An evil witch gets burned at the stake, but vows to return and get her revenge prior to being torched. A hundred years later a family -- architect father Fernando (Julio Aleman),naggy pregnant wife Lorena (attractive Nuria Bages),daughter Gaby (Gianella Hassle Kus),twin sons Pedrito (Ernesto East) and Jaimito (Carlos East, Jr.),sweet niece Paulina (the fetching Gabriela Hassle),and Paulina's affable occult enthusiast boyfriend Julio (an engaging performance by Pedro Fernandez) -- decide to vacation at a summer home located in the same immediate countryside area where the witch was killed. Trouble ensues when Gaby finds a doll possessed by the lethal spirit of the malevolent witch. Director Rene Cardona III eschews graphic gore in favor of creating and sustaining a creepy ooga-booga atmosphere that becomes more progressively eerie and frightening as the story unfolds. Said uncanny mood culminates in an especially intense and harrowing last third. Moreover, the capable acting from a uniformly solid cast, Luis Medina's polished cinematography, the likable characters, the exciting fiery conclusion, Eugenio Castillo's shivery, ominous score, plenty of unsettling visuals (the bleeding tree and walls are truly scary and unnerving while the shots of vile rotting food covered with bugs, rats and snakes are just plain gross),the constant pace, and the crude, yet effective special effects further enhance the overall sound quality of this nifty little horror picture.

Moving to a new house in the country, a family finds the site was used in a witch-burning ceremony hundreds of years earlier and must stop their possessed daughter from unleashing the witch back in their time.

About the top of the heap in terms of just plain cheesy Mexican horror cinema, this one is just a blast it's hard to really hold any flaws against it. Sure, the film is so clichéd it borders on a remake of numerous films, disregards plot for a never-ending series of special effect scenes and never really seems to be as exploitative as it really could've, that last one is really the only legitimate complaint that could be lobbied against this one. It's hard not to be entertained at what goes on here, from the opening witch-burning to the gradual realization of possession coupled all the way through to the film's last half hour, which just has so much fun it's almost criminal due to the fact that it comprises one sequence of the witch's powers being levied against her tormentors and seeing dishes thrown across the room, furniture toppled over, objects magically transform in front of their eyes and much more in one extended, dragged-out sequence is just wonderful cheesy good times, and the fact that the film copies a Gothic trademark with a stand-out burning-down-the-house finale leaves it in good taste afterward. About the only thing wrong with this is just how tame it was.

Rated Unrated/PG-13: Violence and children-in-jeopardy.

Let's talk about family tradition. The Cardona family has it. Starting with the senior Rene Cardona, we got films like the brain-melting Santa Claus, Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy and Night of the Bloody Apes. His son would continue the journey with Night of 1000 Cats, Guyana: Crime of the Century and Tintorera.

Starting with this film, Rene Cardona III would put his own spin on horror films. This movie feels like someone stayed up all night mainlining every single Amityville unconnected sequel - trust me, as I have done this - and then decided to make their own cover version before the booze wore off.

Way back in 1889, a witch had taken over a small Mexican town, but an inquisitor was able to use a sacred amulet to force her into the flames and save his village. When he tosses all of her belongings - including a cursed doll - into a well, he never dreamed that a little girl would find it a hundred years later and put her family through hell.

This movie has it all. Bleeding walls, refrigerators teeming with rats and no small amount of snakes and spiders. It also has Julio, the affable teen who hopes to save the family and the babysitter that he is in love with. He's played by Pedro Fernandez, who is more than an actor, as he's a TV show host and singer.

This movie has a great scene where the kids play with a toy car - which has possessed their father's car - and try to push it into the fireplace. These are the reasons why I love movies like this, the small moments that make me realize just how little reality can intrude within.

If this ever came out on blu ray - and it totally should, because the DVD versions are out of print and are prohibitively expensive - I will add my critic byline to it: "If you thought Ghosthouse was completely inane and ridiculous, have I got an awesome movie for you!"

PS: This pairs nicely with Cathy's Curse so you get a real North/South exploitation exorcism adventure.