An American Haunting

Plot synopsis:
This synopsis is from the UNRATED VERSION.A girl (Jane Powell) (Isabelle Almgren-Doré) is running through snowy woods near her house in Boston, Massachusetts. Something unseen is chasing her. She approaches the house and tries to open a double door. It opens and she rushes in, closing it and an inner door which she latches shut. She looks around, picking up a letter opener and leaves the room. The door is forced open by the unseen force. She runs upstairs into her bedroom, bolting the door. The doorknob is rattled as the unseen tries to get in. The noise stops and there is silence. The girl cautiously approaches the door when suddenly the ghostly image of a girl (Betsy Bell) (Rachel Hurd-Wood) appears beside her. She screams and at that moment awakens from a dream, sitting up in bed in hysterics. She is comforted by her mother (Elizabeth Powell) (Susan Almgren) who tells her she had a bad dream again. She suggests a nice warm bath, which is rejected by Jane, saying maybe later. The mother tells her she must get ready to be picked up by her father (David Powell) (Howard Rosenstein) for the weekend. She acknowledges this. Elizabeth picks up some clothes from the floor, noticing a bundle of old things which she asks Jane about. Telling her mother they are from the attic, Jane is told you know the attic is off-limits. Jane apologizes and is told just dont do it again as the mother exits. Jane goes into a fetal position on her bed.Elizabeth goes into the study carrying the old doll and things from the attic. Pouring herself a drink from a vodka bottle, she looks painfully at a family photo that includes her, Jane and her ex-husband David. She picks up the doll (having a cracked face) and says to it I know how you feel. Picking up an envelope marked The truth of our family history, she removes the paper from it and begins reading November 1848. I had hoped no one would ever find cause to open this letter. If you have, I must assume that unexplainable or even supernatural events have begun to occur. The story of the Bell Witch has always been considered to be a tall tale. This is not so. Please read this journal with great care. Its contents may save your life.  At this point a flashback shows Betsy being chased by Joshua Gardner (Howard Rosenstein) who tries to kiss her after she falls on the ground. She tells him no. The other girl, Theny Thorn (Zoe Thorne) tells him leave that young lady alone. The two girls run off together giggling. Theny asks did he try to kiss you again?The Bell family home is shown in winter stating  Red River, Tennessee 1817. Lucy Bell (Sissy Spacek) brings in folded clothing as Betsy sits brushing her hair staring into the mirror. She tells her daughter that she should be nicer to Joshua. A woman should always keep a man on his toes, says Betsy. Isnt that what you taught me? I taught you no such thing, replies her mother. Lucy tells Betsy to lighten up on Joshua and to do her schoolwork.James Johnston (Matthew Marsh) and his wife arrive at a party at the Bell house. They enter into a room full of people as John Bell (Donald Sutherland) is telling a group of men about James and his experiences while drunk. He approaches them as John says speak of the devil. Theny prepares mistletoe on a stick to hang over the head of the teacher Richard Powell (James D'Arcy) so that Betsy can try to get a kiss from him. Her father John tells her it is inappropriate for a student to force her teacher into a compromising position. She insists that it is a Christmas tradition and that she is trying to learn the customs. Richard suggests a dance instead and they go off. James asks Lucy for a dance.Later that night Lucy is awakened by the sound of crying. Getting up, she notices John is not in bed. Lighting a candle, she goes to check on the boys, who are sound asleep. As she turns to go upstairs, John puts a hand on her shoulder, startling her. She tells him she heard noises from the roof. He tells her it comes from the attic and that it is not squirrels. This is not the first time they heard crying at night. He tells his wife you sleep so soundly, you never hear me get out of bed. She says yes I do and asks him what it was. He says its maybe the old witch trying to scare me off from the hearing tomorrow. Meanwhile something unseen opens the door to Betsys room and approaches her. Heavy breathing is heard, but Betsy appears to be asleep.The next day at the church a hearing is made between Kathe Batts (Gaye Brown) who some say is a witch and John Bell. The fighting is over some land which adjoins the Bell property. John tells