The Haunting

Starring:Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, Fay Compton, Rosalie Crutchley, Lois Maxwell, Valentine Dyall, Diane Clare, Ronald Adam, Paul Maxwell, Freda Knorr, Pamela Buckley, Susan Richard, Howard Lang (II), Verina Greenlaw, Claude Jones, Janet Mansell, Amy Dalby, Rosemary Dorken
Director: Robert Wise
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
Certain to remain one of the greatest haunted-house movies ever made, Robert Wise's The Haunting (1963) is antithetical to all the gory horror films of subsequent decades, because its considerable frights remain implicitly rooted in the viewer's sensitivity to abject fear. A classic spook-fest based on Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House (which also inspired the 1999 remake directed by Jan de Bont), the film begins with a prologue that concisely establishes the dark history of Hill House, a massive New England mansion (actually filmed in England) that will play host to four daring guests determined to investigate--and hopefully debunk--the legacy of death and ghostly possession that has given the mansion its terrifying reputation.

Consumed by guilt and grief over her mother's recent death and driven to adventure by her belief in the supernatural, Eleanor Vance (Julie Harris) is the most unstable--and therefore the most vulnerable--visitor to Hill House. She's invited there by anthropologist Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson), along with the bohemian lesbian Theodora (Claire Bloom), who has acute extra-sensory abilities, and glib playboy Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn, from Wise's West Side Story), who will gladly inherit Hill House if it proves to be hospitable. Of course, the shadowy mansion is anything but welcoming to its unwanted intruders. Strange noises, from muffled wails to deafening pounding, set the stage for even scarier occurrences, including a door that appears to breathe (with a slowly turning doorknob that's almost unbearably suspenseful), unexplained writing on walls, and a delicate spiral staircase that seems to have a life of its own.

Amazon.com essential video

Certain to remain one of the greatest haunted-house movies ever made, Robert Wise's The Haunting (1963) is antithetical to all the gory horror films of subsequent decades, because its considerable frights remain implicitly rooted in the viewer's sensitivity to abject fear. A classic spook-fest based on Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House (which also inspired the 1999 remake directed by Jan de Bont), the film begins with a prologue that concisely establishes the dark history of Hill House, a massive New England mansion (actually filmed in England) that will play host to four daring guests determined to investigate--and hopefully debunk--the legacy of death and ghostly possession that has given the mansion its terrifying reputation.

Consumed by guilt and grief over her mother's recent death and driven to adventure by her belief in the supernatural, Eleanor Vance (Julie Harris) is the most unstable--and therefore the most vulnerable--visitor to Hill House. She's invited there by anthropologist Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson), along with the bohemian lesbian Theodora (Claire Bloom), who has acute extra-sensory abilities, and glib playboy Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn, from Wise's West Side Story), who will gladly inherit Hill House if it proves to be hospitable. Of course, the shadowy mansion is anything but welcoming to its unwanted intruders. Strange noises, from muffled wails to deafening pounding, set the stage for even scarier occurrences, including a door that appears to breathe (with a slowly turning doorknob that's almost unbearably suspenseful), unexplained writing on walls, and a delicate spiral staircase that seems to have a life of its own.

The genius of The Haunting lies in the restraint of Wise and screenwriter Nelson Gidding, who elicit almost all of the film's mounting terror from the psychology of its characters--particularly Eleanor, whose grip on sanity grows increasingly tenuous. The presence of lurking spirits relies heavily on the power of suggestion (likewise the cautious handling of Theodora's attraction to Eleanor) and the film's use of sound is more terrifying than anything Wise could have shown with his camera. Like Jack Clayton's 1961 chiller, The Innocents, The Haunting knows the value of planting the seeds of terror in the mind, as opposed to letting them blossom graphically on the screen. What you don't see is infinitely more frightening than what you do, and with nary a severed head or bloody corpse in sight, The Haunting is guaranteed to chill you to the bone. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A group is introduced to the supernatural through a 90-year old New England haunted house. Be prepared for hair-raising results in this classic horror film!

