The Haunting

Rating:
Summary: AWFUL, AWFUL, AWFUL
Review: To say that this version of "The Haunting" lacks all of the understatment, subtlty, and nuance of the book is obvious. To say that it lacks logic, coherence, character, and good directing is even more obvious. Unfortunately, the film is not aimed at the intellectual crowd who are fans of Jackson's book, or the classic horror fans of the original movie. Instead, the filmmakers (one of whom is, in this case, the gloriously misguided Steven Spielberg) have aimed the story at the video game/music video crowd, sacrificing every nuance and plot element to the whirlwind of uninteresting and unmotivated special effects. In a house where anything can happen, nothing is frightening when it finally does.

Rating:
Summary: TERRIBLE ATTEMPT AT GOTHIC HORROR
Review: "The Haunting" is certainly one of the worst films I've seen. While it starts off promisingly, the sets and special effects become so mind numbingly overdone that the thread of the original story is lost completely. It is replaced by a story that is not only derivitive and banal, but laugably contrived as well. This movie proves that even with a classic novel and a classic movie, a remake can totally botch its rendering beyond all recognition. Recommended for the film audience that prefers style far above substance.

Rating:
Summary: Wow, What a Disappointment
Review: It's really difficult to make a good movie with bad material. But making a bad movie with good material must be easy---Jan DeBont proves it with this turkey. Shirley Jackson's story was a spooky classic. Robert Wise's B & W version was excellent and one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. And HE did it without special effects; just sound, shadows, and camera angles. This movie could have been so much better by relying on the original premise and forgetting all the comic book special effects. Mr. DeBont is proving that he's better as a technician than a director. Liam Neeson must have lost a bet to go along with this.

Rating:
Summary: Fun but Ludicrous
Review: This is a great 'B' movie.There is no real comparison with the first one (1963).That one was an intellectual haunted house story. This one is just juvenile.The idea that the Dudleys,man and wife caretakers, could take care of a forty acre lawn as well as a monstrous castle by themselves struck me as hilarious."No one from the town will come here" she says.After the catastrophic damage in the house, I really felt for the Dudleys.The picture was just fun.

Rating:
Summary: It wasn't as bad as everyone thinks...
Review: This movie was actually pretty good. It keeps me entertained, and it is one that I will definitely buy when it comes out on DVD. I especially loved the effects.

Rating:
Summary: NEGATIVE 100 STARS. WORST FILM OF THE DECADE.
Review: This is a travesty, not only of Shirley Jackson's creepy, intelligent, incomparable "The Haunting of Hill House", but of the original "The Haunting". It's a ghost story for video-game-addicted morons. I've lost all respect I may have had for Neeson, Zeta-Jones and Taylor. This will be a permanent blotch on their resumes. If they were smart (ha ha) they might want to consider just whiting this one out! I won't apologize for sounding spiteful, either; when one of this century's best 'ghost' stories was turned into an excuse for lots of gimmicky, asinine computer graphics, instead of being crafted into the eerie filmed masterpiece it deserved to be, I was angered and even more disgusted with Hollywood, its crummy formulas and lowest-common-denominator scriptwriting than I ever was before.

Rating:
Summary: Poor re-make of a good movie
Review: I was originally looking forward to seeing this movie, but after I did, I wish I hadn't spent the money. The story is lame, the actors dull, and the story is so changed from Shirley Jackson's wonderful book, and the 1963 movie that it doesn't even deserve to share the same title. Forget about buying this botched movie and purchase the older 'Haunting.' You'll wonder why they bothered to make a re-make, proving that newer doesn't necessarily mean better.

Rating:
Summary: Best effects and graphics
Review: Very scary and exciting. Probably the best movie of the century

Rating:
Summary: Hauntingly Scary!!
Review: I saw the original and this movie is just as good. That is really rare. Most re-made versions arent as good. I liked the actors and the special effects are great. I will be first on-line to buy this movie when it comes out. Dont hesitate to see this movie, as well as the original of course.

Rating:
Summary: Three star theater - because....
Review: it's just not very scary, folks. I give it one star for atmosphere and set, one star for attractive actors, and one star for loudness. This movie has zilch to do with Shirley Jackson's novel (one of the most frightening stories I have ever read) and bears no resemblance to the previously filmed adaptation from the 1960's. Very loud, a lot of special effects, actors running all over the place yelling things like "are you all right?" and some absurd story about past child labor, never made clear. Disappointing!