The Haunting (1963)

Even good for teens

We liked this movie. My teenagers are usually quick to mock the movies I thought were scary at their age but they got into this one and enjoyed it. October 9, 2008

Just one thing......

The only thing I would add to the (In my opinion)'spot on' positive comments regarding this film, is that I wish that it had a Digital Surround audio track. Can you imagine how much it would add to the film to have those awesome audio effects coming at you from all directions in a dark room, on a dark stormy night?!
I guess I will add one other thing (can't help myself). The fact that it was filmed in black and white, to me, was an indication of just how great Robert Wise (the director) was in his craft. I believe that it added to the anticipation of dread and terror. All those shadows and dark corners... What genius.... The same thing could be said of Alfred Hitchcocks: "Psycho".
I don't see how true afficionados of the ghost story genre could think that this film, (to paraphrase a quote from the film "Legend of Hell House") is anything less than "...the mount Everest" of haunted house films. August 20, 2008

A True Classic

A True Classic

When you look at 1963's THE HAUNTING directed by Robert Wise you can see the intellect, craftsmanship and most importantly the subtle emotionally thought provoking energy that went into the making of this film. Director Robert Wise was always the consummate professional consistently delivering a solid, engrossing and entertaining motion picture. Robert Wise was a director with no discernible directorial style yet he took whatever the budget would allow and he always delivered a solid film time after time. I believe his background as a film editor gave him a very dynamic approach of taking all the elements that go into a film and he had the cohesive ability to meld these into a singular piece of a highly visual and often memorable piece of cinematic art. THE HAUNTING is a fine example of this. I saw this film when I was just a little kid yet the visuals remain in my memory as clear as when I first saw it. Richard Johnson's likable cerebral performance and Russ Tamblyn's everyman performance mirroring the unsettling fears of the viewer are indelible. This film is truly frightening as it evokes our deepest fears for the unknown in a very realistic and subtle fashion. This is a true classic.
August 17, 2008

Subtle atmospheric classic that might bore the young ADD Red Bull fast food CGI-loving crowd

Classic B&W supernatural flick from 1963. Four people investigate a Victorian-style mansion rumored to be haunted. They basically pose as live bait for the ghosts, which supposedly inhabit this large house with an evil past.
Now, this movie never shows anything overtly terrifying. But it creates great tension with the "less is more" approach. It lets your imagination quiver and burn with the dreadful possibilities. I like how it questions the reasons we harness an unneccessary burden of fear toward the unknown.
I'll admit though, I expected to see a little more frights. This has a G rating, so gorehounds might get bored. Still the supernatural phenomena is quite intriguing, and this movie opened the doorway for many ghostly psychological thrillers to follow. August 4, 2008

Needs enhancement!

I had been looking for this title to be available on disk or VHS for some time. The Haunting has always been one of my favorite movies and I wanted to share it with friends and family.
I wish it had been given a better treatment, however. The sound quality is very poor and the picture appears to have been copied direct from an old print with no enhancement whatsoever. The movie is five star. This treatment quality wise is two! July 25, 2008

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