Director – Jan de Bont (Speed, Twister)
Starring – Liam Neeson (Taken, Clash of the Titans), Catherine Zeta-Jones (The Phantom, Titanic), and Lili Taylor (The Conjuring, Hemlock Grove)
Release Date – 1999
Rating – 2.5/5
Blu Release – 2.5/5
The late 90s and early 00s was the years I was really coming into my own in respect to the type of horror flicks I enjoy. These were the years that I was introduced to Idle Hands, Thir13en Ghosts, Bones, and a few more that I would constantly watch. I had been renting Full Moon and Troma flicks for years by this point as well so a lot of the bigger budget horror thrillers didn’t look that appealing to me.
In 1999 The Haunting received a remake starring Liam Neeson from Twister and Speed director Jan de Bont. I remember when this film was originally released and I didn’t want to check it out. Honestly, it looked like it was going to be a big budget snoozefest. When I recieved the press release for the blu I was going to skip on reviewing it but a close friend told me to give it a shot. I was reluctant because we have very different tastes in horror but I caved in. Wish I wouldn’t have.
**spoiler Alert** The film follows three insomniacs who are invited to an old mansion for a study. Their doctor invites them under false pretenses. He has them believing they are there to be treated but the doctor really wants to experiment on them with fear. A simple excersice in fear turns deadly when the mansion they are in becomes alive and something sinister living in the walls reveals itself. **Spoiler Alert**
A lot of the horror crowd praises 1999’s The Haunting for its atmosphere and tension but I fail to see what they are referring to. The movie has a decent enough story going for it but when it was all said and done I found myself drifting off to sleep. I’m going to assume that this one is a tough one to watch and not that I’ve been over doing it on horror lately.
The acting in this one is a little underwhelming. This is an all star cast and the characters and performances we get are rather bland. The characters are so forgettable and in some of the scenes they feel as if they are just there to collect a pay check instead of delivering great performances.
The story for this one has so much potential. Having insomniacs pushed to the limits and then put through a horrifying trial only to be surprised by a real life haunting could have worked. However, the predictable haunting and drawn out scenes made this one a bit of a chore to finish. In fact, the second this flick was over I went ahead and went to bed. I couldn’t stay awake.
Finally, this is not a bloody flick but if you want some of the most laughable CGI and a house coming to life then this film is everything you’ve ever wanted. Overall, The Haunting was a huge disappointment. The movie had a solid plot but the execution, acting, and overdramatic scenes made it miss it’s mark. The horrible CGI is made even more laughable by the remastered release. The blu looks good and I absolutely adore the sleeve but the movie itself was not that good.
Special Features:
Filmmaker Focus: Director Jan de Bont on The Haunting
Behind the Scenes Featurette
Teaser Trailer
Theatrical Trailer
