The film gained second life on DVD and VHS throughout 2002 and 2003. Uncensored comedy cuts and bonus features drew millions in rental revenue, giving audiences extended looks at alternate jokes cut from the theatrical print to avoid an NC-17 rating. Deleted scenes featured extended riffs with Chris Elliott’s caretaker character, Hanson, alongside alternate takes of the house's supernatural inhabitants.
Generations of viewers discovered the movie not on opening weekend, but through late-night television airings and secondhand physical media. Over time, sequences like Hanson serving dinner, Cindy wrestling a possessed cat, and the ghost bedroom scene became staples of internet meme culture. The rapid-fire editing and disregard for prestige sensibilities aged better than many of the self-serious horror films it originally mocked.