Customer Reviews:

HORROR MOVIES.......2007-05-13

Vary will made at that time it was made.over all vary good old time horror movie.thay don't make these any more

The "Gold Standard" for haunted house movies!.......2007-05-12

If you are collecting haunted house movies this film must be purchased to make your collection complete. There is no question that this film is the gold standard against which every other haunted house movie is rated, at least among the older movie crowd. It is, after all, a black and white movie which does not rely on special effects to put on a good show. The film definitely had a great cast to act out a good plot which was faithful to the wonderful book by Ms. Jackson. As your other writers have said, it had great camera work and a musical score which worked. The most important thing for me was that I cared what happened to the characters, and that generally means the film worked for me.

With that said I just thought I should mention that there were a few lines of dialogue in the movie that must have been the work of a studio writer looking to jazz up the movie. I think that person failed. Some of the lines I could have lived without include (usually Dr. Markway is speaking):

"This is the operating room; I mean the center of operations."
Luke said ... "I am here because I am a wolf in ghosts clothing".
I'm not running a psychic beauty contest.
Markway ... "Psychic phenomenon are subject to certain laws".
Luke ..."What are they?"
Markway ..."You won't know until you break them".

If that sort of whimsical dialogue does not bother you I am certain you will enjoy this film. This DVD was a very good transfer. By the way, I personally enjoyed the remake and thought the rewrite of the story presented some interesting twists from the original.

"Whatever walks in Hill House walks alone".......2007-05-08

This is THE BEST HAUNTED HOUSE MOVIE EVER MADE!!!! Director Robert Wise has given us the Perfect Haunted House movie with this understated "Thriller" that takes for granted that we are all over the age of 3 and can use our brains as more that just a processor of gore and fright masks. Nothing is seen but it is sure felt as this movie works it's magic on you.
A doctor who studies the paranormal(Richard Johnson in a very nice turn) brings two psychics( Julie Harris And Claire Bloom, both of whom are in top form here) and the sole heir to the house known as Hill House( Russ Tamblyn also very strong in his role) to study the house which has a very dark past. As the study goes on the house comes alive around them and as the more susceptible Harris begins to fall under its spell the tension becomes more and more palatable. All the sounds and sights become bigger than the sum as little by little the house forces its will on the group.
This is a haunted house movie for everyone who likes to feel the cold chill creep down your spine, and doesn't have to have a shock every 30 seconds to get scared. This doesn't have one false note or scene in it. Be sure to unplug the phone and turn down the lights for this one, if you DARE!

The Haunting (Original 1963 version).......2007-05-07

Released in 1963, and in black and white, The Haunting is still considered to be the scariest ghost movie ever made and I agree. The Haunting is a suspenseful thriller that does its thing without fancy effects or blood and gore. The DVD version is the only genuine way to view this grand movie, directed by Robert Wise. Wise's use of infrared film enhances the visual effects of certain scenes. The house used for the exterior shots is the Ettington Manor hotel in England. The interior scenes were filmed in the studio. The cast is superb and Julie Harris plays the part Eleanor so well the she becomes the character. The DVD makes possible the viewing of the wide format and the viewer can see the entire scenes, as they were filmed. This film is truly a milestone in ghost-horror and is best viewed in darkness with premium sound. If you're a ghost-movie fan, you must have this DVD. Prepare to be frightened and..............enjoy.

GET UNDER THE COVERS , TURN THE LIGHTS OUT...AND WATCH THIS MOVIE!.......2007-04-17

They just don't make'em like this anymore! A movie that relies on a good story, great camera work, strong direction and an excellent cast! What is not seen is much scarier that what is. Genuinely chilling and dripping with atmosphere the king of haunted house films! This DVD has a great transfer and should be in every horror buffs collection. This is one of my favorite Halloween movies!

