The Turn of the Screw

Rating:
Summary: Not The Best Movie of the Year
Review: The movie The Turn of the Screw is definetely not one fit for the years top ten list. With its fake scenery, bad music, and bad acting, the movie keeps getting worse, right from the start.

First of all, the scenery is very unrealistic. Whenever the plot forces the characters outside, it is as if they venture into a different world. While the inside of Blythe House, the mansion where Jane Coverly has recently been hired to govern two children, Miles, 14, and Flora, 7, the outdoors is incredibly fake. The mansion at least has accurately placed props, and its interminable stairways and hallways may add to the feelings of fear the movie attempts to arise in oneself. However, when Coverly ventures outside, especially when she goes to the parapet, the scenery appears poorly colored with bright green grass and dull buildings. The film is as if it is older than it should be.

Furthermore, the music does not add to the "fear factor"of the movie. Although it attempts to be eerie, the music, which is usually in a minor key, only makes the audience laugh. When Flora plays the "Death March" on the piano, it is not frightening, in fact, it almost is cute and amusing.

Moreover, the acting is atrocious. Coverly, played by Lynn Redgrave, is ineffective with her display of emotions. When she is frightened by the children and the lurid past of Blythe House, her expressions appear trite and almost comical. The ending of scenes, which often takes place with a character staring off into the distance, is totally unrealistic and over-used.

Hence, this is definitely a movie that is worth missing. I would never recommend this for a scary movie, however, as a comedy, it is not too bad!

Rating:
Summary: Not The Best Movie of the Year
Review: The movie The Turn of the Screw is definetely not one fit for the years top ten list. With its fake scenery, bad music, and bad acting, the movie keeps getting worse, right from the start.

First of all, the scenery is very unrealistic. Whenever the plot forces the characters outside, it is as if they venture into a different world. While the inside of Blythe House, the mansion where Jane Coverly has recently been hired to govern two children, Miles, 14, and Flora, 7, the outdoors is incredibly fake. The mansion at least has accurately placed props, and its interminable stairways and hallways may add to the feelings of fear the movie attempts to arise in oneself. However, when Coverly ventures outside, especially when she goes to the parapet, the scenery appears poorly colored with bright green grass and dull buildings. The film is as if it is older than it should be.

Furthermore, the music does not add to the "fear factor"of the movie. Although it attempts to be eerie, the music, which is usually in a minor key, only makes the audience laugh. When Flora plays the "Death March" on the piano, it is not frightening, in fact, it almost is cute and amusing.

Moreover, the acting is atrocious. Coverly, played by Lynn Redgrave, is ineffective with her display of emotions. When she is frightened by the children and the lurid past of Blythe House, her expressions appear trite and almost comical. The ending of scenes, which often takes place with a character staring off into the distance, is totally unrealistic and over-used.

Hence, this is definitely a movie that is worth missing. I would never recommend this for a scary movie, however, as a comedy, it is not too bad!

Rating:
Summary: A review for The Turn of the Screw
Review: The Turn of the Screw is not a movie I would recommend renting on a Friday night. The monotonous scenes will put you to sleep. The same events keep reoccuring. Jane Cubberly sees the spirits of Miss Jessel and her evil lover, Peter Quint. She accuses Flora of seeing Miss Jessel, but she would always deny it. That goes on throughout the entire movie. You will also be annoyed with the generic music. Every time something bad was about to happen, you would hear a clamor of xylophone chords. The camera work also seemed very juvenile. Almost like a high-school student filmed it. There is a scene where Jane Cubberly is on a carriage with Luke. They are supposed to be moving, but it is plain to see there is a fake background and you can hear the poorly made sounds of horses galloping. I think this book should never have been made into a movie. It just seemed to ruin the book.

Rating:
Summary: A review for The Turn of the Screw
Review: The Turn of the Screw is not a movie I would recommend renting on a Friday night. The monotonous scenes will put you to sleep. The same events keep reoccuring. Jane Cubberly sees the spirits of Miss Jessel and her evil lover, Peter Quint. She accuses Flora of seeing Miss Jessel, but she would always deny it. That goes on throughout the entire movie. You will also be annoyed with the generic music. Every time something bad was about to happen, you would hear a clamor of xylophone chords. The camera work also seemed very juvenile. Almost like a high-school student filmed it. There is a scene where Jane Cubberly is on a carriage with Luke. They are supposed to be moving, but it is plain to see there is a fake background and you can hear the poorly made sounds of horses galloping. I think this book should never have been made into a movie. It just seemed to ruin the book.

