THE
HAUNTING ($20) is undoubtedly one of the finest and most atmospheric
ghost stories to ever grace the silver screen. Having worked early in his
career for producer Val Lewton on such films as CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE
and THE BODY SNATCHER, director Robert Wise takes a Lewton-ian
approach to horror, by utilizing light and shadow to tremendous effect and
by not really showing the audience anything- thus creating an imagined
horror far greater than anything that could be created on the screen. And,
unlike the overblown remake, the Robert Wise version of THE HAUNTING
will send real shivers up the audience’s spines because the imagination
can still conjure things far scarier than expensive digital special
effects.
Based
upon the novel The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley
Jackson, THE HAUNTING tells of a scientific investigation conducted
in a New England home reputed to be haunted. Julie Harris gives a
captivating performance as Eleanor Lance, a mildly unbalanced young woman,
who is invited to participate in the investigation by Dr. John Markway
(Richard Johnson) because of a past experience with the supernatural. Also
on the investigative team is another young woman named Theodora (Claire
Bloom), whose psychic sensitivity is perfectly matched by her
insensitivity to those people around her. The final member of the team is
the spoiled Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn), who expects to inherit Hill
House and is only participating as a means to keep an eye on the family’s
property. However, soon after the group’s arrival, Hill House begins to
demonstrate how and why it achieved its reputation- dividing the foursome
whenever possible and preying upon their weaknesses. The cast of THE
HAUNTING also features Fay Compton, Rosalie Crutchley and Lois
Maxwell.
Warner
Home Video has made THE HAUNTING available on DVD in a 2.35:1 wide
screen presentation that has been enhanced for playback on 16:9 displays.
For a forty-year-old film that hasn’t undergone any form of restoration,
THE HAUNTING looks quite good on DVD. The image appears pretty
sharp and rather nicely defined. The black and white film elements used
for the transfer do display a number of blemishes, but they are not
excessive. Blacks appear pretty inky and the whites are crisp and stable.
Contrast is very good and the picture produces plenty of variety in its
grayscale. A grain structure does become noticeable in places; however, it
is never bothersome. Digital compression artifacts are well concealed
throughout the presentation.
THE
HAUNTING comes with a respectable sounding Dolby Digital monaural
soundtrack. There is no getting away from the fact that these are
four-decade-old recordings, as the limited fidelity will attest. Both the
top and bottom ends of the track are truncated; fortunately, the music and
sound effects really don’t call for too much, so they sound reasonably
good with a bit of amplification. Additionally, the track has been spruced
up to remove most of the background hiss and other signs of age. As for
the dialogue, it is crisp and always totally intelligible. A French
language track is also included on the DVD, as are English, French and
Spanish subtitles.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as a couple of
extras. Director Robert Wise and screenwriter Nelson Gidding, as well as
cast members Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn
are present on a rather detailed running audio commentary that fans will
find both informative and enjoyable. Segments of Robert Wise’s
screenplay with handwritten notes, plus a still gallery, movie ghost
stories essay, cast listing and theatrical trailer close out the extras.
THE
HAUNTING is a horror genre classic that has been given a fine DVD
release by the folks over at Warner Home Video. If you are a genre fan or
just a movie buff, then THE HAUNTING is a disc that you will want
to add to your collection. Recommended.
THE
HAUNTING ($20) is undoubtedly one of the finest and most atmospheric
ghost stories to ever grace the silver screen. Having worked early in his
career for producer Val Lewton on such films as CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE
and THE BODY SNATCHER, director Robert Wise takes a Lewton-ian
approach to horror, by utilizing light and shadow to tremendous effect and
by not really showing the audience anything- thus creating an imagined
horror far greater than anything that could be created on the screen. And,
unlike the overblown remake, the Robert Wise version of THE HAUNTING
will send real shivers up the audience’s spines because the imagination
can still conjure things far scarier than expensive digital special
effects.
Based
upon the novel The Haunting Of Hill House by Shirley
Jackson, THE HAUNTING tells of a scientific investigation conducted
in a New England home reputed to be haunted. Julie Harris gives a
captivating performance as Eleanor Lance, a mildly unbalanced young woman,
who is invited to participate in the investigation by Dr. John Markway
(Richard Johnson) because of a past experience with the supernatural. Also
on the investigative team is another young woman named Theodora (Claire
Bloom), whose psychic sensitivity is perfectly matched by her
insensitivity to those people around her. The final member of the team is
the spoiled Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn), who expects to inherit Hill
House and is only participating as a means to keep an eye on the family’s
property. However, soon after the group’s arrival, Hill House begins to
demonstrate how and why it achieved its reputation- dividing the foursome
whenever possible and preying upon their weaknesses. The cast of THE
HAUNTING also features Fay Compton, Rosalie Crutchley and Lois
Maxwell.
Warner
Home Video has made THE HAUNTING available on DVD in a 2.35:1 wide
screen presentation that has been enhanced for playback on 16:9 displays.
For a forty-year-old film that hasn’t undergone any form of restoration,
THE HAUNTING looks quite good on DVD. The image appears pretty
sharp and rather nicely defined. The black and white film elements used
for the transfer do display a number of blemishes, but they are not
excessive. Blacks appear pretty inky and the whites are crisp and stable.
Contrast is very good and the picture produces plenty of variety in its
grayscale. A grain structure does become noticeable in places; however, it
is never bothersome. Digital compression artifacts are well concealed
throughout the presentation.
THE
HAUNTING comes with a respectable sounding Dolby Digital monaural
soundtrack. There is no getting away from the fact that these are
four-decade-old recordings, as the limited fidelity will attest. Both the
top and bottom ends of the track are truncated; fortunately, the music and
sound effects really don’t call for too much, so they sound reasonably
good with a bit of amplification. Additionally, the track has been spruced
up to remove most of the background hiss and other signs of age. As for
the dialogue, it is crisp and always totally intelligible. A French
language track is also included on the DVD, as are English, French and
Spanish subtitles.
Music
underscores the basic interactive menus, which allow one access to the
standard scene selection and set up features, as well as a couple of
extras. Director Robert Wise and screenwriter Nelson Gidding, as well as
cast members Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn
are present on a rather detailed running audio commentary that fans will
find both informative and enjoyable. Segments of Robert Wise’s
screenplay with handwritten notes, plus a still gallery, movie ghost
stories essay, cast listing and theatrical trailer close out the extras.
THE
HAUNTING is a horror genre classic that has been given a fine DVD
release by the folks over at Warner Home Video. If you are a genre fan or
just a movie buff, then THE HAUNTING is a disc that you will want
to add to your collection. Recommended.