Average customer rating:

Zoiks! and Jinkies!
Some movies are just born bad...
An awesome movie!!
Things go "DUD" in the night
PERFECT!

The Haunting
Starring: Lili Taylor , Liam Neeson , Catherine Zeta-Jones , Owen Wilson , and Bruce Dern
Director: Jan de Bont
Manufacturer: Dreamworks Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Horror | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 Science Fiction & Fantasy | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

House on Haunted Hill
Ghost Ship (Widescreen Edition)
Thirteen Ghosts
What Lies Beneath
The Legend of Hell House

ASIN: 0783237413
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Amazon.com

Suffering from the extreme bad luck of being released at the same time as the low-budget The Blair Witch Project, this adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House attempts to update Shirley Jackson's psychologically terrifying ghost story to the era of big-budget, computerized special effects. Does it work? Well, let's just say that showing isn't exactly the same as telling. A prime example of bloated studio filmmaking, The Haunting telegraphs all its frights so blatantly that it forsakes any of Jackson's subtle horrors for the remedial scares of a clunky carnival ride. The story remains basically the same, with four people called to an old mansion for experiments in the supernatural, but instead of getting inside the heads of its main characters (as the 1963 adaptation by Robert Wise did so well), Jan DeBont's film deserts character development for the huge, glorious set design provided by Eugenio Zanetti (Restoration). Thus, instead of a well-drawn story you get... a well-drawn house, one that four very talented and underutilized actors--Lili Taylor, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Liam Neeson, and Owen Wilson--wander around in endlessly (as Zeta-Jones puts it, the house is "sort of Charles Foster Kane meets the Munsters"). Taylor, as the hypersensitive Nell, is the unknowing lynchpin in the battle between good and bad ghosts and gets saddled with most of the expository dialogue of the mansion's gothic backstory. Zeta-Jones (showing some spark) and Neeson (showing none) are sadly reduced to providing reactionary shots of the film's disastrous climax, which mixes hapless new-age affirmations with computer-generated effects of ghosts and exploding windows, walls, doors, etc. For this haunted-house story, take a quick tour of the breathtaking rooms, but definitely don't stay the night. --Mark Englehart

Customer Reviews:

Zoiks! and Jinkies!.......2007-06-08

On the surface, this movie has everything it needs to place it in the horror section of any video store, and admittedly, it is not scary at all. But something made me wonder if it was really meant to be scary or was it just a story with a few classic horror elements included to support the storyline. This had all the feel of an old Scooby Doo cartoon, and I love it for that. It never even really felt like the intent was to scare us. This is just a fun movie. I loved all the characters, least of which (although I liked her somewhat) was Theo. A little too bouncy and bubbly for her age, but she is CZJ, so she is forgiven. A few jump scares and they even managed to formulate a PG-13 decap. The CGI was a bit (a bit???) over the top. But I loved the story. Enough to forgive a little too much CGI and a few cheesey lines. It won't make you piss yourself, but if you are a fan of the actors - and I am - it's a great movie to own.

Some movies are just born bad..........2007-05-17

To say I was disappointed in this movie would be an understatement. To classify this as a horror film would be just plain wrong. While it achieves its goal to tell a good story, the chills and thrills just aren't there. I cannot recommend this movie to anyone with a serious yen to be scared out of their wits. If you want a real frightening tale, I recomend Rose Red. That's how a haunted house story should be told.

An awesome movie!!.......2007-05-13

This was an awesome movie! The cg graphics was excellent and the story was cool!! This has made a super movie for the halloween holiday!!

Things go "DUD" in the night.......2007-05-08

Once again a remake takes a "Classic" film "The Haunting"(the best haunted house movie ever) and retooled it as an effects driven mess. Did they even watch the original or read the wonderful novel? Surely not if this is what they came up with. All the subtler aspects of the first are thrown out in favor of the mind numbing CGI effects. The result is one big dud of a "thriller". The cast is good but wasted as the makers seem more intent on showing us what they can do with CGI rather than giving us a true "chiller" like the better than ever original was.
All in all, not even a nice try!!!

