Retro Scary Movie: The Haunting

Claire Bloom & Julie Harris

The Haunting (1963) is widely regarded by fans and critics as one of the best horror films of all time. Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson) heads a group of people who are going to investigate unusual activity in a mansion called Hill House. It’s a supposedly haunted dwelling where unexplained events & several mysterious deaths have occurred. The others in the group are: Theodora (Claire Bloom), a psychic; Luke (Russ Tamblyn), a member of the family that currently owns the house, and the meek, sensitive Eleanor. As the quartet settles in, strange things begin to happen; doors seem to move by themselves, there are odd noises & ghostly apparitions. Most of the paranormal events affect Eleanor. Her delicate psyche appears to the target of the forces in the house, and the ghostly presence seems to focus on events in her own life. What's the real secret of Hill House? Will the house possess Eleanor, and consume her mind & soul?

The movie is based on the Shirley Jackson novel, The Haunting of Hill House. Director Robert Wise previously worked with iconic horror producer Val Lewton, and that influence is strongly felt here. It’s a visually interesting film; the horror is suggested rather than shown outright. What you don't see scares you a lot more than what you do see. The actors are all excellent in their roles, but Julie Harris is a particular standout as Eleanor, whose fractured mind may reflect the ominous events occurring in the house. It’s a movie that works well as a psychological thriller, in addition to being a terrifying ghost story. Long a favorite of famous fans like Stephen King and Martin Scorsese, The Haunting is a classic tale of terror. The movie would be perfect viewing for Halloween or a cold winter’s night. The Haunting has just been released on Blu-ray and features a commentary by members of the cast & crew that was ported over from a previous DVD release. Here's a link to the trailer for The Haunting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-zIjOnl7ms.

“Silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.” - From the novel by Shirley Jackson

The Terror Continues in "Insidious: Chapter 2"

When we last left the Lamberts at the end of Insidious (2011), it appeared the evil spirits that haunted them had been driven away. But as Insidious: Chapter Two begins, the family is still being plagued by mysterious events. Josh (Patrick Wilson) insists that everything’s fine, and the supernatural forces that pursued them are gone. But his wife Renai (Rose Byrne) and their children continue to experience strange occurrences. She also suspects something’s wrong with her husband, as his behavior becomes more & more erratic. In order to get some answers, Josh’s mother Lorraine (Barbara Hershey) tracks down one of the paranormal investigators who helped Josh as a child. But the forces they're dealing with are much darker than they realize, and it will take all their love & strength to defeat them.

The story builds on the events of the first film, with some nice twists along the way. There are a couple of eerie scare sequences, including a visit to a run down, deserted hospital. The ultimate reveal regarding the identity of the demonic villain is appropriately horrific. Unlike many sequels, the movie doesn’t alter or rewrite what happened in the previous story. The main characters are interesting & well developed. A couple of younger ghost hunters featured in the film are played for comic relief, they're sometimes a bit over the top, but they don’t completely wear out their welcome. By the way, one of those ghost trackers is played by the movie's co-story writer & screenplay author, Leigh Whannell. The performances are uniformly strong, with Wilson, Byrne & Hershey particular standouts.

Despite the fact that Director James Wan kicked off the Saw franchise in 2004, his style here is refreshingly restrained. He accomplishes a lot with creepy atmosphere & suggestion; he doesn’t rely on blood & gore. Though there are some very good special effects, they aren't overdone or over-used either. There are a few “jump scare” moments that just might catch you off guard. In fact, Wan has helped power a resurgence of old school terror films with the first Insidious, and this past summer’s fact-based ghost story The Conjuring. The film’s strength is in the characters; we really care about this family and what happens to them. At the end of the movie, the door is left open for a third chapter, which could take the series in a new direction. If it’s anywhere near as good as the first two films, it would be a welcome addition to the terrifying saga.

James Wan is proving himself to be on of our best genre filmmakers, and his love for classic horror shows in his well-crafted movies. The first film, Insidious, is currently available on Blu-ray & DVD, and The Conjuring will be released on video on October 22. Insidious: Chapter 2 is currently in theaters. If you’re a fan of terror tales like Poltergeist, The Legend of Hell House & The Haunting, this movie should be on your must see list. Here’s a link to the trailer for Insidious: Chapter 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBbi4NeebAk.

Make "The Friedkin Connection"

William Friedkin, the talented director behind such films The Exorcist (1973) & To Live & Die in L.A. (1985), has recently published his autobiography, The Friedkin Connection. It’s a great read about his life in the movie business. He sticks to discussing his professional career, after a brief history of his formative years in the book’s early pages. Starting out as a director of documentaries & television shows, Friedkin charts his path working on films like The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968) & the 1967 Sonny & Cher vehicle Good Times. He’s open about his frustrating experiences on these early projects, which were not very successful. Then we get to his Oscar winning classics The French Connection & The Exorcist. The bulk of the book focuses on these two movies; Friedkin goes into great detail about the productions, and the challenges he faced making both films. For The French Connection, he was still considered a newcomer, even though he had directed several films previously, and faced numerous battles with studio heads over the film’s budget & shooting schedule. On The Exorcist, there were numerous bumps in the road in bringing the novel to the screen, including dealing with the controversial subject matter, and getting the right cast & crew together. There are fascinating behind the scenes details about both movies. These stories are the best parts of the book, and offer real insight into the moviemaking process.

Friedkin is candid about his successes & failures, and owns up to his own faults when relationships with his collaborators turned out badly. Another film extensively covered is 1977’s Sorcerer, an expensive remake of the classic French film The Wages of Fear (1953), which spiraled over budget & out of control during production. It later flopped at the box office, though it has had a bit of a critical re-evaluation in recent years. There’s also a section on the controversial film Cruising (1980), a murder mstery set in the world of gay sex clubs, which starred Al Pacino. Despite his candor, there’s no mention of two notorious failures, Deal of The Century (1983) and The Guardian (1990), both of which were troubled productions that turned out badly. One weakness of the book is that there’s less focus on the second half of Friedkin’s career; his later films are given much shorter shrift, though there are still some interesting anecdotes, especially regarding To Live & Die in L.A. What some readers may find surprising is that Friedkin later had success directing operas, collaborating with the likes of Placido Domingo. In the final portions of the book he does talk about his home life, discussing some personal health issues & his fourth marriage, to studio head Sherry Lansing. A few more words about his personal life would have been welcome, since he’s very open about it in the later portion of his life story. He also focuses on two recent film projects, both based on plays by Tracy Letts, Bug (2006) and Killer Joe (2011). This is a well-written, honest & entertaining read, especially if you’re a fan of Friedkin’s work as a director.