the court he gave her $100 and the use of his slave in compensation. The judge (Vernon Dobtcheff) rules that the land is returned to Batts but the profit made from sale of the timber belongs to John. John is judged to have committed usury which is against church law (He charged her 20% on the loan). The witch turns back as they are leaving and tells John to enjoy his family, land and good health. She says a dark dread will fall upon him and especially his daughter Betsy.The following year John is out hunting with his son John Jr. (Thom Fell) and James. When a deer is seen running through the brush, the three men separate. Seeing a black wolf charging at him, John fires. The wolf vanishes. As John kneels he sees the wolf charging at him again, but then suddenly his son is seen standing there where the wolf was. John Jr. tells his father  we got him. John asks the wolf? His son replies Wolf? We shot a deer. Come see it , father.That night a wolf is heard outside. John and his son go out to look for it. The wolf is seen charging toward them and both men fire at it. Lucy is awakened by the shots and gets out of bed. Betsy also goes to her window and looks out, seeing the wolf below. Closing the window, she gets back in bed and pulls the covers up just below her eyes. The sounds of a wolf are heard in the room. Suddenly the windows burst open and more growling sounds are heard and footsteps. Looking under her bed, she sees two eyes looking back and cries out. Her mother, having been called by the two younger sons, comes into her room and asks about what she heard. Betsy tells her something is in her room. Lucy says the windows are open and goes to close them. Betsy stops her, saying there is something in the room. Lucy tells her there is no one there, suggesting that it was mice. She tells her to go with her to get her brothers. As they go downstairs a shot is fired by James Jr. (who is firing at the wolf), shattering glass in the door.
The door opens and the two men enter. Lucy and the children go back upstairs. A conversation between Lucy and John over the shot fired through the door is simplified by John who says it was accidental. He confesses that he is unable to get Kathe Batts out of his mind. His wife tells him there is nothing else that can be done since the church ruled on the matter. Hearing this, Betsy retires to her room and covers up. Strange noises are heard in the room.Next day at school Betsy is found to be asleep. Richard dismisses the class for physical activity outside and asks Betsy if she is all right. She tells him she is tired, not being able to sleep at home because of strange noises. The children play games outside and Betsy goes to the swing and begins swinging. Next a small girl appears and swings next to her. Betsy notices and the girl holds out her hand. Betsy touches the hand of the girl, which turns black and disappears. Betsy falls to the ground and is assisted by Joshua and Theny, who insist they saw no girl in the other swing. Crying, Betsy runs off. Richard observes all this from the window.That night John is out with his gun and lantern again when he sees the ghostly image of Betsy. It vanishes immediately and John turns back toward the house. Seeing a dark figure on the roof, John prepares to fire at it, but it disappears. Meanwhile Betsy is sleeping but is awakened as the covers are pulled down on her. She pulls the cover up again. Again the covers are pulled slowly down and Betsy pulls them up again. Suddenly the covers are violently pulled off her and she jumps up to try to leave the room. Her door closes and prevents her from going out. Heavy breathing is heard as Betsy gets back in the bed. The indentation of a body appears on the bed beside her and an attack begins. A strand of her hair is pulled out and seen on the bed next to her. Betsys screams and fighting draws her mother, father and brother into her room. Immediately the attack ends and she is comforted by her mother who tells her it was just a bad dream. Outside her room, John tells Lucy he thinks Batts may have sent a slave to terrorize them. When the lock of hair is found on the floor by Lucy, John swears he will get revenge against Batts for harming his daughter. He goes off with the gun but is coaxed out of it by Lucy.Next James is seen meeting with the Bell family as they sit around the table discussing Johns predicament. James tells them that reading a few Scripture passages should ward off the demon. After the reading is concluded, he leads them in a spoken prayer to cast out the demon from the house. They all join hands and repeat the prayer three times, after