Michael Scott
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The Haunting: Paramount Presents Edition
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Movie:
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The late 90s and early 2000s were an interesting time for horror. They tended to veer away from ridiculous gore fests, or tons of practical effects, but instead decided to aim for tons of CGI and more PG-13 style to it. Flicks like House of Wax, Ghost Ship, and House on Haunted Hill dotted the landscape. A style that tried to hearken back to Gothic horror, and infused with with the old 1970s ghost stories. 1999 was kind of a convergence for these movies, bringing us House on Haunted Hill, The Haunting AND Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (well, it may not be officially horror, but I was certainly horrified after watching it in theaters) all in one fell swoop. Out of those late 90s horror flicks, I still have a large weakness for the 1999 remake of The Haunting, and I was nearly dancing in my seat when I saw that Paramount was pulling it out of their back catalog for their 10th Paramount Presents edition. As is the case with all of the Paramount Presents films, we get a spiffy new 4K master, a new cover art with a fold open slipcover, and a clear Blu-ray case.
The film itself may be PG-13, but for a PG-13 horror movie it’s actually rather good. The 1963 The Haunting was a very cerebral horror movie that never actually showed any ghosts at all, and has widely been considered one of the scariest movies of all time (at least back in the day) for it’s clever use of misdirection and suspense. The 1999 remake goes a different direction, and while it doesn’t need an R rating, it does fall prey to being a bit CGI happy, as was the case with many of these late 90s/early 2000s horror flicks. That being said, the movie is awash with a Gothic feel that makes it less of a HORROR film, and more of a Gothic ghost story/mystery. A little tidbit that makes enjoyment of the film a bit more palatable when you realize that it’s not that much of what gorehounds and horror fanatics were hoping for back then. If you view it as a Gothic tragedy, or a Gothic mystery the movie makes much more sense, as the actual terror and nastiness is drastically missing. Sure we’re dealing with ghosts and an evil spirit, but the tension comes from the mystery of it all, and how it plays out vs. Trying to scare you (even though there are some jump scares in the first half of the film.
After Nell (Lili Taylor) suffers the death of her mother whom she cared for her whole life, the young woman is forced to find some way to make a living. Getting a mysterious call on the phone, she’s pointed to a wanted ad in the paper to come and act as a patient for a sleep study for $900 a week. It seems simple, but the reality of the situation is that the head of the study, Dr. David Marrow (Liam Neeson), is NOT actually running a sleep study. The study is a guise for him to run an experiment on how people react to fear, and his three “sleep patients” are the exact type that he’s looking for. Taking them out in the country to the old Hill House Manor (Hill House being a common haunted house in these movies), Dr. Marrow starts out some auditory and visual jump scares to really rev up his sleep deprived patients.
The Haunting remake got a lot of flak back in 1999, and I remember not really liking it as an 18 year old. HOWEVER, watching the flick years later I gained a new appreciation for it as a Gothic mystery. When you take away the obvious late 90s CGI, and the cheesy writing, it’s a haunting and mysteriously saddening if taken at face value. The movie was, and never will be, a literal classic. And it will never even be uttered in the same sentence as the 1963 The Haunting, but it is a fun bit of late 90s “horror” cheese that is just like comfort food. Not too filling, not too deep, but goes down easy. Catherine Zeta Jones and Owen Wilson feel a little out of place in the film, but Liam Neeson and Lili taylor are rather solid in their prospective roles.
Rating:
Rated PG-13 for intense horror sequences
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Audio:
Extras:
• NEW Filmmaker Focus: Director Jan de Bont on The Haunting
• Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
• Theatrical Teaser
• Theatrical Trailer
• A foldout image of the film's theatrical poster, and an interior spread with key movie moments
Final Score:
While 1999’s The Haunting might not be an instant classic, it still is a fun Gothic mystery that reeks of 1990s flair. The movie is still worth watching in my opinion, though the CGI has a bit of a dated look to it (we all know that 1990s CGI looks painful with today’s lense), and Paramount did a fantastic job with these release. The 5.1 mix is stunning and the new 4K remaster makes for a SCRUMPTIOUS viewing experience. My only complaint is that the old DVD extras are all we get for special features, but at least it’s not missing a ton like some of the Blu-ray re-releases suffered from. Still a fun watch as my end recommendation.
Technical Specifications:
Starring: Liam Neeson, Owen Wilson, Virginia Madsen, Catherine Zeta Jones, Lili Taylor, Bruce Dern,
Directed by: Jan de Bont
Written by: David Self (Screenplay), Shirley Jackson (Novel)
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: Dolby TrueHD 5.1, English DVS 5.1, French, German, Japanese DD 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, German, Japanese
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 113 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: October 20th, 2020
Recommendation: Fun Watch
