VHS : The Haunting [1963]

Rating: - I'm sorry I fell fast asleep
Having read the star spangled reviews on "The Haunting" I excitedly entered in my card details and eagerly awaited it's arrival through my letterbox, sat down with a bottle of wine and an Indian and pressed Play.
Oh dear. Is everyone reviewing the same film here?! A lovely sinister looking manor house for the setting (filmed on location in Stratford-Upon-Avon)-looks promising, and some nice Borehamwood room sets... and lots of talking...and more talking...um...oh, sorry I nearly nodded off again...!
Over 100 minutes of film is devoted almost entirely to American actress Julie Harris' character arguing and ranting over her own insecurities to the other guests in the house. There is far too much dialogue and for me personally is completely devoid of any atmosphere.
Not one moment did I lose myself in the story or identify with any of the characters. The sound effects of something pounding on a door at one stage didn't even remotely sound like poundings on a door.
Scares? Not unless you're of an incredibly timid disposition.
Far better scares/atmosphere can be found in the likes of "The Woman in Black", or any of the BFI Ghost stories, so I would strongly recommend waving your fiver towards those.

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Rating: - SPELLBOUND BY THE LIGHT AND SOUND
There is no escaping the fact this movie has one of the most haunting use of camera movement ,light compositions and sound editing creating echoes to explosions in harmony with the horror which is chillingly psychological rather then bloody .

No dead cats or decapatitaed skulls or limbs can alternate for the haunted look on the agonized faces of the characters as they struggle to save themselves and their sanity ,the fact it is broodingly driving them to psychosis is presented as a brilliant chess game where the 4 protagonists love and loathe each other .

They are paranormal psychics or just mediums or ordinary human beings trying to come to terms with their own dilemmas is even more haunting then the house which is magnificently evil and one of the greatest victorian mansions decorated with the finest antiquities you can find on this planet .

This is an ode to the technical skills of Robert Wise ,who made this before making the perfect musical -Sound of Music ,that he has been able to do justice to the rather incredible horror tale of a haunting is evidence of his great wisdom ,but then what would you expect from the man who was the editor for Orson Welles .
The two women Julie Harris and Claire Bloom outshine the rest easily in a splendid cast and their performances are heartfelt and natural to the core .

The black and white visuals are looming and luminous in turn and the great soundtrack is simple but scathing ,the dialogues are literary but natural and the somewhat stagy interiors are justified by the evil menace the house presents as the melodrama that it evokes at times does not irritate but rather reieve the tension in a pleasing manner .

Ultimately it shows you can make good horror without an orgy of blood ,sex and violence and still keep the attention of the audience in every detail .

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Rating: - the best
Remember seeing this when I was about nine years old and I could not go up the stairs to my bedroom in the attic for weeks,mum had to take me up.I still watch it at least once a year and it still raises the hair on the back of my neck.Watch it alone in candle light or the dark and enjoy a journey into fear.

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Rating: - My favourite ghost film of all time
The only film ever to make me hide in the toilets when I saw it at the cinema, and as good now as it was then.
Although it is shaky in places - some of the dialogue and of the acting is clunky - the way that the tension builds throughout this film is unique and astonishing. The malevolent spirit is only heard, not seen, and this makes the viewer's imagination work to fill in the gaps.
It scared me witless when I was 16; it is still very very scary 40 years on.
The remake is OK, but the original is just better in nearly every way

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Rating: - Horror benchmark!
I agree with all the reviewers that loved this classic chiller.
Thought provoking, spine tingling, never boring, always engaging. All done with no gore and very few but mind ripping special effects. Great sound effects.
I never get bored with this movie.