which James says by midnight if nothing happens they should be safe. Betsy goes to bed but is suddenly attacked again, this time more violently. She is dragged by her hair, lifted up into the air and repeatedly slapped on each cheek. Her cries draw Lucy, John, James and James Jr. who try to enter her door but are unable to. Finally the three people force open the door and witness Betsy being held in mid-air and being struck. James orders the demon to leave and it stops the attack, facing each person in the room with heavy breathing. Lucy holds and comforts her daughter.As James has a drink for his nerves, John tells him he saw a man on the property recently but couldnt tell who it was. James suggests maybe Richard, the teacher, who lives nearby. In bed together are seen Lucy and Betsy with the two young boys in between.At the school house James and John are discussing the situation with Richard, who doesnt believe in demons. The teacher tries to explain what happened with logical suggestions, which are refused by James, John and John Jr. Richard offers to come stay in the house to prove nothing will happen.At school the next day Betsy is seen still sleeping at her desk. When class is dismissed, Joshua tries to wake her, telling her that they have to go to the river to do what they have been planning. She tells him no, saying she doesnt feel like doing it. When he tries to pull her up, she violently pushes him away, saying to leave her alone. Everyone sees this in the room. As the students leave, Richard tells Betsy that this will pass. Sitting by a tree, Betsy is seen crying and recalling her attacks and wondering why.Later Betsy looks from her window and sees Joshua kissing Theny. He looks upset and turns to her bed where her journal turns pages to expose the word Remember. Remember what? she asks. She angrily throws the book aside and lies down with her doll.That night something is seen approaching the house, going inside past where the men are playing checkers and upstairs, passing where Richard is camped out on the floor just outside Betsys room. The door opens as Lucy reaches the top of the stairs and looks in. Betsy is seen in bed covered up. As her mother continues watching, the covers are pulled down off Betsy. She is attacked again, violently and appears to be being raped. Lucy and Richard watch with Richard holding the mother back, saying no. John asks what is happening and comes upstairs, telling Richard that he should not be witnessing this. He is knocked back and the door slammed. The door opens again and Lucy looks in to see Betsy sleeping under cover as before.Next John is seen in bed tended to by Lucy and Chloe (Miquel Brown), who recommends a poultice of roots that should remain until morning. Richard says he believes Betsy is tormented by violent nightmares, which the others deny, saying something evil is at work. Suddenly a cross is taken from the wall and thrown across the room. Candles and the fireplace are all extinguished as everyone panics. John Jr. calls out the demon and tells it to show itself. Richard asks if it is Betsy. James begins reading from the Bible again, trying to cast the demon out. Richard tells James to stop. Finally the Bible is taken from his hands, thrown across the room and then a number of pages torn out and flying through the air. Speaking to the demon, Richard asks if it knows the book from which James is reading. James assures him the demon knows Scripture. Richard asks if it is from the Gospel of Matthew. Scraping noises are heard. Is it from the Gospel of Mark he asks? More scraping noises. Is it a Psalm of David? More scraping, followed by a window bursting open. Lucy cries out to Richard, saying are we all imagining a nightmare now?John is seen getting out of bed after feeling something on his tongue. He goes to the dresser to look, getting a hand mirror from the drawer and sitting down. As he looks at his tongue, he sees welts on it and is shocked. The mirror falls to the floor and shatters. John feels of his tongue again, which is shown normal. As he looks in the mirror on the dresser, he sees the ghostly image of Betsy, which is suddenly replaced by Lucy. He tells her that he made the mess and he will clean it. Lucy begins sweeping up the broken glass. The family is then seen cleaning up after the ghostly attacks in the living room. There is a knock at the door. Lucy tells their servant Anky (Shauna Shim) to answer it. At the door is a slave from Batts, who says he is delivering something from her. She brings it inside, telling Lucy it came from Batts. Lucy refuses it, saying its something from Batts but