We went with a classic last night.
I don’t think I’d ever watched The Haunting before, though I have read the book it’s based on, The Haunting of Hill House, twice. Surprisingly, the film stays pretty true to the book, which is both good and bad.
Let me touch on the book real quick. Shirley Jackson’s 1959 novel is often heralded as one of the greatest works of horror fiction ever written. It is, without question, a great story and a very influential work. But a great horror story it is not. The book is far more interesting because of the relationship between Eleanor and Theodora, and their underlying sexual tension, than it is because of the supposed haunted house. When you look at The Haunting of Hill House based solely on its horror elements, it’s lacking mightily in comparison to other ghost books, like Hell House, Ghost Story, The Shining, and even The Turn of the Screw. Again, I want to reiterate, it is a wonderful novel that I’ve read twice, enjoying it immensely both times. I simply don’t think any part of its greatness has to do with the horror elements.
Much the same can be said of the movie. Sure, it’s got the looming mansion with its long shadows and creaking floorboards, the house surrounded by dark, foreboding woods. But so do a thousand other movies. The Haunting doesn’t offer anything new or fancy when it comes to a scary movie. But it does have Eleanor and Theodora. Just like with the book, the odd attraction between them is the most compelling part of the movie. Even Eleanor’s mental breakdown can’t be considered too interesting, because she’s acting crazy from her very first scene onward.
I hope it doesn’t sound like I didn’t enjoy the movie. I certainly did, and so did my wife. Despite not being particularly scary, it’s a great story. You’re never quite sure if the house is haunted or if something else is amiss, like if everything that’s happening is actually being caused by Eleanor. The characters are well-played and believable, each one of them so incredibly different from the next. There are even some good special effects for the time, like when the doors are bowing inward. It’s a good flick.
I know there have been some modern remakes of The Haunting of Hill House, including a series on Netflix. Have any of them expanded on Eleanor and Theo? I’m of the opinion a nice long sex scene should be required of any future retellings.
PC3’s Horror and Exploitation Movie Scale of Awesomeness!
Gore - 0
Special Effects - 4
Nudity/Sexuality - 4
Wow Factor - 6
Acting - 7
Fear Factor - 3
Story/Plot/Originality - 6
Cinematography - 6
Sound/Music - 5
Fun Factor - 7
The Haunting gets a respectable 48 on the PHEMSA. As I said already, it’s a really good story, just nothing particularly new regarding the horror aspect. But if you haven’t read the book, I’d advise starting there. As much as I enjoyed the movie, Shirley Jackson’s classic is even better.