Product: The Haunting [VHS] (1999)
Rating: 2.0
Lackluster supernatural thriller
The Haunting is relatively decent in its first 45 minutes. The production design of the Crain Mansion is a sight to behold and the setup looks promising. It's unfortunate, however, as the film starts to fall apart until it gets absolutely ridiculous in the finale.Dr. David Marrow (Liam Neeson) wants to perform a study on fear. To do this, he plans on pretending he is doing a study on insomnia at the Crain estate, an isolated mansion nine miles from the closest town. The "test subjects" that arrive include Eleanor (Lili Taylor), a hard-working woman who has had little success in life; Theo (Catherine Zeta-Jones), an adventuress and proclaimed bi-sexual; and Luke (Owen Wilson), who just plain has sleeping troubles.On the first night in the mansion, they hear thundering sounds, but pass it off as a problem in the plumbing. Then things begin to get more bizarre, as Eleanor sees a skeleton inside the fireplace, that just as soon disappears. That's when she discovers the secret the house holds and how it connects with her.1999's other haunted house thriller was far better and scarier, as director Jan De Bont's The Haunting features only one truly creepy scene, which involves Taylor and what she sees of herself in the mirror. There aren't any even decent jump-in-your-seat shocks that make watching a horror film a more fun experience.Of course, it gets even worse. Now, to be fair, the film was getting rather dull by the 90 minute mark so I was initially entertained by the effects-filled finale. But only initially because it gets positively ridiculous in the last ten minutes, as we find out ghosts like to play hide-and-seek and smash things up real good.The only thing that keeps this film from being truly awful is the cast, and they do their best to keep the film respectable. Liam Neeson delivers the best performance. Catherine Zeta-Jones shows a lot of life, as does Owen Wilson. It's a pity that Lili Taylor's performance, which was decent at first, turned into borderline camp by the finale.With nary a true scare in sight, this film is best to be viewed by those who scare easily, special effects fans, or somebody who is a fan of the cast. Everybody else should approach the film cautiously.