is told it belongs to the Bells. Finally the bag is emptied out on a table and shown to be clothes. One nightgown bearing a blood stain is said to belong to Betsy while another one is said to be Johns shirt which has been missing for a year. Chloe explains that a witch may put animal blood on someones clothing which spells death. Enraged, Lucy takes the clothes and tries to put them in the fireplace. Chloe stops her, saying that will make it worse. The devil will come in.Next day the children are playing ball in the schoolyard as Betsy sits and watches. When Joshua kicks the ball into the forest, Betsy goes to retrieve it. As she bends to pick up the ball, the hand of the little girl appears and gets the ball. She disappears, then reappears and leaves with the ball. Betsy chases her, trying to get her to stop. All at once Betsy is back where she was before, seeing the ball and picking it up. There is a cave there and Betsy goes inside. There the little girl is kneeling beside a small pool of water. Betsy approaches on the other side of the pool. The little girl splashes water toward Betsy, who splashes back. For a moment the two girls enjoy splashing water at each other and Betsy smiles. The little girl stops, stands and comes close. When Betsy sees the girls face, it suddenly turns dark. Betsy wakes from a dream again, struggling in the bed with Theny there trying to comfort her. In the other room, John examines the nightdress with the blood on it. Angry, he throws it into the fire and swears hell kill Batts. He is stopped by Lucy, who tells him that they will find another way. She takes the gun out of his hand. Theny and Betsy hear a voice calling Betsys name. Then the spirit spins the girls around and races around the room. Theny is terrified and tries to get out the window. Candles light up and burn down completely in a seconds time. Fire roars in the fireplace.Richard examines Betsy, who is said to have been unconscious for thirty minutes. He asks Theny what happened. She says Betsy had a nightmare where she was fighting someone, and then she woke her up. Then she said they heard a voice. At this point Betsy sits up and screams. Richard tells her she is all right. She settles back down as if to sleep but begins convulsing. Falling out of bed, Richard holds her and tries to calm her. Her eyes roll up in her head for a moment, then she appears normal. Suddenly the window opens and closes repeatedly. The spirit goes around the room, speaking everyones name to them. Richard calls out who are you? The voice answers someone who used to be happy. John stands and cries go to hell, Kathe Batts. At this point Betsy is grabbed by her arms and dragged upstairs. All the men are knocked down and James holds Lucy, preventing her from interfering.Richard is seen writing his journal and his voice is heard telling the story that they didnt understand who was tormenting Betsy or why. John is seen at the church praying and asking God to take his life to end the sufferings of his family. He begins to cough up blood. Later he is seen talking to Richard, saying the Lord has forsaken him. Richard says whatever it is is also attacking John. John says he believes it is Kate Batts. He tells Richard that Chloe tried to return the profit money to Batts before but it was refused. Richard says the entity seems to only attack on the property but John says it can hear their conversation.The coach is loaded with Betsy sleeping inside. John Jr. and Richard drive away, hoping Betsy will be safe if she is far away. Meanwhile the spirit notices that Betsy is gone and searches the house room by room. When it realizes they have taken the girl away it follows and causes a tree to fall in the path of the coach. The horses jump over the tree but the coach flips up and over, crashing down by a tree. The men are thrown clear. Betsy is found safe by Richard, who removes her from the coach and carries her to a clearing. John Jr. is seen bringing one of the horses for them to escape on. Suddenly the black wolf attacks John Jr., who calls for them to go. Richard mounts the horse and Betsy gets on behind him and they race off, the black wolf following. After a few minutes of chase, the wolf vanishes. They continue on. The wolf is seen jumping up and knocking them off the horse. Suddenly Betsy awakes in bed with a cut seen on her cheek. She calls to her mother who wakes up and speaks. She tells her she had a horrible dream that they were sending her away. Lucy denies this, telling her daughter that she will live and not die.Richard and John admit that the entity can attack her anywhere and John says there