The Haunting
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Movie Reviews of The Haunting
Movie Review: THE HAUNTING
Summary: 5 Stars
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST SPECIAL EFFECT MOVIES EVER AND WITH A GREAT STORYMovie Review: Best effects and graphics
Summary: 5 Stars
Very scary and exciting. Probably the best movie of the centuryMovie Review: Haunting, But Not Scary . . . Still Fun Entertainment
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a very old-fashioned haunted house tale given the overblown budget treatment that doesn't enhance the story as much as Hollywood would have us think. It's a fun movie, but it doesn't scare or jolt you like it should or could. While I was disappointed with that, I still enjoyed the film for the creepy house which is beautifully designed, and the cast of wonderful actors who are all capable of better work, except for Owen Wilson who just annoys me with his presence. His surfer-dude schtick just grates on you after awhile. Lili Taylor makes this movie all hers inspite of the impressive cast.
The film is rather tame in that their is no nudity or sex, and little in the way of gore or violence. I like a spooky film that I can watch with my entire family. I have my daughter, 10, close her eyes for the one violent scene in the film. Others be warned that one might not want younger kids to see the one death scene at the end, a decapitation, but even that scene is swiftly edited and lacks any real gore or bloodshed, but it is probably how this overall tame film got its "R" rating as the rest of the film is purely PG (not even PG-13). With even better editing, that death scene could have been more suggested than visual and that is the biggest problem with this film: too much focus on the visual. Nothing is creepily suggested as a better horror film would do.
In any event, this is simple, old-fashioned spookiness with A+ special effects that take over the film a bit unnecessarily. The setting, set designs, and cinematography are all top-notch. The acting, with the exception of Lili Taylor, is rather pedestrian, but they are mostly believable. It may not be frightening, but it is haunting and memorable inspite of its flaws.
Movie Review: This house is haunted
Summary: 4 Stars
I first rented THE HAUNTING after its release in 1999 and was extremely impressed with the state of the art special effects. It managed to capture the essence of the original movie released in 1963 based on Shirley Jackson's novel, THE HAUNTING ON HILL HOUSE. I recently purchased it and somehow was not impressed as the first time (somewhat like a roller coaster ride, it's always the best the first time around), it seemed somewhat dated and lost in translation but still retained many other fine qualities. Lili Taylor did a believable job as the neurotic, insecure, and hypersensitive Nell but let's face it, no one could ever compare to the superb performance of Julie Harris. As the saying goes "it was an evil house from the beginning, a house that was born bad". Dr. Marrow (Liam Neeson) conducts a number of experiments involving the supernatural by using 3 subjects, Nell (Lili Taylor), Theo (Cathrine Zeta Jones), the condescending, superficial fashion plate who's clairvoyant, and Luke (Owen Wilson), the boy nextdoor who's in it for the ride (a spooky one). Nell is particularly drawn to the house, summoned by the very spirits who inhabit the house. She holds the key which will unlock the mysteries to Hill House, forbidden to the outside world. This adaptation could never compare to the original movie which has more atmosphere. There is something about black and white and low tech movies that captures the essence, the marrow itself. Hill House is alive, breathing, morphing, you can feel its very blood flowing through the walls, the pipes, its very foundation, the uncontrollable evil that thrives on good. So prepare yourself, be scared, you've been warned.Movie Review: Artistic Masterpiece
Summary: 4 Stars
The story here is centered around Eleanor, a young woman who's led a repressed life and wants to start a new one. When a mysterious person calls and offers her the chance to be part of an experiment for insomniacs, she readily agrees and goes to Hill house, where the experiment will take place. Hill House is an extraordinary mansion with huge halls, gothic statues, and dark paintings. It is there she meets the other two insomniacs: Luke, a cute and witty guy, and Theo, a gorgeous and free-spirited artist. At first, things seem to go well for Eleanor; she loves the darkly beautiful house and enjoys the company of her eccentric new friends. Her happiness is soon shattered when strange things begin to happen: voices whisper to her at night, unseen forces pound on the doors, and bloody footprints lead down hidden passages. Eleanor soon comes to believe that the house is alive and is calling to her alone, but when she tries to warn the others of the danger,they don't believe her and start to question her sanity. Whether this movie was true enough to the book or not, I don't know. What I do know is that it's awesome and very well-made. The actors did a great job, the special effects were wonderful, and the creepy-yet gothicly beautiful house simply couldn't have been better. I'm not sorry I watched it. It's worth every minute and every penny.