Trish Van Devere stars as Jane, a troubled school teacher from San Francisco, trying to recover from a terrible divorce and her Aunt's death, who moves to a small town country home, which lives in infamy as the local boogey-house. The locals resist her, often even appearing hostile or stand-offish just because of the house she lives in. Her aunt was known as a "devil worshiper", so Jane will not be given a fair shake by the citizens. Jane's arch-nemesis is Walter Pritchard(..an ornery Joseph Cotten), a bitter misanthrope who wanted the house she resides. He handles the deed and proper papers that Jane needs to sign if she wishes to remain in her aunt's house or sell it off. There are signs of her Aunt's presence in the house(..the music cues definitely inform us of this)and she meets a handsome, yet mysterious young man, Tom(David Gautraux)for whom she begins a relationship. But, Jane is tormented by a hearse(..and it's sinister chauffeur) which often tries to either run her of the road, or pull into the yard. Soon, the chauffeur begins invading Jane's house, threatening danger. Is Jane losing her sanity? Or, is the chauffeur real? All of Jane's problems began when she started to read her aunt's diary, which reveals her secret affair with a man, while engaged to another;even mentioning that her lover worships Satan promising eternal life if she joins his cult).
For about an hour or so, this is a nice little surprise..a kind of haunted house creeper you might see on a chiller theater program. But, the ending descends into a demonic chase thriller with a rather disappointing close which lets Jane off a bit too easy. I think the one tormenting her is rather predictable for those who understand strange behavior and love unrequited. Donald Hotton portrays the local priest who challenges the demonic power which threatens Jane's life in the house. Med Flory is the unsubtle, flirtatious sheriff who provokes Jane with his sleazy smiles and aggressive attitude. Perry Lang is the affable Paul, the son of a hardware store owner who helps with the repairs of Jane's house, carrying a torch for her. It's a drag that the film builds up to such a rather flimsy close with Jane being chased by the menacing chauffeur wishing to capture her soul which leads to a lackluster conclusion. Might be a bit entertaining for haunted house fans, but even this group will find that "The Hearse" doesn't quite fulfill expectations. Might even be a bit dull for those expecting thrills and chills and only coming away with a pounding score that builds suspense gradually only to a whimper instead of a thrill. This could've been a real winner, instead it's an interesting failure, a curio perhaps worthy of pursuit for one viewing. Not particularly a film which stays with you either. For the exception of some profanity, this has the qualities of a decent made-for-television feature. Fans of Christopher McDonald might get a kick out of seeing him as a foul-mouthed, high-strung youth who questions whether Paul was getting laid with Jane. The house itself is an appropriately spooky enough place and the director sometimes uses P-O-V when the spirit(..or person)invades Jane's home unannounced. The chauffeur has a memorable appearance stalking Jane in the house, while a nightmare sequence provides a creepy sense of dread as she is led into a church where her burial is being held. Ultimately, I think the film works best of it's fish-out-of-water theme where a "big city girl" is treated unceremoniously by the "rednecks" of a small town..with Jane trying to cope with all those who wish for her to leave. I think, also, that her sanity being tested by the hearse-driving ghoul adds to the film's allure because the locals are provided with reasons for wishing Jane to leave. The major flaw of any film regarding haunted houses is why would Jane remain in such a hostile place with her life clearly in danger?
For about an hour or so, this is a nice little surprise..a kind of haunted house creeper you might see on a chiller theater program. But, the ending descends into a demonic chase thriller with a rather disappointing close which lets Jane off a bit too easy. I think the one tormenting her is rather predictable for those who understand strange behavior and love unrequited. Donald Hotton portrays the local priest who challenges the demonic power which threatens Jane's life in the house. Med Flory is the unsubtle, flirtatious sheriff who provokes Jane with his sleazy smiles and aggressive attitude. Perry Lang is the affable Paul, the son of a hardware store owner who helps with the repairs of Jane's house, carrying a torch for her. It's a drag that the film builds up to such a rather flimsy close with Jane being chased by the menacing chauffeur wishing to capture her soul which leads to a lackluster conclusion. Might be a bit entertaining for haunted house fans, but even this group will find that "The Hearse" doesn't quite fulfill expectations. Might even be a bit dull for those expecting thrills and chills and only coming away with a pounding score that builds suspense gradually only to a whimper instead of a thrill. This could've been a real winner, instead it's an interesting failure, a curio perhaps worthy of pursuit for one viewing. Not particularly a film which stays with you either. For the exception of some profanity, this has the qualities of a decent made-for-television feature. Fans of Christopher McDonald might get a kick out of seeing him as a foul-mouthed, high-strung youth who questions whether Paul was getting laid with Jane. The house itself is an appropriately spooky enough place and the director sometimes uses P-O-V when the spirit(..or person)invades Jane's home unannounced. The chauffeur has a memorable appearance stalking Jane in the house, while a nightmare sequence provides a creepy sense of dread as she is led into a church where her burial is being held. Ultimately, I think the film works best of it's fish-out-of-water theme where a "big city girl" is treated unceremoniously by the "rednecks" of a small town..with Jane trying to cope with all those who wish for her to leave. I think, also, that her sanity being tested by the hearse-driving ghoul adds to the film's allure because the locals are provided with reasons for wishing Jane to leave. The major flaw of any film regarding haunted houses is why would Jane remain in such a hostile place with her life clearly in danger?