ROTTEN TOMATOES: RT on DVD: Haunting in Connecticut, Grey Gardens, The State

RT on DVD: Haunting in Connecticut, Grey Gardens, The State

Plus, an exclusive look at Kristin Cavallari in Van Wilder: Freshman Year

by Jen Yamato | July 13, 2009

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This week in horror, we've got good news and bad news. Here's the bad news first: The Haunting in Connecticut, a much ballyhooed flick "based on a true story," didn't really happen. The good news? You can find much fresher scares in a newly released Spanish import (2007's REC, which was remade into last year's Quarantine). Also new to shelves is a long-awaited comedy show (The State: The Complete Series), HBO's fabulous, fictionalized Grey Gardens (starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange), Mark Webber's directorial debut (Explicit Ills), and a Sienna Miller-Keira Knightley love triangle (The Edge of Love). And to top it off, a direct-to-DVD bonanza (National Lampoon's Van Wilder: Freshman Year, the Dennis Quaid vehicle Horsemen, and more)!

The Haunting in Connecticut -- 18%

Who among us believes the phrase, "based on a true story," anymore? The minds behind this clichéd horror tale seem to, since they emphasize the heck out of the idea that a family (Martin Donovan and Virginia Madsen as the parents of a cancer-stricken teen) in 1980s Connecticut actually encountered ghosts and lived to tell about it. Critics slammed this paranormal tale for its easy scares, derivative nature (Amityville Horror, anyone?), and general inconsistencies; then again, if jump scares, creepy hallucinations, and a box of human eyelids are the sort of terrors you like to see in a horror flick, then perhaps this is the type of horror flick you deserve. Audio commentaries, making-of features, and a look at the "real life" case that inspired the film are included on the DVD.

Next: Spanish scares in the critically acclaimed REC

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(1-20 of 22 posts) | Reply

prkprkprk writes:
on Jul 13 2009 06:47 PM

Think I'll be getting REC =D

(Reply to this)

MovieMaster writes:
on Jul 13 2009 06:58 PM

Nothing to get this week :(

(Reply to this)

Bigbrother writes:
on Jul 13 2009 07:21 PM

Might go with REC. Sounds like an interesting premise. Better than quarantine anyway.

(Reply to this)

Zach B. writes:
on Jul 13 2009 07:23 PM

I'll be picking up Haunting in Connecticut 2 disc and Grey Gardens blind buy.

(Reply to this)

GST writes:
on Jul 13 2009 07:51 PM

Yay! I will hopefully pick up REC sometime soon. I actually haven't seen Quarantine, so it will be good to see the original first.

I may have to rent A Haunting in that new england state I don't want to type because I'm afraid I'll misspell it JUST for Virginia Madsen! She is still so insanely hot (though maybe in a nerdier way, for me anyway), and she gets huge props for being in Candyman (flawed, yesssss, but still one of the best horror films of the 90s, which reminds me, they need to release Candyman on Blu-Ray, UNCUT! I want more blood and stronger plot structure!). I really need to see Sideways.

I have heard SO MANY great things about The State, and it really sounds right up my alley, so I will need to rent like one disc, and then if I like it enough buy the set at some point.

Grey Gardens sounds nice, but I'll probably just catch it on tv or something.

Thanks Jen, for another installment of RT on DVD (Next week is Watchmen and Coraline, right???). Which reminds me, I wish we still had the review revue! I miss watching it at 2:00 AM and laughing my head off at the critical beatings some of the movies would get.

Oh, and I feel dumb for asking this, but I would kind of like a reply to my reply to your reply on the RT on DVD from a couple weeks ago... I cant take the suspense! (and I'm anal!)

(Reply to this)

GST writes:
on Jul 13 2009 07:52 PM

Oi, I don't know how I manage to type so much =S

(Reply to this)

ledawg writes:
on Jul 13 2009 08:47 PM

What a load of suck! Well, I'd rent "Edge of Love" because of I love Keira Knightley so much. And "Grey Gardens" should be fine. Everything else? zzzz...kid vomitting ghost...zzzz

(Reply to this)

Tyrant writes:
on Jul 13 2009 09:42 PM

Haunting looks lame as all hell. Then again, most horror movies nowadays do, so no shocker. Nothing really interesting this week.

(Reply to this)

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Jul 13 2009 10:08 PM

[REC], Horsemen (I love Zhang Ziyi too much), 12.

(Reply to this)

greg_dean_schmitz writes:
on Jul 13 2009 10:30 PM

The State is finally out on DVD, and as a complete collection even... this is big news. My old scratchy VHS tapes can finally be retired. If not for my MST3K collection, this news might even have been a reason to retire my VHS player as well.

(Reply to this)

JettaJameson writes:
on Jul 13 2009 10:47 PM

In reply to this comment (#2526395)
"Next up is The Haunting In Connecticut. What's scary about Connecticut? Losing your tennis raquet at Pottery Barn?" - Angie Tempura BitchPleeze.com blogger(as seen on SNL)

(Reply to this)

RE4P3R writes:
on Jul 13 2009 11:35 PM

Already own a Mexican copy of [REC]. Great, great film.

Otherwise, this week sucks...

(Reply to this)

man in the water writes:
on Jul 14 2009 12:20 AM

I didn't mind The Haunting in Connecticut, it was okay, but the jump scares got tired, it must be the movie with the most jump scares ever, but the creepy atmosphere worked to its advantage, it was just ok. I was a big fan of Quarantine so I'll check out REC, which I've heard great things about. And I am a huge fan of the Grey Gardens documentary, so I may check out the HBO version

(Reply to this)

GST writes:
on Jul 14 2009 02:47 AM

In reply to this comment (#2526440)
Oh lord...

Why does RT get all these "mm ctch a sxy cugr RAWR!11!!!1!" site spammers?

(Reply to this)

Jen Yamato writes:
on Jul 14 2009 09:38 AM

Hey GST -

1) I'll go back and look for that comment on a comment on a comment, unless you want to just PM me your question :)

2) Thanks for the shout out! I'm glad you folks find this column useful. And yes, Watchmen is next week...been watching it at home (it will take hours!)

(Reply to this)

M.C.P. writes:
on Jul 14 2009 12:03 PM

Nothing good here, hopefully next week will be better.

@Greg: Heh, nice to see some MST3K fans out there still. Ya, I got a couple on the old VHS as well. Mostly though I have been watching them on Youtube or Google video. You should check it out if you've got some missing episodes or whatnot (little easier to deal w/ than VHS), quite a bit of them on their. I love me the Gamera or Godzilla ones, but there are so many good ones!

Who was you favorite janitor/temp. Joel or Mike? for me it was Joel, I think mostly for his slacker/stoned mentality and his usual "Oh wow..." lines.

Anyways keep circulating the tapes, err I guess DVD's or video files now, heh.

"Rex Dart! Eskimo Spy!"
"Watch out for snakes!"

(Reply to this)

ledawg writes:
on Jul 14 2009 02:25 PM

In reply to this comment (#2526591)
I know I'm not invovled, but Mike is better in my opinion.

(Reply to this)

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Jul 14 2009 03:02 PM

Horsemen gets a 0 on a scale of 1-10. Wow. Worst film I've rented this year.

(Reply to this)

ledawg writes:
on Jul 14 2009 03:18 PM

In reply to this comment (#2526675)
So it's not bad it's good. Just so bad you want to burn it?

(Reply to this)

tomwaitsjr writes:
on Jul 14 2009 05:42 PM

Horsemen is never good. Its so bad, you want to burn out your eyes. . .

(Reply to this)

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