PERFECT!.......2007-04-02

THIS IS A PERFECT MOVIE TO SEE IF YOU'RE INTO THE SUPERNATURAL OR SPIRITUAL!DEFINITELY GET THIS!YOU'LLBE GLAD YOU DID!I WATCH THIS OFTEN.THIS IS A VERY TOUCHING STORY.THE CHILDRENS SPIRIT NEEDS TO BE RELEASED.THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN HELP THEM IS A FAMILY NOW ALIVE FROM A LONG LINE OF DESCENT.THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL STORY!SPIRITS OF THE DEAD CONTACTING A LIVING PERSON OF IMPORTANCE TO THEM BECAUSE THEY KNOW THIS PERSON CAN HELP THEM.THIS STORY REALLY TOUCHED ME.I REALLY BELIEVE THAT CAN HAPPEN.THE MANSION'S BEAUTIFUL!THIS MOVIE REALLY MAKES YOU WANT TO BE THERE,AND TO HELP THOSE CHILDREN.

Average customer rating:

An American Haunting (Unrated Edition)
Starring: Susan Almgren , Gaye Brown , Vernon Dobtcheff , Philip Hurdwood , and Matthew Marsh
Director: Courtney Solomon
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Omen (Widescreen Edition)
Silent Hill (Widescreen Edition)
Slither (Widescreen Edition)
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Pulse (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000HC2LFI
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Amazon.com

With its brisk 83-minute running time, An American Haunting is compact enough to be recommended as an occasionally spooky sampling of historical horror. Based on Brent Monahan's novel The Bell Witch: An American Haunting, which in turn was inspired by the only known case (from 1818-20) in which the U.S. government officially acknowledged a death by supernatural forces, writer-director Courtney Solomon's film is a well-crafted 19th-century case study involving Tennessee land-owner John Bell (Donald Sutherland), his worried wife Lucy (Sissy Spacek), and the terrifying abuse of their daughter Betsy (Rachel Hurd-Wood) by a malicious poltergeist. Intensified by excessive sound effects and a nerve-jangling score, these nightly hauntings won't scare anyone who's seen The Exorcist, and they grow increasingly repetitious even as Spacek and Sutherland make the most of their underwritten roles. Solomon (who previously brought Dungeons and Dragons to the big screen) seems more interested in visceral terror than fleshing out the details of this interesting story of dark secrets and child abuse, and his over-used bag of tricks includes time-lapse footage, flashes of negative images, black-and-white (to signal an imminent haunting), and a variety of physical effects designed to keep your adrenaline flowing. It works, to a point (although the present-day framing scenes are completely unnecessary), and An American Haunting makes a good double-feature with The Exorcism of Emily Rose, a far better film with similar subject matter. This good-looking, bleakly moody fright-fest is also noteworthy as the next-to-last screen credit for Adrian Biddle, the esteemed cinematographer of such high-profile hits as Aliens, Thelma & Louise, The Mummy, and V for Vendetta, the latter completed just prior to Biddle's fatal heart attack in December 2005.--Jeff Shannon

Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol. 2 (A Haunting we Will Go / Dancing Masters / Bullfighters)

Average customer rating:

Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol. 2 (A Haunting we Will Go / Dancing Masters / Bullfighters)
Starring: Laurel & Hardy
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Television | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Laurel and Hardy Collection, Vol. 1 (Great Guns / Jitterbugs / The Big Noise)
Laurel & Hardy - Air Raid Wardens / Nothing but Trouble
TCM Archives - The Laurel and Hardy Collection (The Devil's Brother / Bonnie Scotland)
Laurel & Hardy II (Way Out West / Block-Heads / Chickens Come Home)
Laurel & Hardy (Sons of the Desert/The Music Box/Another Fine Mess/Busy Bodies/County Hospital)

ASIN: B000G6BLHE
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Description

Episode Description: The Laurel & Hardy Collection Volume 2 contains 3 classic comedies A-Haunting We Will Go, Dancing Masters, and Bullfighters. These titles are all available for the first time on DVD in a slipcase for $34.98 & $46.98.