is nothing they can do. Lucy talks to Richard about Betsy, suggesting he marry her. He tells her that he is twenty years her senior. Lucy admits that she and John are that way also. She encourages Richard to marry her, but he refuses, saying he cannot in good conscience marry her just to be her protector.Richard tells that after that things changed. The entity attacked John and left Betsy almost catatonic. Whenever John would try to help his daughter he would be attacked. Lucy is seen sitting on the front porch when the spirit approaches and sits by her, telling her she knows the truth. Lucy questions and is shown in her mind what was happening to Betsy all that time.John goes to the Batts farm to confront Kate. She comes out and he gives her a gun, asking her to remove the curse. She tells him she put no curse on him or his familythat he did that himself. She refuses to shoot him. He leaves, trying to shoot himself. The gun only clicks and he is unable to kill himself. He weeps.Betsy is reminded by the spirit of what happened that night.  John raped Betsy and hid it from his wife, taking the bloody clothes and hiding them.  The spirit who represents Betsy tell her to avenge herself. Lucy poisons some cough syrup which then is given to John by Betsy. He dies and later Betsy is seen viewing his grave. The young girl who represents the innocent young Betsy finally is able to leave.Back to the present, Elizabeth (who is a descendant of Betsy, who married Richard some years later) is told by her daughter Jane that she is leaving with her dad. As they begin leaving, Elizabeth goes inside and is confronted by the spirit of Betsy again, who tells her to help her own daughter. Realizing Jane is being molested by her father, Elizabeth runs outside and after the car as it drives away.

Tags: plot twist, haunting, storytelling, flashback

Review:
Sadly, it doesn't register in us at all.Overall, this movie has good acting, good cinematography, few honestly scaring scenes and a different interpretation to the original Bell Witch Haunting.
Being a ghost story, and one that is trying to scare the viewer here and there, sudden jolts of sound is important and utilized well here.I also appreciated this was done without almost any profanity and with famous actors like Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek.
Based on the true story of the Bell Witch (an apparently well documented case in the US), An American Haunting is another absolute clunker from writer/director Courtney Solomon, the man who gave us the equally lamentable Dungeons and Dragons six years ago.
I'm not in the habit of dishing out the lowest possible score to movies I review on IMDb, but this tedious tale of malevolent spirits is an exceptionally bad film that truly deserves a roasting.Set in the early 1800's, the film centres around the Bells, a well-to-do Tennessee family who suffer from a series of 'terrifying' supernatural attacks after they are cursed by a local woman (believed by some to be a witch).
With risible special effects and some terrible directorial decisions (the pathetic ghostly POV is simply woeful), the film elicits more sniggers than screams.Donald Sutherland sleepwalks his way through the role of patriarch, whilst Rachel Hurd-Wood comes off like a bargain basement Linda Blair, unable to convincingly portray the terror she is supposedly experiencing.
Solomon, struggling to conjure up anything remotely creepy, chucks in a few obvious and ineffectual mechanical scares and then inadvisedly attempts a ludicrous 'twist' ending, which he completely botches.A lot of people have criticised this film for not being true to the facts; I criticise it for being truly awful in pretty much every aspect..
Alas, like many of the PG-13 horror films of today not even good acting can make up for a shady plot, bad directing and terrible editing.
Even the actress playing the mother in the present day looked like she stepped out of a beginning acting class for The Very Sad Divorced Wife (i.e., big bulky sweater, mussed hair, a bottle of vodka next to her on the desk).How disheartening to see a film that could have been a great period piece end up as a big-screen version of every "victim of the week" TV movie, circa 1992.
More original than The Others (which was a watered down cocktail of The Innocents and The Sixth Sense), and ten times more effective than the pallid The Exorcism of Emily Rose, An American Haunting wastes no time in setting itself up as a thriller with something more on its mind than just simply rehashing the same old grab bag scare tactics that every 'Exorcist' remake/rehash resorts to.
