Product: The Haunting [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 2.0
REGRETFULLY, THIS MOVIE STINKS!
When I went to see this new version at the local theatre, I did so with great anticipation: I was fervently hoping to see a genuinely creepy film, tastefully done. WRONG. It's obvious a LOT of money was spent on special effects - it's a crying shame that someone didn't foresee what could have been done on a quarter of the budget with more attention to the unique Jacksonesque touches from the original story. Of all the characters, only Catherine Zeta-Jones (as Theodora) was passable. The set was a humongous waste, the script embarassingly bad. Eleanor valiantly rescues the souls of children from the wrath of Hugh Crain. Oh, boy! For Eleanor's Grandmother's sake, do yourself a favour and read the original Shirley Jackson novel. You will be surprised (and refreshed) to find very little comparison and realise there was no mention of Ms.Vance's Grandmother at all!I don't know what Jan DeBont was thinking when he made this laughable, totally inept hodgepodge. Any ten-year old child can tell you that true creepiness is in what is unseen, i.e. the imagination. The original story was a psychological tale of loneliness and madness: the "impressive" special effects were totally unneccesary and completely out-of-context. It seems to me that the producers were trying to capitalise on bringing younger audiences in the theatre in order to bring in profits for their own personal gain. The film is completely uninspired, hokey, unintentially laughable and frankly ineptly phoney in many ways. The ushers should have rescued the patrons straight to the box office to get their money back!!!For a glimpse of what author Shirley Jackson had in mind, watch the 1963 version of THE HAUNTING with Julie Harris and Claire Bloom. It's now available on DVD. It's infinitely creepier, more enjoyable, and artistically esteemed - both cinematography-wise and acting-wise.