The Haunting (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
In 'The Haunting', directed by Jan de Bont (Speed), we are introduced to the main character fairly early ... Hill House. Hill House is a gargantuan, gothic mansion built on a desolate New England site in 1837. For over 100 yrs., it has remained empty, with only a housekeeper & caretaker to tend to it. Both live 10 miles away, & neither go anywhere near the estate after dark. It is Hill House that Dr. Marrow (Liam Neeson) brings a small group who have agreed to participate in an 'academic study' he is conducting. They all think it's about sleep disorders (they each have a form of insomnia), but the study is really about examining human fear; fear in this enormous, & eerie mansion. Dr. Marrow intends to scare the Hell out of them with strange stories & see what happens.
His 'subjects' are Eleanor (the wonderfully awkward Lili Taylor), a meek, insecure woman with a past, Theodora (the beautiful Catherine Zeta-Jones), an eccentric bisexual who tries to bring Eleanor out of her shell; and Luke (Owen Wilson), a funny, if overly confident guy who thinks he can win-over Theodora's affections. The days & nights pass. But with time, some odd things start occurring (Eleanor hears talking children, things move in the night, they hear loud bangs, etc.). And the group eventually discovers that Dr. Marrow is not using them for sleep disorders, but a test in fear. The incidental scary things they've experienced are actually real! And they begin to learn the terrifying, ghostly secret behind the mansion's former owner. Apparently, the house is pure evil. Can they all overcome a malevolent spirit and escape before being killed? What's the mystery of Hill House? And how is Eleanor attached to its fate?
There are several reasons to check out this movie (in spite of its ludicrous plot & mayhemic conclusion). For one, the first 1/2 of the film is actually quite absorbing. The premise is interesting. The atmosphere is creepy. For a 'scary' movie, there is little blood/gore (having to resort to it). And the set-up of characters is well-executed. There winds up being very little character depth outside of the Eleanor character, but I typically enjoyed all of the performances. But the main reason to see this film is for its INCREDIBLE art direction. Hill House is a character in & of itself; and a terrifying one, at that. Early on in the film, the characters take a room-by-room tour of the house, & the interiors of this mansion are constructed immaculately. It's as if the details are never-ending. Most doors are 15 ft. high (the kind that groan when opened). The walk-in fireplace is enormous & ominous looking. There's an eerie, old conservatory that holds dead vegetation.
There are huge, winding staircases. And there are a million peculiar, nightmarish nooks & crannies, gargoyles, cherubs, devils, & other facets of the house that make it so visually appealing. Another strength of the film is its combination of crisp sound editing & original special effects. The bumps, groans, creaks, echoes, & moans keep us on edge. But things really go haywire in the climax (when the house begins its wrath upon the humans). If you're looking for a moody, subtle ghost story … don't look here. 'The Haunting' is as subtle as a Mack truck. But it is a psychologically apt thriller (for most of the duration). As mentioned, the story becomes a bit of a mess. Some things occur that make absolutely no sense. And any care given to the Eleanor character (as it evolved from early on) is thrown out the window in a fairly absurd explanation of things. BUT, I'm still giving this movie a B-/2.5 stars out of 4 for its intermittent entertainment factor.
His 'subjects' are Eleanor (the wonderfully awkward Lili Taylor), a meek, insecure woman with a past, Theodora (the beautiful Catherine Zeta-Jones), an eccentric bisexual who tries to bring Eleanor out of her shell; and Luke (Owen Wilson), a funny, if overly confident guy who thinks he can win-over Theodora's affections. The days & nights pass. But with time, some odd things start occurring (Eleanor hears talking children, things move in the night, they hear loud bangs, etc.). And the group eventually discovers that Dr. Marrow is not using them for sleep disorders, but a test in fear. The incidental scary things they've experienced are actually real! And they begin to learn the terrifying, ghostly secret behind the mansion's former owner. Apparently, the house is pure evil. Can they all overcome a malevolent spirit and escape before being killed? What's the mystery of Hill House? And how is Eleanor attached to its fate?
There are several reasons to check out this movie (in spite of its ludicrous plot & mayhemic conclusion). For one, the first 1/2 of the film is actually quite absorbing. The premise is interesting. The atmosphere is creepy. For a 'scary' movie, there is little blood/gore (having to resort to it). And the set-up of characters is well-executed. There winds up being very little character depth outside of the Eleanor character, but I typically enjoyed all of the performances. But the main reason to see this film is for its INCREDIBLE art direction. Hill House is a character in & of itself; and a terrifying one, at that. Early on in the film, the characters take a room-by-room tour of the house, & the interiors of this mansion are constructed immaculately. It's as if the details are never-ending. Most doors are 15 ft. high (the kind that groan when opened). The walk-in fireplace is enormous & ominous looking. There's an eerie, old conservatory that holds dead vegetation.
There are huge, winding staircases. And there are a million peculiar, nightmarish nooks & crannies, gargoyles, cherubs, devils, & other facets of the house that make it so visually appealing. Another strength of the film is its combination of crisp sound editing & original special effects. The bumps, groans, creaks, echoes, & moans keep us on edge. But things really go haywire in the climax (when the house begins its wrath upon the humans). If you're looking for a moody, subtle ghost story … don't look here. 'The Haunting' is as subtle as a Mack truck. But it is a psychologically apt thriller (for most of the duration). As mentioned, the story becomes a bit of a mess. Some things occur that make absolutely no sense. And any care given to the Eleanor character (as it evolved from early on) is thrown out the window in a fairly absurd explanation of things. BUT, I'm still giving this movie a B-/2.5 stars out of 4 for its intermittent entertainment factor.