Product: The Haunting [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 2.0
Weak....
I must say that I was enchanted by the original 1963 'The Haunting'. It was a simply brilliant movie with subtle undertones, wonderful characters, and a rare 'less is more' mentality to its thrills and chills. But, alas, like with so many old classics, Hollywood feels it has to remake them with big-name actors, over-the-top special effects, etc, etc.This movie replaces all of the spooky charm of the original with in-your-face characters, bad lines... and, for all its grandiose set-peices it is, frankly, boring.Of course, that's not to say 'The Haunting' is the worst movie ever made --far from it-- but simply that it really has no raison-d'etre. The huanted house concept isn't exactly original; but, if this film was at all entertaining, I'd be more than willing to overlook that. Nothing in the horror genre is really all that original anymore, it seems.It is not impossible to enjoy this movie on its own terms. Honestly, if I didn't consider it a blasphomy to the origional version, I probably would have given it 3 stars on its own merits. The cast displays better acting abilities than you're likely to find in most horror movies, but the special effects are the real star of the show here--and they are, at times, pretty awful. The ghost had me in stitches.I don't recommend this movie--I recommend the old version, for it is a really unique, very pleasing entry in the whole horror genre. Watch the remake if you want to, but don't be expecting anything fantastic.