Burning Down the House (film)  Burning Down the House is a 2001 film directed by Philippe Mora. It was written by Michael Cole Dinelli, who adapted it from his play "High Tension in the Tropics". It was shot in 1998 and released direct-to-video in the United States. Unable to find funding for his next film, a Hollywood director burns down his house for the insurance money. Robert Koehler of "Variety" wrote that Mora and the cast "appear clueless from first frame to last".