Based on The Bell Witch, an apparently true account of demonic possession that resulted in the first recorded case of a ghost actually killing a human being over a hundred and fifty years ago in Tennessee, the film elevates itself by not wallowing in cheap tricks to scare you, and by always taking the high road.
The sheer terror of waiting and watching until the entire story unfolds (in a way you least expect) is so original and surprising, that by the time the finale hits you, it shatters you like no other horror film you've ever seen .
Despite being based on one of the most famous ghost stories in American history and including a solid cast, this 'horror' film is anything but scary, dramatic, or even interesting.
Everyone looks like they're just picking up a paycheck, from Sutherland, who looks bored, to Spacek, who's never been more shrill, to Rachel Hurd-Word, who attempts to do her best Linda Blair impression but ends up just screaming and staring around wide-eyed most of the time.
Out of sheer curiosity I was offered to attend a screening of the world premier of 'American Haunting" -- so I went assuming it was going to be just another kind of scary -- kind of twisted -- kind of blasphemous -- kind of whatever -- kind of films -- WoW I was completely wrong in more ways than I can possible say!
(Thom Fell); and their friend James Johnston (Matthew Marsh), who unsuccessfully tries to exorcise the entity from the house, the family does their best to protect Betsy in the haunted house."An American Haunting" is a very tense story, with excellent cast and magnificent cinematography, environment and visual and sound effects.
Overall this is a good horror movie, the acting is of a high standard most notably from Donald Sutherland as the overwrought father and the girl who played Betsy.
I must say i was not expecting the revelation that came towards the end of the film but i do think this could have been explained better My only problem with the film was the overuse of sweeping and dizzying camera shots, in moderation and at the right moments these work really well, but in my opinion the director was a little too eager to start swinging the camera around the room and zooming in and around the characters But the narrative worked well, it had a good sense of character and kept my interest throughout.
One of the Bell family asked why he didn't show the Andrew Jackson connection -- Mr. Solomon replied that there just wasn't a place to put it in the film that would make sense.James D'Arcy was asked about the sense of horror while filming -- he said that frequently funny things would happen, like a hand in front of the camera, or blood splattering the wrong way or at the wrong time, which helped relieve the tension.One of the very interesting things I learned was that all but one shot in the film that involved wolves was REALLY WOLVES!
A decent movie with good performances by the always wonderful Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland, but one person that stuck out was Rachel Hurd-Wood.
Since i first saw the trailer for this movie, which seems like many moons ago now; i have wanted to see it, i simply love a good supernatural horror story and the feeling of chills running down my spine.Unfortunately 'American Haunting' isn't much scarier than Monster's Inc. It does start with promise, but it becomes tiresome very quickly, the effects of the ghost in the house are on screen for most of the film and simply become boring and over used, the main downfall for me though, was the lack of fear in the characters; none of them seem to portray the terror to make the events believable.The acting is fine, after all there are some top actors here and they do perform well, i have to believe that the film makers wanted it like this, but for me it didn't work.4/10.
(Candles burn down quickly, lights go out, doors slam, girl's bedroom covers get pulled off of her slowly, she gets dragged around, floorboards creak.) The modern day bookend is horribly acted (watch mom whip out the conveniently placed alcohol bottle when confronted by something that happened 100 years before she was born, so why on earth is she an alcoholic over it) and the ending "twist," while interesting psychologically, is handled so poorly I had to stifle a giggle when a certain character goes running after a car when she figures out what's going on.
An American Haunting is pretty good as far as horror films go, however that is mainly because the film is actually based on true events.
Thriller and suspenseful horror.The story was decent and I also feel it was a scary movie, right up to the ending.
The story, later to become " An American Haunting " or 'the Legend of the Bell Witch' would permeate through modern times and produce more than 20 books, plays and several films.