Disk 1: A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO (1942) *Full Frame Feature **Commentary by Randy Skretvedt **Movietone News **Theatrical Trailer

Disk 2: THE DANCING MASTERS (1943) *Full Frame Feature **Commentary by Scott MacGillivray **A Ship's Reporter **Grand Hotel: The 1932 Laurel & Hardy Tour **Trailers

Description

Sing, dance, and play along with your favorite Disney characters in this tune-filled SING-ALONG SONGS DVD. It's fun and easy as you read the on-screen lyrics and join the festivities. Invite your friends -- after all, it's even more fun when you share! Children as young as two will have a ball when Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy -- and other favorite Disney friends -- throw a party inside Disneyland's Haunted Mansion! There's plenty to do: pumpkin carving, bobbing for apples, cooking with Goofy -- even trick-or-treating in Toontown! But most of all, there'll be lots of singing and dancing to silly spooky songs of the season. So c'mon everybody, time to party!

Average customer rating:

Forumla
No please, this is trash.
Could be worse
It has Evan Stone!
Just a waste

Haunting Desires
Starring: Beverly Lynne , Jay Richardson , Evan Stone , Belinda Gavin , and Fallon Pfeifer
Director: Fred Olen Ray
Manufacturer: Victory Audio/Video Services
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Bikini Chain Gang
Babes in the Woods
Visions Of Passion
The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful: They're Wanted
Bikini Girls From the Lost Planet

ASIN: B0001OGV08
Release Date: 2004-04-13

Customer Reviews:

Forumla.......2007-06-11

There's quite a number of vampire stripper films already out there; Blond Heaven, Vamps, Vamps 2 etc.

This one follows the same formula. It's not any worse, but it does have some really stupid moments in it, especially the ending.

Take for instance a vampire stripper goes out to a guys van to have sex with him and to feed. They're in the back of the van when she bits him he throws her off, jumps to the front of the van and begins to drive off. Why? She's still in the back of the van. You can't drive away from someone in the same vehicle!

Why's an immortal vampire running a very small strip-joint, anyway? He should have heaps of money; having made a killing in long-term investments.

No please, this is trash........2006-07-12

Buy a real adult film or watch some skinamax for an hour and 15 min.
Do not spend a dime on this garbage. Action = 0, Plot = 1, Gore = 0
Soft core at it's worst.

Could be worse.......2005-10-17

This fails on almost all fronts, acting, setting, dialog, eroticism and plot, cute twist at the end gave it an extra star.

It has Evan Stone!.......2004-12-18

In defense of this film, yes it is truly bad. The plot hilarious, the acting bad, and the ending is truly horrific (not in a good way). BUT it has Evan Stone (the Adult Film Star) and he is truly mesmerizing to watch. He is the only reason this film is watchable at all and you can see why his career has taken off so well. If only you could see his great scene! This DVD is NOT the movie they show on TV. It has been CUT. All the remotely sexy parts have been cut out, and it ends up being just a little over an hour. Catch it on Late Night, it's much better.

Just a waste.......2004-07-04

If you are looking for something sexually exciting, then this ain't it. I'm looking at it now on HBO & it's pathetic.

