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In Reply to: Haunting vs Haunted Hill posted by Wally on September 22, 2000 at 07:15:23:
I would agree that if you are going to use the DVD as a "show-off" DVD, get the Haunting. Visually it is rather impressive, moreover, it has Dolby Digital EX just to show off that 6th (or 6th and 7th) speaker(s).But...the lines and plot is laughable. Absolutely not suspenseful at all.
The Haunted Hill, on the other hand, while visually and aurally less impressive, does a little bit better job tugging the audience along for the ride. That is not to say it is a great movie, just done better than the Haunting.
Perhaps an issue of the lesser of two evils here.
Follow Ups:
The original "Haunting" is a masterpiece of the supernatural; the
original "Haunted Hill" is a fun, campy film, but not superscary,except perhaps for kids. The remake of "Haunting" is
not scary, no suspense, little depth in characterization, not worth
having, in spite of high production values. The remake of "Haunted
Hill" is the best bet for a halloween party atmosphere, if one wants
more of a roller-coaster ride feeling with some chills, this remake
has a much darker tone than the original, great campy performances
by the husband-wife team. Therefore, I definitely recommend the
remake of "Haunted Hill" for party purposes. In a more subdued
atmosphere, watch the original "Haunting" for genunine suspense
and chills. - AH
The original film is based closely on the book, "The Haunting of Hill House," a story containing just four characters and an incredible sense of the unseen. This black and white film starring Julie Harris, Clair Bloom, Russ Tamblyn and John _____ is a great bit of ensemble interaction. It features excellent cinematography with exceptionally good visual and sound effects (NOT special FX) that heighten the suspense without upstaging everything else in the film. Spellbinding, with small snippets of humor, "The Haunting" is a sometimes-narrated (very short) telling of the evil brought about by Hill House's deceased owner Steven Crane, the psychological play of the actors among themselves and whatever is haunting the place and why, and a subplot of unrequited lesbianism between the two women; an absolute classic of the genre.The insipid and overwrought FX re-do that came out about a year ago is predictable, dumb and so badly done compared to the original as to be laughable. The only redeeming factor might be the FX and even then, the sophomoric plot, moronic script and lukewarm acting combined for a lousy film that, IMO, wasn't worth the reduced price paid to see it on a rainy Sunday afternoon.
Do yourself a favor. Find the original (it's in most better rental emporiums) and show it. You won't be sorry.
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