Thir13en Ghosts

The second of master showman William Castle's low-budget chillers to get overhauled and refitted - after the favourable recycling of House on Haunted Hill in 1999 - is all fabulous production design and nothing else. Failing to capture the frightening fun of the 1959 original, director Steve Beck's conventional treatment is a slick package of special effects with too few shocks or surprises included. Recently widowed Tony Shalhoub inherits the spectacular house of his late uncle Cyrus (F Murray Abraham). But when his family arrive to set up home in an architectural wonder constructed of glass panels and etched with arcane symbols, he learns that the 12 ghosts of the Black Zodiac are imprisoned there as part of Cyrus's plan to unlock the gateway to hell. Saddled with predictable twists and a plodding pace, this is just another dreaded remake.