Average customer rating:

The Haunting of Lisa
Starring: Don Alvarado , Cheryl Ladd , Kate Lynch , Wayne Northrop , and Duncan Regehr
Director: Don Mc Brearty
Manufacturer: Allumination
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Dead Before Dawn
The Killing Secret (True Stories Collection TV Movie)
Stalking Laura
The Stranger Beside Me
Death of a Cheerleader (True Stories Collection TV Movie)

Product Features:

biography
interactive menus
scene access
filmography

ASIN: B000HKGHG4
Release Date: 2006-11-16

Product Description

After being drawn to an old shed in the park, Lisa's mother Ellen learns that this shed was the setting for a horrific crime 30 years ago where a young girl disappeared and her stepfather and mother were murdered. A surviving family member, an 11 year old named Buddy, was placed in a foster home far from Heaven Lake. Lisa's visions show that Buddy has returned with a false identity and he is bent on killing just as he was 30 years ago.

Average customer rating:

Disappointing horror film which fails to generate any suspense or horror and is occasionally downright laughable
This thing sucked so bad !!!
intense scary horror movie, not really but a great comedy to laugh at
An American Haunting
Not true to history - full of gender bias

An American Haunting (PG-13 Edition)
Starring: Susan Almgren , Gaye Brown , Vernon Dobtcheff , Philip Hurdwood , and Matthew Marsh
Director: Courtney Solomon
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Omen (Widescreen Edition)
Silent Hill (Widescreen Edition)
Slither (Widescreen Edition)
The Da Vinci Code (Widescreen Two-Disc Special Edition)
Pulse (Unrated Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000HC2LFS
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing horror film which fails to generate any suspense or horror and is occasionally downright laughable.......2007-06-14

What's it all about?
An American Haunting is set in Tennessee in 1817 and is based on the supposedly true story of the Bell Witch. When John Bell (Donald Sutherland) is cursed by a local woman, strange things start happening to him and his teenage daughter, Betsy (Rachel Hurd-Wood).

Initially, the spooky occurrences are limited to weird noises in the house, but the entity gets more and more violent and only seems to attack the father and daughter, while the mother (Sissy Spacek) and older brother (Thom Fell) can only watch in horror.

Various attempts at exorcism are performed by both a local reverend (Matthew Marsh) and a schoolteacher (James D'Arcy) but nothing seems to work and the poltergeist keeps getting angrier.

The Good
Sutherland and Spacek are always good value and they do the best they can, although you can tell that they'd really rather be somewhere else. However, the stand out is Rachel Hurd-Wood, who gives an impressive performance, despite spending large portions of the film in bed. Hopefully she'll go on to bigger and better things after this.

The Bad
The film's biggest problem is that, like last year's The Exorcism of Emily Rose, it comes across as a cheesy rip-off of The Exorcist. Unfortunately, it's not remotely scary and writer-director Solomon resorts to all sorts of cheap tricks to try and convince us otherwise. That said, the climactic sequence is intriguing, but you can't help feeling the film would have been more effective if the truth had been revealed from the start.

However, the film's biggest mistake is to book-end the film with a truly atrocious sequence set in the present day. The ending, in particular, is likely to cause unintentional laughter.

Worth seeing?
In short, this is a disappointing film that could easily have been a lot better. Rent The Exorcist again instead.

This thing sucked so bad !!!.......2007-06-06

Oh, What a lousy film ! It had potential for a very creepy and moody 19th century supernatural thriller, but instead it was hashed out as an embarrassing and laughable attempt at something that almost qualifies as a weekend filler on the Lifetime Network or ABC Family. Most historical accounts of the Bell Witch are admittedly based on arguably validated fabrications that attempt to outdo themselves with each successive evolution, and some accounts (true or not) are quite scary. This movie doesn't really follow any of them, and instead capitalizes on a known legend and dresses it up with levitations, ghost wolves, and creaky floorboards. They couldn't even use the clichés properly. (The levitation and slapping scenes made me laugh)

As a positive, some of the wolf scenes are well done (such as being chased in the forest) despite the fact that it does nothing for the story. Also, the stagecoach flipping was an exceptionally executed stunt.

However, there are a few shots of the wolf (prancing under the window or trying to evade the flipping stagecoach through the fog) on which the obvious CG work was so poor that I found it a distraction.

