Product: The Haunting [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 3.0
Suspenseful rather than scary
The Haunting is the latest version of The Haunting of Hill House, and as far as basic films go, it's not too bad. With Liam Neeson and Catherine Zeta Jones, plus every special effect possible, should be difficult to go wrong.However, the Haunting is lacking a certain - something. There are occasions where it hovers between being an out and out gore fest and a psychological thriller, never giving itself to either of the two. The characters are not brilliantly developed, leaving the viewer relying on rather cliched first impressions. The character of Eleanor, particularly, is left to languish when there is much more we could know about her, notably her links to Hill House. One of the main characters gets killed off apparently as an afterthought (coming to a decidedly sticky end in the fireplace) when Neeson and Zeta Jones who had the same level of importance were staggering out at the end.The story may be a bit confusing, but the effects are very good, taking full advantage of ornate and intricate decorations to threaten and foreshadow (who didn't wonder, seeing the long decorative spikes above Eleanor's bed, what they would be doing later on?) However effects don't make a film (I may be wrong, look at the Matrix) and this could have benefitted from a more thought out script. Otherwise, not a bad hour or so.