This is a hauntingly bad movie featuring donald sutherland and many other wasted talents in this turgid mess about a spirit caused the death of a man, and this is the set in 1820's about a family who has a spirit in the house and spirit seems to follow a girl in the house, yet they put her back to bed like nothing happened, the performances are completely silly, the special effects are terrible, the screenplay is misused in the wrong way and the direction is not very good, We saw much better ghost and other spirit movies like the exorcist and the exorcism of emily rose, here this one is pathetically lost and lame brained, this is one of the most loudest, most pathetic movies in recent years, since alone in the dark..
Up until a few months ago, I had never heard of the Bell Witch, but I love horror stories, and have always liked Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland.After seeing the trailer, I was excited, and anxious to see the film.In the time between seeing the trailer (about a month) and seeing the movie tonight, I did read up on some of the legend as accounted in websites etc.Well, we just got home from the theater and I am getting the feeling that I wasted the time to watch it.The movie was well shot, the acting was great...
No, it didn't follow completely what I had read on the Bell Witch, but being Hollywood, I expected some 'dramatic license.' *** Spoiler ALERT *** But to have the entire story pan out to be a sexual abuse of the daughter by the father was just too much.I understand that *crap* like that does happen in real life...
First of all, It has bad editing and re-uses the same exact scenes over and over again throughout the movie.Its not scary AT ALL, and even copies ideas such as the 'first-person camera for the spirit' from other horror films.
Based upon true events this history of the Bell Family, adapted from the 1997 novel The Bell Witch: An American Haunting, this movie takes you back to Tennessee early 1800.
Legendary actors Donald Shutterland & Sissy Spacek are taking away the better part of the movie, but it's up to newcomer Rachel Hurd-Wood, to star in this dark tale of mystery and haunting.
It becomes quickly obvious that only Betty is capable of seeing the girl and when dreadful nightmares starts to haunts Betsy we all know there is more going on.Personally I think the acting is great, and especially the elegant and lovely Rachel Hurd-Wood is an actress we might hear more of soon.
On the other hand we can't forget that this is based on true events and that levels the film a lot.Brent Monohan wrote the novel and Director Courtney Solomon wrote the screenplay to this movie.
Based on the Brent Monahan novel about the true life haunting of John & Lucy Bell(played by Donald Sutherland & Sissy Spacek) in 1818 Tennessee.
Being the Horror freak that I am, I like reviewing the films I watch, for future references as wall as for others to hopefully read and benefit.An American haunting is a ghost story attempting to raise fear in the hearts of spectators without using the common methods.
Like others on this site have been saying, it seems as though the entire cast and crew were in desperate need of a paycheck, and released 'An American Haunting' just in time to cash-in on the current witch revival that has been flooding through horror movies for the last ten years or so.Donald Sutherland does an acceptable job, but he really does just seem bored to death the entire time.
I hope to god that someone does the story of the Bell Witch justice one day and gives us an actual horror movie, because 'An American Haunting' views like a cheap, quick way to make a couple dollars.AN American HAUNTING ----6/10(Why can't I capitalize the entire word American, hmmm IMDb???).
I couldn't wait for the movie expecting the talents of Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek to bring the story to life.
This employee should also be contracted in as being 'un-let-goable.' He or she should supervise the direction the film is taking and beat some sense of style and taste into the director, til reason or unconsciousness occurs.Why would you take a great tale, the shadow of it being apparent in this tragedy, and ruin it with horrible acting, bad effects that are poorly placed, and re-writing the story so that it not only destroys the spirit (pun intended) of the original, but actually erases any chance for that crucial suspense and fear that we are looking for?Save your money, don't rent this film.
I figured with Sissy Spacek and Donald Sutherland it actually had a chance at being a good movie.What I liked: The acting in the non-special effects sequences, the sets, costumes, photography.
i recently saw this film with my daughter and we both thought we where in for a really good scare,how disappointed we where,the story is totally different from the true bell witch story,there where no real jump out of your skin moments,the film was quite boring in places,and the story was never explained,two good actors where wasted making this rubbish,if there had stayed true to the real story you would have had one very scary film,so beware avoid at all cost,a waste of money,or wait till it comes out on DVD and rent it,Donald Sutherland's character was bland,i think he is a really good actor but this was not the part for him,and sissy spacek i remember her in carrie,that movie was scary but she did't shine she seemed to play a down trodded wife,and as for the young cast,cardboard cutouts..
