The Turn of the Screw

Rating:
Summary: A Tiresome British Production
Review: "The Turn of the Screw" is a tiresome British production based on the novel by Henry James. Directed by Dan Curtis the movie is 118 min. of poorly done British horror. Mrs. Cubberly (Lynn Redgrave) is hired, by the looks of her teeth, to watch Flora and Miles at Bligh a manor house in the country outside of London. The first thing she encounters with the children is Miles has been thrown out of school for reasons unknown. She thinks she can find out why and change th child before even meeting him. The music was belittling and annoying. The sound effects gave the same effect. The dings throughout the movie in the "scary" parts were move distracting then anything else. If it was meant to set a mood it did, humor. The camera angles made no sense. The special effects didn't exist. Teh ghosts of Peter Quint and Miss Jessel were too human. They just looked pale. The only good part of the movie was the acting of Megs Jenkins a sMrs. Grose, she was the only one who successfully portrayed her part. Overall this was a poorly done movie and do not recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Are you serious
Review: Although the plot stayed somewhat close to the Henry James' story the director certaintly took his creative license and ran. Some strange scenes were pointless, and the wonderful ambiguity from the book was complety discarded in this movie. And don't even get me started on the scenery and props, i'm sorry was that a #2 pencil she was writing with in a period movie? And oh the acting! Ouch! The only thing scary about this movie was the scenery, the acting, and that miles kid. Man was he creepy, but he was a riot, "I preffer brandy to tea". Where do the get this stuff?

Rating:
Summary: Spooky Atmosphere Ruined by Gratuitous Violence
Review: Despite a few nay sayers out there,this video was pretty darn good. It may not have a polished look,but then again,it was made for television. Within that contects,this version thrives like a vegetable in the rain. The sets are good as well as the acting,effects,and the frightning score by Robert Corbert.

Rating:
Summary: better than the rest
Review: Despite a few nay sayers out there,this video was pretty darn good. It may not have a polished look,but then again,it was made for television. Within that contects,this version thrives like a vegetable in the rain. The sets are good as well as the acting,effects,and the frightning score by Robert Corbert.

Rating:
Summary: To Be Technically Impaired
Review: Henry James's The Turn of the Screw is a movie that is more technically impaired than my Uncle Floyd who still uses an abacus to do his accounting. In fact, in this writer's opinion, it is the most technically impaired movie of the century. This movie contains sound effects that are annoying and distracting. The music is irrelevant to the plot and settings. These elements are so repulsive that you can't even concentrate on the characters of the movie.

In a beginning scene Jane Cubberly, played by Lynn Redgrave, arrives at Bligh the home of Flora and Miles, played by Eva Griffis and Jasper Jacob; the children that she is to take care of and watch over. The music beginning this scene is not complementary to the plot. The music should be very easygoing and welcoming, but it is abrupt, as if the director was trying to rush the scene. This should be a key scene in which the director should be commencing his plot, so he should not have allowed music to hurry through it.

In another scene in which Ms. Grose, the maid/cook, and Ms. Cubberly were discussing the death of Peter Quint an irrelevant and jarring sound effect diverted the entire dialogue of the characters. It made absolutely no sense to place this "ding" after the maid had commented on the way people stated Quint had died. The audience loses their attentiveness on the point focussing only on the corny sound effect.

There's a scene where Ms. Cubberly has decided to play a game with the children. Her role was to go to the clock tower and bring Miles a doll. When she appears in the top of the tower the classic door slam, at which she is supposedly locked-in, takes place. With the events leading up to this scene the door closing was immediately anticipated. It was not subtle, and it also didn't even sound like a door. This sound effect would have been much more effective if it had been eerie but also faint. Producers can't throw in a murky sound effect that does not sound like it was intended to and not expect the audience to find it hilarious.

In conclusion, I have found The Turn of the Screw to be technically impaired due to the cheap sound effects and unflattering music used in many of its scenes. The inhospitable music, the corny "ding", and far-fetched door slam really brought the movie down in quality. I know I would much rather sit through my Aunt describing her state spoon collection, than sit through another viewing of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw.

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful susupense movie
Review: I have thought about this movie 25 years. I am almost to scared to watch it again. Any one will certainly find this a gripping tale.

Rating:
Summary: On a par with Psycho for sheer psychological terror
Review: I saw this movie as an original in 1974, but 25 years later I can still remember the haunting scenes. This movie leaves you questioning what you saw, and from one minute to the next 'sure' you know who the real evil is --- only to be turned 180 degrees within a few minutes. Very disturbing. Of the Alfred Hitchcock genre in terms of building up terror without a spot of blood.

Rating:
Summary: I've changed my mind about this one since more viewing.
Review: I've been a big fan of movies produced/directed by Dan Curtis and/or written by Richard Matheson for years. Strangely though I'd never seen his version of this story until recently.
Compared to Curtis's and/or Matheson's movies like Kolchak Night Stalker, House of Dark Shadows, Norliess Tapes, Hell House and the Dark Shadows series this movie isn't quite as good.

Turn of the Screw is clearly better than the majority of the dreadful excuses for horror genre that are inflicted on us nowadays. As a plus this movie does have the hallmark Curtis/Matheson penchant for well-maintained mood and atmosphere throughout and the unforgettable Poe-like ironic and/or surprise ending that you may be famiilar with from the 60's teleplays of the Poe stories starring Vincent Price.

Some very observant here have correctly pointed out some bloopers to criticize; but frankly they really didn't bother me all that much particularly since you have to really be looking for them. I also purchased the predecessor to this movie entitled, "The Innocents." In comparing the two I personally found "The Turn of the Screw" to be the superior movie due mostly in part to the unmistakable mood/atmosphere stylings of Curtis/Matheson. I also found "The Innnocents" quite frankly to be, well, dull and rather plodding even for me. I'm a big fan of classic gothic from the 40's to the 70's so that quite a rare thing for me to say about such a movie. To each their own though, for I know "The Innocents" has some very devoted fans.

Rating:
Summary: Turn of the Screw and Its setting elements
Review: The majority of the feature takes place in the countryside near Essex, in Great Britain. The haunted grounds of Bligh House give one the idea of mystery. The setting enhances the mood of the story and also provides for the development of each character's fear and personality. There are several forbidden places within the foreboding Bligh House. Many sealed rooms, uneeded for living, are the origin of unnatural voices in the night. The rooftop is also a place of mystery. An ancient clock tower guards secrets of past inhabitants. The large, empty house is the perfect setting for an encounter with the dead. It reinforces the aura of evil. These places, coupled with nighttime and stormy weather greatly add to feelings experienced by the viewers. The strength of setting is one of only a few above average points of this film.

Rating:
Summary: Turn of the Screw and Its setting elements
Review: The majority of the feature takes place in the countryside near Essex, in Great Britain. The haunted grounds of Bligh House give one the idea of mystery. The setting enhances the mood of the story and also provides for the development of each character's fear and personality. There are several forbidden places within the foreboding Bligh House. Many sealed rooms, uneeded for living, are the origin of unnatural voices in the night. The rooftop is also a place of mystery. An ancient clock tower guards secrets of past inhabitants. The large, empty house is the perfect setting for an encounter with the dead. It reinforces the aura of evil. These places, coupled with nighttime and stormy weather greatly add to feelings experienced by the viewers. The strength of setting is one of only a few above average points of this film.