   The HauntingMPAA Rating:
 for intense horror sequences.Reviewed by: Jason Murphy Very Offensive
Moviemaking Quality:
Primary Audience:
Teen to Adult
Genre:
Horror
Length:
112 min.
  Relevant Issues
Should Christians participate in the Halloween holiday? Answer What’s wrong with being gay? Answer What about gays needs to change? Answer Read stories about those who have struggled with homosexuality Starring: Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, Lili Taylor, Bruce Dern, Marian Seldes / Director: Jan de Bont “The Haunting” has several elements that are very good, but ultimately the film is a very mediocre one at best. It’s a horror film, but it’s not scary. Nor is it the type of film that’s so bad that it’s just fun to watch and poke fun at. “The Haunting” is a remake of the 1963 adaptation of the novel of the same name. It follows the patients of a psychologist who is doing a study on fear, in the guise of sleep-disorder research. He takes his patients to a spooky house, but while they stay there over the weekend, the house develops a bond with one of the patients. While the 1963 film used sound and psychological suggestion to promote a feeling of terror, the newer version quickly abandons this in favor of an all-out CGI-effects-fest that, instead of being scary, look pretty cheesy and silly instead. They are not bad effects, they just feel horribly misused. To be fair, there are a couple of scenes that might make one jump, and the atmospheric build-up for the first half hour of the film is somewhat effective. This is largely due to the amazing set design. The house looks terrific and creepy, with opulent rooms and eerie statues, and a fireplace that looks like the gaping mouth of some strange face. The cinematography through most of the film is also pretty good, as is the score. The acting isn’t terrible, but is nothing great, and coupled with the pretty lousy screenplay, the characters are just not very convincing. From a Christian perspective, the movie is hardly the bane of all good morals, but it’s got little good going for it. While the violence quotient is relatively low for a horror film, someone is briefly shown being beheaded. There is also some brief profanity, and a few sexual innuendos, including the token gratuitously bisexual character. In short, don’t bother watching “The Haunting”. It’s escapist entertainment, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The problem is that it fails to entertain. Year of Release—1999  I have to disagree with everything that has been said so far about this movie. I found it terribly scary!!! I thought it was awful! The old house was pretty cool, but that dude Mr. Crane, who lived there… he was freaky! The plot was a no-brainer, but I still got really freaked out. My Christian friend was telling me the other day how she doesn’t see horror flicks, because all they do is freak her out and they’re not good for you. I thought she was nuts, but after seeing this movie, I tend to agree with her. I’m staying away from films like these from now on! Go see Veggie-tales instead of this! hehehe… Singing vegetables are not scary, and the lines in that are actually funny!
—Michelle, age 15 I used to have a sort of confidence in movies that everything would pull together, and if it didn't, it was my own unattentiveness and that I just “missed it.” But after seeing this movie twice, (once in anticipation, once in hopes of clearing my confusion), I have come to terms that it isn’t always that way. For instance, either time I watched this flick, those two characters who left the house in the beginning were never to be heard from or spoken of ever again. And I couldn’t figure out if the blonde guy was truly serious in his “California surfer-bum” accent or just trying to be studly in front of Theo. All in all, the effects were cool, the acting was horrible and script was an afterthought, but my little sister loved it! I think preteens will enjoy this film more than adults looking for a thick-plotted thriller.
—Michelle, age 17 I thought this movie, from a Christian perspective, was somewhat galling. To think that all these people were living in a haunted house all by themselves; what were they thinking? I found the role of the doctor somewhat banal and lacrimose. Where do they come up with such flawed script writing? I weakly recommend this movie for other Christians everywhere. Beware: the weak screenplay is more scary than the effects!!!… Ha ha ha!!!
—Crazy Carl, age 15 I have to disagree with a few of the reviewer’s comments-chiefly, that this movie isn’t so bad people would watch it just to heckle… which is exactly why I saw it a second time (for free). A good rule of thumb with “The Haunting” is that when the special fx are the most dazzling, innovative, etc. directly coincides with undoubtedly the worst lines in the movie. Absolute groaners. Secondly, the reviewer hints that Catherine Zeta-Jone’s character of Theo is a “token” bisexual. This is not the case. The character in the original adaptation was also bisexual. However, because ACTING and DIRECTING were things left alone in this remake, all we get is… what we get.
—Joe Foster, age 20 |
—Jerry Hoff, age 65