The Haunting [Blu-ray]

the book and am amazed how close it follows the book, incredible still after all this time. Nice addition to my large collection.

So good

Based on Shirley Jacksons novel The Haunting Of Hill House (1959), this movie is an all-time haunted house classic. The movie is what can basically be termed psychological horror, which is horror that is created more in the mind rather than visually. The feeling of being scared of things you cant see. There is no blood and gore whatsoever in this movie. Instead, invisible ghosts and a mansion that seems like its alive provide the scares. A truly haunting atmosphere is created through the use of darkness and shadows and black and white cinematography. This movie was deliberately filmed in black and white because director Robert Wise felt that black and white would do the trick of making the movie dark, eerie, and play with the viewers imagination and psyche. He was so right. Theres no better way of making things on the screen darker and spookier than filming in black and white and using the proper lighting techniques because the resulting darkness and shadows end up being so much more effective at making the viewer wonder what lurks in the darkness and shadows. Its what you cant see that is so frightening, rather than seeing an actual ghost or person on the screen. Rather than blood and monsters, theres knocks, bangs, and pounding noises. I like the very unique camera angles that are used throughout the movie. I also like when the house is shown from the outside many times during the movie, with the camera pointed up toward the sky. The story is about four paranormal investigators (Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, and Russ Tamblyn) who go to a 90 year old New England house known as Hill House to study the supernatural happenings inside the house. What happens next is haunting phenomena that will scare you. This house is a huge mansion furnished with expensive, quality items, even though nobody lives there. The mansion is very plush and regal with lots of antiques. The acting is very good. Julie Harris plays Eleanor Lance, a rather unique character who has been repressed in her adult life. She whines a lot, but that is her character. The striking Claire Bloom plays Theodora or Theo, a character who is a psychic and displays confidence and skepticism at times and fear at other times. Eleanor and Theo supposedly are lesbians in this movie. It is implied in a very subtle way. Richard Johnson plays the always curious paranormal investigator Dr. John Markway. Russ Tamblyn plays the skeptical Luke Sanderson who is supposed to inherit the house one day. He provides a little comic relief. Fay Compton plays the role of Mrs. Sanderson. Lois Maxwell plays Grace Markway, the wife of John Markway, and a non-believer in the supernatural. Valentine Dyall plays the caretaker of Hill House, Mr. Dudley. My favorite character in the whole movie is the housekeeper Mrs. Dudley, played by Rosalie Crutchley. She doesnt live in the house all the time. She and her husband live miles away in town. Her character is a little dark, creepy, and mysterious. Even though she plays only a very small role, she delivers the best lines in the movie in my opinion when she says, ...in the night...in the dark. As far as the picture quality on this DVD, I find it to be great. The sound quality? It could be better. I have to turn the volume up pretty high on the TV in order to hear the movie. The voices and the score are a little muffled (mono, if you will), but all of this is probably due to the fact that the movie dates back to the early sixties. I dont know if any improvements can be made or not. I suppose it could be remastered? This DVD also features audio commentary by Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, Robert Wise (director), and Nelson Gidding (screenwriter). There is also a still photo gallery, the theatrical trailer, and the actual screenplay you can read on the screen. Not a bad deal for not much money. If youre a thinking person who has an imagination and doesnt need to be VISUALLY entertained at all times to avoid boredom, then this movie will provide psychological horror at its finest. On the other hand, if youre somebody who needs to be VISUALLY entertained at all times (such as needing to SEE the actual ghosts on screen in CGI form), then watch the 1999 remake, which, according to the vast majority of the public, is sub par and falls way short of the original on all levels. Remember, in the original 1963 movie, its what you dont see that is so scary. This movies musical score by Humphrey Searle is one of the most underrated and forgotten in horror movie history. Its outstanding, and really fits the haunting atmosphere. Its too bad its not available for sale. I rank it in my top three favorite horror movie scores ever (John Carpenters score to Halloween and Gene Moores score to Carnival of Souls are the other contenders). This movie is always compared to The Innocents (1961) by horror fans and critics. Why? Its because both films were released around the same time (1961 and 1963), both are black and white films, both are ghost stories set in haunted Victorian mansions, both are based on novels, both are extremely creepy, and both have innovative camerawork. I often have a hard time deciding which of these two films is better. Of course, the authors whose books these movies are based on (Shirley Jacksons The Haunting Of Hill House and Henry Jamess The Turn Of The Screw) wrote stories that are night and day different. The movies, however, will always be compared due to the above reasons and simply because it comes down to what a person looks for and prefers in a haunted house ghost story movie. When it comes to comparing haunted house movies, I personally put the movies atmosphere first and the story second. The next person might do the opposite. If you want to see a really good supernatural haunted house thriller, then I highly recommend watching The Haunting in the night............in the dark. :)

