Product: The Haunting [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 2.0
The Haunting (1999)
Director: Jan de BontCast: Lili Taylor, Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, Bruce Dern, Marian Seldes, Alix Koromzay, Todd Field, Virginia Madsen.Running Time: 113 minutesRated PG-13 for intense horror sequences and some language.Director Jan De Bont, whose oeuvre includes such other empty exercises as "Twister," "Speed," and "Speed 2," has joined the short list of directors who have gotten so caught up with the special effects aspect of filmmaking that they have forgetten that a potent script, captivating acting, and superb cinematography is what truly makes a good picture, no matter the genre. 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.Taylor stands out in a dull cast of popular professionals--Liam Neeson is wasted here, and looks mildly embarrassed, Owen Wilson is a ridiculously bad actor who apparently knows how to hit his marks and has some sort of flair for comedy, but he drawls and squeaks his annoying lines to the detriment of the story, and Catherine Zeta-Jones is voluptuous and luscious and is a complete nothing here. When stacked (quit giggling!) up against the much more elegant Claire Bloom from the original, she becomes even more of a piece of flavorless eye candy. Jones prances about in one bizarre costume after another and the few hints she gives that she's bisexual and interested in Nell are so pointless and watered down that the edginess of that subplot in the original seems to be even more uneasy and profound than before. Not content with cluttering up the story with CGI effects (virtually all of which are telegraphed by the previews), this version also completely bastardizes the story (i.e., Shirley Jackson's). Instead of a straightforward paranormal investigation, we get a study of fear masquerading as a study of sleep disorders . The investigator's wife, who plays such an important part in the novel as a New Age flake who wants to communicate with the spirits, and in the '63 movie as a total skeptic, is completely absent in this version. The psychological tensions of the original book and film are gutted in favor of too-literal CGI FX for the cast to yell at, plus a cause-and-effect karma that make this more of a remake of "Poltergeist." De Bont succeeds in creating a horror film full of eye-candy and lurring moments, yet fails in executing what should have been a much more interesting, terrifying, and effective haunted house thriller.