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Haunting, The [1999]


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A great movie - but an awful re-make...
Review date: 2007-11-19 Rating: 10 out of 10


I refused to watch this film for some time after it was made - this was because I do not like re-makes of any picture, and I was so in love with the original, I did not want to see another version of it. However, I suppose mere curiosity got the better of me! There are two sides of approaching this film; one very critical, and the other, well, let's not say exactly acclaim, but 'different' would be a better word. I will begin with the criticisms;

Firstly, this movie relies totally upon special effects, and without these, you have absolutely nothing... Any viewer expecting more will most certainly be disappointed - whether you've seen the original or not! The second thing is, the story; Shirley Jackson would be spinning in her grave if she knew for one moment that it had been claimed that this film was in any way based upon her novel! Even the first picture was only 'loosely based' upon it (for anyone who may not have read the book)

This story for the re-make could not be more far removed from her novel - or the original movie for that matter. Also, this re-make of the 60s classic is way, way too far out and over the top... It's too fantastical altogether! If one just looks at the aerial view of the house used in some shots for instance, and then compares it to the interior scenes, there is just no way that house can be so big and so high inside; the scaling is all wrong... A house that size is just too unrealistic. The special effects - though entertaining are just too much like, just that; 'special effects'! Nothing is left to the imagination... Even the portrait of Hugh Crain looks like a caricature from a pack of 'Happy Families' cards! It is certainly no work of art! To believe in ghosts and hauntings, one has to have them at least 'believable' - this was just too extreme by far... I guess that this is what producers and directors have to rely upon to compensate for the enormous lack of talent in the acting world of today.

There's also some pretty big blunders in this too, and some of the dialogue is incredulous, and I cannot think how some of this got past the final 'OK' - for instance; in one scene, Luke is found wandering the passageways because he cannot sleep - the doctor (played by Liam Neeson) who is supposed to have sent for them all because he knows they are insomniacs says; 'what are you doing - you should get some sleep'!!??? Is that a dumb line or what!?? But the biggest booby is when the secretary who gets her eye injured by the wire from the musical instrument actually gets to leave! Hang on here, and rewind a little and take a continuity check; aren't the Dudley's the only ones who have a key to the gates - and they left for the night hours ago!?? The doctor is clearly seen minutes later unlocking and locking the gates seeing the injured party off!!!?? Worse still; several times later in the film when life-threatening things are happening and EVERYONE wishes to leave (he included) he once again reminds everybody that they have to wait until the morning for the Dudley's to come and open up the gates...? This is very bad script writing and bad continuity at its worst, and is what comes from not sticking to an original story... But you would have thought anyone present - even down to the most uneducated hired-hand when filming would have spotted these?

There is also a tremendous lack of chemistry between any of the characters - good or adverse, when compared to the original cast. For an example; this can be observed during the scene over the writing appearing upon the wall, and Theo is seen snapping at Nell (almost word for word as in the original movie) but there had been no friction between the characters Theo and Nell previously up until that moment - as there had been between the two original characters in the original movie! It simply did not follow... Also, in one scene when Nell runs against a door to burst through it and finds it locked, the whole wall moves from the force of her weight - if that had been noticed in a movie that had been made years ago, then everybody would have ridiculed it for using shaky sets... (re Crossroads etc.)

Finally, from the trailers used, one can see from this that very little of the special effects are shown - and this clearly confirms my criticisms, and is due to the fact that this is all that held the film together...

Now to the positive side - and yes, there is one!

Leaving aside the continuity errors and the comparisons with the original, this is a good movie, if you completely, and I mean totally accept it as a different movie altogether. This is the only way I can enjoy this film - I view it as a film in its own right independently. This way you get a whole new perspective! Actually, the acting isn't all that bad, but I do think that Catherine Zeta-Jones is by far the best one here; she's every bit Claire Bloom's equal when it came to portraying an Americium at least. Her accent is good, natural, and she isn't 'clumsy' which most English people tend to be when attempting an American role. It was a pity that Ms. Zeta-Jones did not have the same scope with her character as Ms. Bloom did (she having far more dialogue in the original film) The special effects as already stated, are way out, but they are good and entertaining, and for a 'modern' film, come across acceptable.

Another positive point is the mini documentary included as a bonus on the DVD; I found this not only interesting, but all the actors talked and spoke 'sensibly', and not giggly or showing off as most modern actors tend to do nowadays, and so from that perspective, I was very impressed with the cast's professionalism - and it takes a great deal to impress me! For these reasons, I have still given this movie five stars - but only when totally disassociated with the original 1963 British classic!

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Reviews


A SPOOKY GOOD HAUNTED HOUSE FILM - WELL WORTH A WATCH
Review date: 2007-11-03 Rating: 8 out of 10



After her mother's death, Eleanor (Lili Taylor) is desperate to get over her feelings of despair. Research Scientist Dr. Marrow (Liam Neeson) is searching for subjects to participate in a study on sleep disorder, and Eleanor is a perfect candidate. Accepted, she travels to Hill House, the site of an infamous massacre years ago, and meets up with the other subjects of the experiment Theo (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Luke (Owen Wilson). After the usual introductions are done, Dr. Marrow briefs everyone about what they are doing and the purpose of the experiment. After an accident nearly ruins the experiment, Dr. Marrow decides to carry on. That night, strange banging noises haunt Eleanor and Theo as they try to sleep. The next day, she begins to see and experience strange events in the house. Trying to convince Theo and Luke that Dr. Marrow isn't interested in sleep deprivation doesn't work, but it brings Eleanor close to a secret that even Dr. Marrow didn't know about and that could bring the house down around them.

