The film tells the story of Jack Filice Jr., an heir to a Hollywood
Italian-American dynasty. As his father, Jack Sr.(played Tony-award winning
Joe Mantegna), lays dying, he asks his only son to preserve the family
estate, and to never tear it down. The pact is made, but within a year, the
cocky young music producer, demolishes the estate and builds his "party
palace". On the night of Jack's house warming party, friends and family
party into the early morning, unaware of the "monstrous spirit" who returns
to murder them one-by-one, until only his grandson is left to destroy.
GRANDPA JACK takes human form and systematically executes the "guests".
Having to do battle with the demon, Jack's own memories emerge that have
been haunting him for years in nightmares. On one fateful night 23 years
ago, three year old Jack Jr. witnessed the gruesome murder of his own
mother, Hannah, at the hands of his own grandfather. Having buried the
event inside his head, and told over and over that his mother had committed
suicide, Jack's life was one of pain and confusion. But now, after breaking
a sacred deathbed oath, Jack's own demons re-surface; and he must do battle
with the one demon who all but destroyed his life: his own grandfather. In
the action-filled climax, Jack Jr. must take on the "spirit" himself to rid
the world and himself of this evil. But he finds he can't fight the old
bastard alone... and gets help from a shocking source: HIS MOTHER. The
"spirit" of Hannah Filice returns to take on the man who brutally killed
her, and thus, fights to save the life of the little boy, now a grown man,
who is about to die at the hands of the same monster who destroyed her some
20 years ago. The screenplay has received great "buzz" in Hollywood for its
fresh take on an established genre; in addition, for its well-rounded
characters and yes, wry humor. But THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT is also a
terrifying story of violence, family secrets and lies; and creates a world
where life and death seem to weld together, where the "afterlife" may not
be so "after", afterall.
