Rating: 
Summary: We who watch here, watch alone...
Review: Reading these reviews has been as fascinating as watching the movie. Thank you, Amazon, for providing this space and making the movie available.
The real comparisons to this movie are stage-classics like No Exit (Sartre), Bernarda Alba (Lorca) and The Heiress (Henry James). None of these are ghost-stories, which proves that The Haunting works perfectly well as a psychological drama - indeed, it is one of the best. But the supernatural element gives it added oomph.The Haunting has several advantages over other horror-movies:
1. it works from the literate Shirley Jackson novella, not from some Stephen King potboiler;
2. top-notch acting by people who can hold their own on either stage or screen;
3. dazzling expressionist photography and subliminal technique -"seen out of the corner of your eye". Right now it is hard to find people who have heard of this movie. Ninety years from now, The Haunting will be recognized for the pinnacle of achievement it really is a masterpiece of classical drama and photography. (...)
Rating:
Summary: The Best Horror Flick
Review: The way to describe this movie is to say that you never see what you think you do. It is all in your head. The wonderful power of suggestion. Since I was 12 to this day 30 years later; this one is the one I remember the most for fright.
Rating: 
Summary: Perfectly subtle before it scares the wits out of you
Review: Russ Tamblyn was an odd casting choice (pushed by the studio?) and provides the only off-notes in this sonata in terror major. Once pre-VCR, I made my college roommate George watch it (with commercials, no less.) His response was a bitter "Thanks a lot Bill." He didn't sleep for days. He he. Better acted (despite Lili Taylor who should have known better,) with great performances by Julie Harris and Claire Bloom who did NOT paper over the lesbian subtext. Less an insult to the intelligence all around than the abominable remake. Must come out on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: What more can be said.
Review: Read the earlier reviews than mine. They say just about all that needs to be said. One of the best movies ever made. Unlike any other version of this story that I've seen - this is the one that leaves you with the question 'Was it all in her head?'
Rating:
Summary: The Citizen Kane of Horror films -- NOT for children.
Review: Robert Wise does more in one scene with a piece of wallpaper and some sound effects than most directors can do in an entire career. One hears from film theorists about the power of montage (Eisenstein, Griffith, etc.), but THE HAUNTING is the real thing. Perfectly assembled pieces of picture and sound. Robert Wise's mastery of these simple cinematic elements pays off with an alarmingly visceral reaction. The Cast (particularly Julie Harris -- now appearing in a new kind of Horror: daytime's "Passions" -- and Claire Bloom) just leap in, playing off each other perfectly. As a novelty there's even an appearance by Miss Moneypenny. On the darker side there's the caretaker: "I leave before the dark. No one will come out here in the dark." It all makes THE HAUNTING is a classic, a benchmark of the horror genre. The Story: Four people doing psychic research in a house will a BAAAAAAAD history. The Treatment: SPFX afficionades will be dissapointed: there are some matte-paintings and a very chilling (and understated) prologue; after that it's all sound effects and camera moves. My Reaction: Frankly, I thought I would ... my pants. This is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. I first saw it when I was a eight. After twenty minutes I ran away in fear -- seriously. I had nightmares for years. I was twelve before I could sit throught the whole thing. PARENTS, do NOT let your kids watch this film. It's rated G, but it'll freak them out. This is a grown up movie. If you have enemies, give their kids a copy (disguise it as a barney tape maybe). One More Thing: Is it just me, or is Claire Bloom really hot? THE BIG PICTURE: The tragedy of The Haunting (the original version) is (1) that it has never been release in it's widescreen format) and (2) that it was re-made. Hopefully the (hopefully upcoming) DVD release will rectify the former. History will certainly take care of the latter. Short Answer: The Haunting is the best horror film ever made.
Rating:
Summary: A good movie lost in cropped version.
Review: I have this video, and every time I watch it, I want to see beyond the square screen, but nothing is there. It is a must for widescreen. A California cable channel showed this film in widescreen for a Halloween special a few years ago. I only saw parts of this version but what I saw made it seem alltogether different. The lighting is so well done, it allows the viewer to use their own fears to create faces in the shadows. This is my favorite ghost story film other than "What Lies Beneath". Oh, one more thing, unlike the resent cool funhouse remake, the 1963 version is most like Shirley Jackson's novel "The Haunting of Hillhouse". I can't wait for the widescreen version on DVD!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: What makes this horror movie great is not what you see or know, not jazzy special effects not gore, but just the unkown, what you don't see but what you hear or what you don't know. This movie is one of the creepiest and scariest movies i have ever seen. It has no special effects(Exept for one) You never evan see a ghost. That's what makes it so scary. In fact, you don't know, untill the end, weather it's really haunted, or not(Evan at the end you don't know). It's just scary. The main charecter is, whell, when she talks to herself it, just makes you, i dunno, tense?, to listen to her. The camera work is good, in several parts, Dizzying, One part is where shes looking up at the windows from the balcanie and the camera just... drops, Very scary, it made me grab onto the coucht ot keep myself from falling. Another is where she is going up the spiral stairs and the camera switshes to her feet, The camera, during this part, is at such a wierd angle it makes you feel like you are falling off i high ledge, you know, that kinda unbalanced feeling hen you are up high. If you like horrors movies and getting creeped out, i recomend you get this movie.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest spook movies ever made
Review: That is an under-statement. Robert Wise's perfectly atmospheric direction adds to tension of the story and that alone will give you, the buyers of this Tape or DVD the creeps.
Rating:
Summary: not to watch alone
Review: This is without a doubt one of the scariest movies I have ever seen. Should not be seen alone, in the dark. When I heard that a remake was being made, I was absolutely ecstatic...and then I saw it. The remake lacks everything that the orginal had. I was totally disappointed. Too many special effects spoil the imagination in the remake. This is, by far, the most chilling version made.
Rating:
Summary: one of the scariest movies ever made
Review: This film has really stood the test of time...to this date it is one of the scariest movies ever made..robert wise kept at least pretty much faithful to the book. all the performances were excellent and the doors and what you don't see can scare you more than the now blood and gore films of today...I was especially angered that the AFI left this one off their top 100 thrill and chill movies..most on that list had very little thrills or chills..this movie had them both...especially the chills..shows how most movie lovers forget the old classics...maybe they will redeem themselves if they put out a top horror films ..so if you have not seen this one don't miss it..also how about the uninvited..another favorite must see....
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