seen it in 30 years but I do recall that they broke through a wall in the house and a bunch of weird people/creatures came out. As a bonus the cast includes John Ratzenberger. “She’s going to be the Madonna of the '80s!” “I thought Madonna was the Madonna of the '80s?” Weird, the random crap that sticks in your brain. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-haunted-house-movie-1980/833769/22 "2019-06-06T02:11:56Z")
> [@Cabbage](#): > > While I’m at it, here’s another one (I don’t know if it’s horror): I have a memory of like a game show where contestants are placed in an iron maiden held open by a rope that’s being burned by a candle. The contestant is tied up or something and must escape before the the rope burns through, allowing the iron maiden to shut on them and kill them. My memory presents it as a real contest, though I know that can’t be true, I’m guessing it was part of some movie. Pretty sure I saw this as a kid in the 70s. I have a very vague memory of seeing some Houdini movie (made for TV?) around this time and I wonder if that could be it; a scene like that would certainly be consistent with a Houdini movie, but it’s only a dim memory. Maybe a magic show? This one from British magician Paul Daniels is similar, but a bit later than you remember (Halloween 1987). Trick starts at 30m 40s [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/q5R0YfIbv9o/maxresdefault.jpg "Paul Daniels: Live at Halloween with guest magician Eugene Burger - 1987") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5R0YfIbv9o) ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2019, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-haunted-house-movie-1980/833769/23 "2019-06-06T03:02:40Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I remember watching this when it aired; it was excellent. I saw it, too, but I was disappointed they painted it as if Houdini managed to communicate from beyond the grave. ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2019, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-haunted-house-movie-1980/833769/24 "2019-06-08T11:28:17Z")
[quote=“Peter\_Morris, post:22, topic:833769”] Maybe a magic show? This one from British magician Paul Daniels is similar, but a bit later than you remember (Halloween 1987). Trick starts at 30m 40s [/QUOTE] That’s interesting, thanks! It definitely feels reminiscent of the scene I remember, but has some distinct differences as well: I definitely remember the candle burning the rope, for example, and (in my memory, at least) the iron maiden was smaller and more coffin shaped; I’m also quite sure that what I remember was several years before 1987. Anyway, it’s similar enough to make me wonder if I’m maybe remembering a different version of essentially the same Paul Daniels trick. **Scoobysnax** , thanks for the suggestion! I remember seeing the first House movie; I don’t recall seeing House II, but I wouldn’t swear to it. I’ll check it out in the near future and report back. Thanks again! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/identify-this-haunted-house-movie-1980/833769.md?page=1)