Rating:
Summary: A Dissenting Point of View
Review: Though I appear to be a minority, I'd like to praise this version of "The Turn of the Screw," not because I think it's an improvement over the 1961 film version, "The Innocents," but because I think it succeeds in the context of its own particular medium: videotape. True, this rendering of Henry James is not "cinematic" in the usual sense, but the very nature of videotape precludes the stylistic approach of celluloid. What this version lacks in the verisimilitude of exterior settings, it more than compensates for in terms of intimacy of atmosphere (the main virtue of videotaped productions), so that I encountered a mood of claustrophobia lacking in theatrical versions. In fact, this "Turn of the Screw," like Dan Curtis's 1968 version of "Jekyll and Hyde" (and like the BBC videotape of "Count Dracula") carries much of the directness of on-stage drama: precisely because of its technical lack of "polish," it draws the viewer into a more authentic sense of involvement. As for the acting, here, too, I have to partially differ, since I feel Lynn Redgrave gave a fine and measured performance (not over-the-top, as some reviews have stated). If I had any quarrel with the acting, it was with Jasper Jacob as "Miles," because the actor looked 4 or 5 years too old for the role. Still, his performance was passable, and as for Eva Griffith, her "Flora" was superb; Griffith's face, moreover, has remarkable sensuality for a child actress, which makes the gradual onset of libertine possession all the more believable. In short, this is one of my favorite adaptations of a famous horror novel which, whatever its flaws, is one I'd love to have on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: A Dissenting Point of View
Review: Though I appear to be a minority, I'd like to praise this version of "The Turn of the Screw," not because I think it's an improvement over the 1961 film version, "The Innocents," but because I think it succeeds in the context of its own particular medium: videotape. True, this rendering of Henry James is not "cinematic" in the usual sense, but the very nature of videotape precludes the stylistic approach of celluloid. What this version lacks in the verisimilitude of exterior settings, it more than compensates for in terms of intimacy of atmosphere (the main virtue of videotaped productions), so that I encountered a mood of claustrophobia lacking in theatrical versions. In fact, this "Turn of the Screw," like Dan Curtis's 1968 version of "Jekyll and Hyde" (and like the BBC videotape of "Count Dracula") carries much of the directness of on-stage drama: precisely because of its technical lack of "polish," it draws the viewer into a more authentic sense of involvement. As for the acting, here, too, I have to partially differ, since I feel Lynn Redgrave gave a fine and measured performance (not over-the-top, as some reviews have stated). If I had any quarrel with the acting, it was with Jasper Jacob as "Miles," because the actor looked 4 or 5 years too old for the role. Still, his performance was passable, and as for Eva Griffith, her "Flora" was superb; Griffith's face, moreover, has remarkable sensuality for a child actress, which makes the gradual onset of libertine possession all the more believable. In short, this is one of my favorite adaptations of a famous horror novel which, whatever its flaws, is one I'd love to have on DVD.

Rating:
Summary: The Reality of Turn of the Screw
Review: Turn of the Screw is a horror film based on the idea of two deceased adults who have come back from the dead to try to steal the soul's of two children whom they knew while they were alive. The plot of the story served its purpose as a horror film, but the acting is atrocious. In particular was the character Mrs. Cubberly. she plays a nanny to two young children, Flora and Miles. The two children used to be close with Peter Quint and Ms. Jessel, the two ghosts who have come back to haunt the mansion before they passed away. Mrs. Cubberly is the only person, besies Flora and Miles that can see Peter Quint and Ms. Jessel. The looks upon her face every time she catches a glimpse of either of them is a fake look of horror. The way the camera come supon her and the look upon her face is an amateurish style that you would only expect from an incompetent director. This type of old-fashioned acting might not be so irritating if it wasn't executed continuously on throughout the movie. The ending is really good for a laugh, but not meant to be. You'll just have to watch and see what happens. Overall, the movie reminds me of an old-fashioned film. Once again, the plot was fulfilling, but the destitute acting dampened the whole effect of the movie. If old-fashioned and unprofessional is your style, this movie's for you.

Rating:
Summary: The Reality of Turn of the Screw
Review: Turn of the Screw is a horror film based on the idea of two deceased adults who have come back from the dead to try to steal the soul's of two children whom they knew while they were alive. The plot of the story served its purpose as a horror film, but the acting is atrocious. In particular was the character Mrs. Cubberly. she plays a nanny to two young children, Flora and Miles. The two children used to be close with Peter Quint and Ms. Jessel, the two ghosts who have come back to haunt the mansion before they passed away. Mrs. Cubberly is the only person, besies Flora and Miles that can see Peter Quint and Ms. Jessel. The looks upon her face every time she catches a glimpse of either of them is a fake look of horror. The way the camera come supon her and the look upon her face is an amateurish style that you would only expect from an incompetent director. This type of old-fashioned acting might not be so irritating if it wasn't executed continuously on throughout the movie. The ending is really good for a laugh, but not meant to be. You'll just have to watch and see what happens. Overall, the movie reminds me of an old-fashioned film. Once again, the plot was fulfilling, but the destitute acting dampened the whole effect of the movie. If old-fashioned and unprofessional is your style, this movie's for you.

Rating:
Summary: Spooky Atmosphere Ruined by Gratuitous Violence
Review: Well-acted, eerie atmosphere, BBC-style British television spooker is all set to be near-perfect, of a quality right up there with The Changeling or the Woman In Black. But some viewers may be turned off by the relentless torturing of animals that the two kids get up to - far more so than the barely hinted at suggestions in The Innocents film version of this great Henry James story. I found this aspect spoiled what could have easily been otherwise an above-average haunted house movie relying on psychological chills in the best tradition of The Haunting.