Zephyrus of the Anemoi

.the ramblings of a radman.

Tag: haunted house

Scary Movie Month – Day 27 – The Amityville Horror

October 27, 2011 /

So, apparently I saw the 2005 remake (iTunes) of this movie back when it came out on DVD, and had forgotten about it. It didn’t take long to remember, though, since the remake borrows heavily from the original. The Amityville Horror (iTunes) is the supposedly true story of a haunted house in Amityville, New York, wherein a family that moved into the house claimed they were terrorized by paranormal phenomena. Based on the book of the same name, it was made scarier in the early days of its release, due to the claims of the events depicted being true.

One of the nicest things about the original, though, was the extra 30 minutes of length, showing the audience many more of the events from the book. Also, Margot Kidder was super-hot in this movie. I’m talking white-hot, supernova. I never felt the same way about her in the Superman movies, but maybe I should watch them again.

The only real problem with this movie is that there are no real scares to be had. There’s a general sense of unease and a few moments where you worry about what might happen, but nothing truly frightening. If you’re looking for a truly excellent haunted house movie, then I once again refer you to The Haunting (iTunes), which was simply outstanding.

Scary Movie Month – Day 10 – The Haunting

October 10, 2011 /

“An evil old house, the kind some people call haunted, is like an undiscovered country waiting to be explored. Hill House had stood for 90 years and might stand for 90 more. Silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there… walked alone.”

I first saw The Haunting (iTunes) in high school, in one of my English classes (thank you, Mrs. Rockey!). While the movie was remade (iTunes) in the ’90s with lots of scares and frights and special effects, the atmosphere of the original was superior. The cinematography was much creepier than most other movies of the time, and surpassed most movies of the time altogether, regardless of genre. Eleanor “Nell” Lance is portrayed remarkably well by Julie Harris, whose nervousness (and possible mental illness) really heightens the tense and sometimes claustrophobic feeling of the film.

One of the oft-analyzed aspects of the film is Theo’s implied lesbianism, which was just subtle enough to be ignored by those that wouldn’t have been able to handle the concept at the time. Some even go so far is to imply that Dr. Markway and Luke also appear to be in a homosexual relationship, but I feel as though that might be reaching just a bit.

My favorite scene in the entire movie is one in which all horror is left to the imagination, rather than explicitly showing the audience what is terrorizing the characters. In the scene Theo and Nell are in their locked rooms while something outside in the hall is seeking a way in, making a terrifyingly loud knocking and scraping noise. Nothing is more frightening in the dark than unexplained sounds, and The Haunting makes certain to play on those innate fears. It is a fantastic movie, and should be required viewing for any fan of horror.

Also, doors that look like faces are terrifying.

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