Number 9:
The Haunting (1963) AND Poltergeist
Yes. In a way I’m cheating with this one, but I honestly tried to pick just ONE of these movies. The problem was I couldn’t decide between the two. One of the things that I’ve been trying to do sort of with this list is not let one kind of horror movie over take too much of this list. You know, only limiting myself to one werewolf movie, one vampire movie etc. However, I know that I wanted to put one of these haunted house movies on here, but I just could not figure out which was the superior film.
Both movies are classics, and both have a lot going for them on the script, direction and scares level, but they are so vastly different that I just had to include both of them. The Haunting is a classic because it’s an entire movie that shows you absolutely nothing and can still scare the hell out of you. With a great premise of a bunch of people that are have decided to stay in one of the most haunted houses in the country to investigate the supernatural, how could this not make for a great horror movie? (or Darwin Award.) Director Robert Wise has been famously quoted as saying that he made the film because while reading the book it is based on (Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House) in his office and nearly hitting the ceiling when someone knocked on his door. He seem to take this to heart because this is a movie all about how effective it uses its sound to build the suspense. Be it the loud, ominous banging our characters hear throughout, or the protagonists terrified voice over, this movie is one of the scariest things you will ever see because of it. Sadly I don’t have much to add to the movie’s praises because it would involve plot spoilers, and since I actually want you to seek this movie out I’m not going there. But I will say this, if I ever make a list of the 10 worst horror movie remakes (and god knows I have given this serious consideration.), I know that the 1999 remake of this film will make it on there. The one you want is the black and white one. It’s a moody, atmospheric, and damn tense flick that still works even after almost 50 years.
But what, say you about Poltergeist? Why is that film here when The Haunting is clearly the older and more classic film? Well, Poltergeist is a classic of another kind. First, back story:
The movie came out in 1982 and while this was a movie that Steven Spielberg (yes, that guy) pitched, came up with the story, helped write the screenplay and actually wanted to direct, but since he was working on E.T. couldn’t due to contract restrictions, thus The Texas Chainsaw Massacre director Tobe Hooper was hired with the understanding that there was a chance to Spielberg to unofficially co-direct while on set observing in his role as a producer. Because of this, I feel that Poltergeist has this odd touch that no other horror movie has.
Firstly, the fact that for once the house that is haunted actually looks like a house someone is living in, granted because of this movie’s success there has been a massive surge in THESE kinds of haunting movies (looking at you Paranormal “Why the fuck am I a franchise?!” Activity), but still when you first see this setup it really ups the stakes in a way The Haunting, no matter how will it does with what it has, just never could because you know that it’s just some house these people are in that no one in their right mind would actually live in. The house in Poltergeist on the other hand looks like YOUR house. Not exactly, but it has enough touches to it that it feels like a home that does exist in the suburbs. Something the creators specifically have stated was the point. Hell, some of the movie’s most memorable scares are based on the childhood fears of the creators.
The performances are all very good, particularly Jobeth Williams as a mother desperate to get her young daughter back. The actors all feel like they are genuinely terrified, and not just screaming because that’s all their characters were required to do.
The point is that both of the movies scared the hell out of me when I first saw them, and then still held up fantastically as films when I went back over them. Well worth a look this year if you haven’t seen them yet. Check them out.
both films:
5 out of 5
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