The horror remains admirably attuned to the sense of solitude in a premature spinster
The Haunting (1963)
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Reviews Counted:33
Fresh:28
Rotten:5
Average Rating:7.8/10
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: A paranormal investigator invites a trio of people to help him examine Hill House, a sinister family estate haunted by the angry souls from its troubled past. While Eleanor (Julie Harris) looks for... A paranormal investigator invites a trio of people to help him examine Hill House, a sinister family estate haunted by the angry souls from its troubled past. While Eleanor (Julie Harris) looks for an escape from the memory of her recently-deceased mother, she becomes increasingly obsessed with the history of the huge, ominous house. Based on Shirley Jackson's lyrical novel, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, and one of the most frightening psychological horror films ever made, featuring virtually no blood, gore, or monsters for its effective scares. [More]
Starring: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn
Starring: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, Lois Maxwell, Valentine Dyall, Fay Compton, Rosalie Crutchley, Ronald Adam
Director: Robert Wise
Director: Robert Wise
Screenwriter: Nelson Gidding
Producer: Robert Wise
Composer: Humphrey Searle
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Reviews for The Haunting
People stare about in terror and squeak: 'The house, it's alive!' The picture, it's dead.
A dark brooding atmosphere, disturbing psychological insights and a handful of suddenly executed surprises make this old horror as fresh and vital as the day it was made.
The artful cinematic strokes of director Robert Wise and staff are not quite enough to override the major shortcomings of Nelson Gidding's screenplay.
An undeniably effective adaptation of the Shirley Jackson novel and remains one of the best haunted-house movies.
Pretty effective when it came out; it may be a little stiff in the joints by now, but it's still a much better scare show than the recent stinker remake.
What makes the film so effective is not so much the slightly sinister characterisation of the generally neurotic group, but the fact that [director] Wise makes the house itself the central character, a beautifully designed and highly atmospheric entity.
...easily ranks among the finest supernatural suspense films ever made.
Latest News for The Haunting
September 15, 2005:
Hollywood Giant Robert Wise Passes Away at 91
Master filmmaker and 4-time Oscar winner Robert Wise has died at the age of 91. Probably best known as the director of films like "The Sound of Music," "West Side... More...
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