The Good News: OHMYGOD! This has one of the creepiest houses ever in a horror film I've ever seen. It has the perfect blend of Gothic atmosphere and modern touches. It has an overall feeling of dread and suspense. With it's long, winding corridors, creature-busts for decorations, and artwork that is just as creepy as spending an eternity in hell itself, this house is just as creepy as the original. It is big and cavernous, and yet confining. These two ingredients are essential in creating the perfect haunted house movie, and the third ingredient is one of my favorite rules for haunted house is the "things that shouldn't be doing that/that shouldn't be there" philosophy. I love when haunted house films do that. If it's done right, it is an effective scene that really brings out the suspense of a movie. This movie does it right by keeping the first part of the film as a mystery as to why it's haunted, and the second half as a series of clues to lead us to a terrifying secret about the house. For the first half, though, we don't know the secret, and therefore we are left with a very spooky haunted house film. By making it just a spooky film, the paintings looking at us, the walls moving, it adds to create an atmosphere that very few haunted house films have created. There is one standout scene that really goes to prove this: as Eleanor is lying bed, she sees a black shadow enter the room on the ceiling and go over to her doorway. As the shadow gets to the doorway, it causes the archways in the door to raise, and it lights up these two red crystals. When it finishes, it appears that the door is looking at Eleanor with this demonic impression, and it is a very creepy scene. The ghosts are sometimes pretty creepy, and the way they interact with the cast is some great shocks. The one death in the film is one of the highlights. After attacking a picture of the owner of the house, the ghosts strike the person in the back and knock them onto a carpet. The carpet is dragged over to the fireplace, where it has a lion's head for a swing. The lion then opens its mouth and decapitates them, right in front of the rest of the group. There are many more different scenes that give some good chills, but would take up too much space to describe in detail. I even enjoyed the two different tones to the film. The mysterious first half is very well done, but the puzzle painted in the second half is very well thought out and is a bit out into left field, but it does make the movie seem a lot smarter than it probably is to some people.

The Bad News: Despite one of the classic scenes from the original being cleverly homage in a scene that really sticks out since it doesn't follow the tone of the rest of the movie, this has one very classic mistake: the ghosts are shown. There are several scenes where we see the ghosts up close, and that really irritates me. This is the only real complaint: the ghosts are far too visible far too often.

The Final Verdict: This is a better film than most admit to, but it really isn't all that bad. It has loads of suspense, a chilling house, and standout performances, all combining into a film that is a bit underrated. Watch this late at night with the lights out, and this might give you a few chills.

A remake that has the cgi as the star
Review date: 2007-10-05 Rating: 4 out of 10

If you saw the original, beware... The plot bears no resemblance to Shirley Jackson's psychological horror story. The sub-plots make no sense and dead-ends. There's lots of CGI and special effects, which are well done and are the star of the movie.

The sets for the house were the best part and are worth seeing. Liam Neeson must be sorry he made this film, and Owen Wilson, seems to be the comic relief, Zeta-Jones certainly looks good but isn't given anything to do except wander around looking colorfully tarty. Bruce Dern and Marian Seldes were probably just happy they had such small parts. This doesn't make it as a "good" bad movie, and it wouldn't really worth the trouble hating, except that it butchered a book that was both scary and intelligent.


Such a disappointment...
Review date: 2007-09-22 Rating: 2 out of 10

Having read, watched and loved the book and original film, I was really excited at the prospect of a remake. Also, I thought the choice of actresses for Eleanor and Theo were spot on- great actresses, experienced, adaptable and fitting the picture in my head perfectly. So what a disappointment when I watched the remake and there was little left of the original in terms of plot, suspense and atmosphere.

The CGI was unnecessary and slightly ridiculous, and supported my theory that film makers think americans are too dense to appreciate subtlety and must have lots of bangs and whizzes to keep them entertained. A project that, initially, looked so promising turned into a real let down, and has made me wary of watching remakes of films I have loved. Too many, (The Fog, The Wicker Man, The Ring etc) have been spoilt by "CGI at all costs!" and "let's put a few monsters in because our audience has no imagination" or, worst of all, "let's make a quick profit by exploiting a classic to bring in original fans, but change the plot entirely so idiots will get it".

As with so many films, the only thing this remake has in common with its original is the title. Shirley Clarke would be furious.

A MEDIOCRE FILM
Review date: 2007-06-28 Rating: 2 out of 10

THE REMAKE WAS SO RUBBISH, THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT GOT THE FUNDING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Lili Taylor
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Bruce Dern
Liam Neeson
Owen Wilson

Creators:
Liam Neeson (Primary Contributor)
Catherine Zeta-Jones (Primary Contributor)
Jan de Bont (Producer)
Colin Wilson (Producer)
Donna Roth (Producer)
Marty P. Ewing (Producer)
Samuel Z. Arkoff (Producer)
David Self (Writer)
Shirley Jackson (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Dreamworks Home Entertainment
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Home Entertainment
EAN: 0678149096521
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2000-11-27
Universal product code (UPC): 678149096521
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 138 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1999-07-23
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired)
Language: Dutch (Subtitled)
Language: Swedish (Subtitled)
Language: Norwegian (Subtitled)
Language: Danish (Subtitled)
Language: Finnish (Subtitled)

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