Like it

Even when The Haunting is given one of its rare TV showings, I still cant watch alone, and Im spooked to the point that I cant sleep that night. Psychologically, the images stay with you, and certainly after all these years it remains one of the strongest tales of ghosts and possessed houses that has ever been filmed. It shows how poor todays so-called horror films are in comparison. I dare you to watch in the dark!

This is a good old fashioned haunted house flick. It is pretty good though! Not real corny or real gorey. Worth watching!

This genuinely creepy film continues to be perfect....a breath of fresh air compared to the current fashion of extreme gore for effect. Beautiful production in all departments.

Having been informed that `The Haunting of 1963 vintage is the scariest film ever made, I handed over a princely sum of money. I wasnt overly impressed. Here are my reasons. I have no problems whatsoever with the four main actors who give of their best. That being said, Russ Tamblyns character of Luke does little to advance the narrative (even his wisecracks are perfunctory). He could have been removed from the screenplay with little detriment. While I can appreciate logically why Robert Wise allocates so much time to the background of Julie Harris character of Eleanor, its still a drag on proceedings. Markaway evidently chose his squad on the basis of their psychic powers. If so, theyre rarely evidenced in the narrative. So Theo feels cold on occasions: big deal. There is little sense that a crack-team has been transported to the house with the intention of base-lining its spectral activity. For much of the daytime, they sit around and drink tea. The arrival of Dr Markways wife is both corny and superfluous. In the very least, she should have cracked the poos that the good professor has shacked up with two buxom wenches. When shes finally located after her disappearance, it looks like a make-up artist has applied some powder to her cheeks and nothing more: such is the depth of her trauma. Eliminate her. Spend more time exploring the house. So Hugh Crain commissioned a statue of himself and his family that resembles the Farnese Bull in Naples? Please. A portrait or two on the wall would have been more idiomatic - without the rotating eyes !!!!! It was a nice touch to have one of the ghosts hold Eleanors hand in the dark - but it was telegraphed thrice beforehand and little was made of it afterwards. Indubitably, the Hauntings claim to fame resides in the scene where the quartet are terrorised by the presence on the other side of the door - and unlike so many Hollywood horrors, its genuinely dark at the time. It will freeze your blood. Strange to say, this is the second occurrence of such an encounter: Eleanor and Theo have already been similarly terrorised in the latters bedroom. Are the spooks of Hill House that constrained in their armoury? The prior occurrence is a spoiler. So who is the ghost? Hugh Crains statue is mocked by Theo and Eleanor (sadly, not on aesthetic grounds). Is he the lead-footed leviathan, bent on retribution, who wanders around at night? We are never told. Subtlety is one thing - nothingness is another. So Hill House was born evil. That implies it is a living entity. All well and good, but mere lip-service is paid to the concept. For instance, Eleanor repeatedly stares at the tower. There should have been a response in kind. Moreover, its interior is too well kept for such a vast edifice with a solitary maid on the payroll. More of the fixtures should have been veiled by sheets or been decrepit. The staircase in the study was never going to topple over. The entire scene is laboured. Eleanors death ride brings to mind the Snails Grand Prix. Terrifying and convincing it aint. Dont purchase this movie. Sure, its more intense than the 1999 remake - that aint hard given how woeful the latter is. My twelve year old son sat through it without blinking an eye or high-tailing it to the fridge (on the pretence of hunger). YouTube contains the great scene in its entirety. Ignore the hype: make do with that.

When i was young this scared the hell out of me not now,not much in the thrills and chills department either. Except for the loud banging,wavy door,Grace times two appearances,and an unsafe staircase all those were good. And Elinor what a wuss a real mental case would i keep this movie? Nope.

Tremendous film. No blood or gore. If you are looking for that, search elsewhere. Most atmosphere I have ever seen in a sound film. Julie Harris terrific (RIP). A great actress. Camera work super, minimal special effects super. The bulging door scene unforgettable. Id drop a bottle of scotch too. Saw it in Buenos Aires when first released. Have the dvd disc and amazon on-line also. Save your money forget the remake. PU.