Product: The Haunting [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 1.0
Not for Shirley Jackson fans
This remake supposedly is based on "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson, but there is actually very little of her original novel in this version. In fact, so many things in this over-the-top special-effects fest fly in the face of what Ms. Jackson wrote, it's an insult to say it's based on her work.The first film from the 1960's is one of the best ghost stories ever put on celluloid and is about 90% true to the original story, which is why it was so good. Special effects are virtually nonexistence in the first film -- and everything that happens is believable, which is why it's so scary.In this new "version," all the effects are so ridiculous and heavy-handed, I could only laugh! And the way it ends is just totally not right! Read the book! See the first version on film! Avoid this new one like the plague.(It's telling -- as of the today, the DVD of the remake is selling for less than the DVD of the first film!)