This is classic horror in the making, I was on the edge of my seat as this ghost or spirit haunted the Bell family.
And not only a few times but along the whole movie.OK maybe the movie is a bit confusing but thats the only thing i can think of to lower its rating for me its 10/10 Ignore the bad reviews if u wanna see a thrilling ghost story with many scary scenes who make your hair stand up.
Nevertheless, its focus is on some legend called the Bell Witch, I think, and the events which led to the death of a man, as a result of the seeming haunting in his family's home.It's worth saying that as a scary movie, this is not even slightly scary.
Between the years 1818-1820,the Bell Family of Red River,Tennessee was visited by an unknown entity that haunted the family and eventually ended up causing the death of one its members.The attacks grew in strength and savagery,with the spirit slapping,pulling,dragging and beating the Bell's youngest daughter,Betsy.The Bells try to leave the house and the town, but they eventually have to accept that the poltergeist will follow them anywhere."An American Haunting" is loosely based on a book by Brent Monahan that purportedly told of the only recorded case in U.S. history of a spirit causing the death of a human being.However the film is boring and repetitive.Every scene in "An American Haunting" plays itself out in the exact same fashion.The film is loaded with cheap jump scares which are incredibly irritating.The cast is okay with Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek to boost,some of the cinematography is beautiful,unfortunately the final scenes are beyond senseless and idiotic.Don't bother with this mess-watch "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" again.5 out of 10..
Even better this is based on a true story.....well actually the most documented haunting in American History.
An American Haunting is actually a true story about the Bell witch that had haunted this family in the 1800's.
So a film like this comes along and I was hoping they would not ruin a great story a this Bell haunting...however I was surprised, impressed, and blown away all at the same time by this film.
But as far as THIS movie, don't start to watch it with "Exorcist" on your mind, but rather "Blair Witch Project", & you may actually enjoy it.But, like I said, I was WANTING to be scared, and wasn't.
It's not boring, and the storyline might be cliché but it's still beautiful and really scary and sad, and got me jumping out of my seat a couple of times.The story is based on the bell witch haunting, which happened in 1817 in Adams Tennessee.
Many reviewers here seem to have gone into this movie with the expectation of it being the Second Coming of horror films.
The legend of the Bell witch is one of the most popular events in the supernatural North American folklore.The phenomenon was documented by a lot of people,including the President of the USA at that time,Andrew Jackson.But,some investigations reveal the non-existence of that phenomenon.But,some other people say the phenomenon really happened and that,in the early nineteenth century,an evil spirit disturbed the Bell family during years,until a tragedy finished the phenomenon.And now,thanks to the boom of the horror genre,we have the movie version of that phenomenon,which is a failed and mediocre horror film.An American Haunting does not work well as a horror film.It frequently uses old tricks for producing scares(like the musical accent when someone appears suddenly)and some supernatural phenomenons produce involuntary humor.Director Courtney Solomon makes a much better work than the one he did in Dungeons and Dragons,but he fatally fails for provoking suspense.But,his worst fail is as a screenwriter because,with Brent Monahan(the other screenwriter),he wrote a very weak screenplay which does not produce fear,it has irrelevant drama scenes and it has exaggerated characters.The cast gave some points to this weak movie.Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek show credibility on their roles.Rachel Hurd Wood also made a good work.This actors deserved better material to work with.An American Haunting is a weak and boring horror film which did not produce me fear.I do not recommend it..
So when I saw the TV listing said based on a true story, I thought I'd watch it.The movie started out very well and had me wondering what was going to happen next.