Finally, the acting was so subpar that it seems a waste to have used such high powered talent...unless they were being blackmailed or being paid scale, I can't make sense of that one.

Avoid this movie. It is not scary.

It sucks.

intense scary horror movie, not really but a great comedy to laugh at.......2007-05-12

I really dont know what sparked me to watch this movie. The commericials made it look really scary but the only thing that scared me was whether or not i would piss in my pants before i could make it to the bathroom from laughing so hard. This was the worst ATTEMPT at a horror movie i have ever seen. i dont know what these some what well known(many years ago) actors were thinking taking a role in this dreck movie. I guess it still was sucessful somewhat since i laughed harder than i ever have during a movie that was meant to be funny. For a good laugh look for the wires holding her up.

An American Haunting.......2007-05-08

A good movie, but not what I expected. Not one for children under 13 in my opinion because of how the story actually turned out. Involves incest which was unexpected.

Not true to history - full of gender bias .......2007-04-25

I am a fan of ghost horror movies and a fan of 19th century American history. Unlike this movie, the actual historical story behind this movie is a VERY scary story that even then President Andrew Jackson checked out first hand and confirmed. I know the story behind this movie well - have read and followed it sionce childhood. This movie does not remotely follow the historical events. It is a complete departure from history. This movie is also a hard-line feministic film that tries to take the original story and turn it into a father-daughter rape story - and this is complete fiction and a true shame to cast this conjured garbage about a historical event and real people. This movie is from a feminist who does not care about butchering a great American legend. Sorry, I was very disappointed. BTW, it isn't scary either.

Average customer rating:

Zoiks! and Jinkies!
Some movies are just born bad...
An awesome movie!!
Things go "DUD" in the night
PERFECT!

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DTS | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

House on Haunted Hill
Ghost Ship (Widescreen Edition)
Thirteen Ghosts
What Lies Beneath
The Legend of Hell House

ASIN: 0783246692
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Zoiks! and Jinkies!.......2007-06-08

Some movies are just born bad..........2007-05-17

An awesome movie!!.......2007-05-13

This was an awesome movie! The cg graphics was excellent and the story was cool!! This has made a super movie for the halloween holiday!!

Things go "DUD" in the night.......2007-05-08

PERFECT!.......2007-04-02

A Fiddler's Guide to Waltzes, Airs and Haunting Melodies

Average customer rating:

An Incredible DVD

A Fiddler's Guide to Waltzes, Airs and Haunting Melodies
Starring: Jay Ungar
Manufacturer: Homespun Tapes
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Music Video & Concerts | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Special Interests | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Educational | Genres | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Music Video & Concerts | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Special Interests | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

DVD-Learn To Play Irish Fiddle #1
DVD-Learn To Play Irish Fiddle #2
Mel Bay presents The American Fiddle Method, Vol. 1
Blues on the Fiddle
DVD-The Fiddle According To Vassar

ASIN: B0002Y4TXI
Release Date: 2004-09-21

Description

Learn to play lovely, heart-rending pieces and benefit from Jay Ungar's years of experience as a top fiddler. He shows the inventive use of slides, grace notes, rolls, smears, vibrato and special bowing techniques that turn ordinary tunes into distinctive compositions. Jay teaches "Tombigbee Waltz," "Tennessee Waltz," "South Wind," "Shebeg Shemor," "Give Me Your Hand" and his Grammy-winning tune from Ken Burns' PBS Civil War series, "Ashokan Farewell."

Customer Reviews:

An Incredible DVD.......2007-02-07

Jay Ungar is a fiddler of the highest calliber. When he teaches, he does it in a very clear manner and does not reflect any arrogance. If you follow his instructions to the letter, you will find you are able to play the tunes in a very effective manner. This is a superb choice for anyone serious about learning to play fiddle.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Captain Ron

Star Trek: The Original Series, Vol. 5: What Are Little

Strictly Sinatra [2001] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Wee Sing Under the Sea

Es war einmal... der Mensch DVD 05