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Well, let's get this out of the way. BOOBS. Lots of BOOBS. As a woman, I am not personally impressed by boobs so trying to rely on that as a selling point for a film is just tacky to me. Now that's out of the way, I'll talk about the actual movie.

What I liked: *The setting. *The way it was shot. Some of the scenes were really shot beautifully. *The costumes were nice with the exception of a scene that shows underwear that doesn't suit the era. *The story.

What I didn't like: *Some of the acting was pretty bad. *The script was lousy but it may have come across lousy at times because the acting was so off. *The amount of boob-age.

This wasn't downright awful, to me but it left something to be desired. It really could've been so much more because there really is a story there. Maybe someone will take another stab at this one someday.

I hit puberty in the early 90s, so in other words, I was a horny and hormone-controlled teenager when "Baywatch" first aired on TV, and naturally had a crush on practically every babe that paraded through the screen in a skimpy red bathing suit. Pamela Anderson, evidently, but I was even far more enchanted by two other blond and typically nineties' beauties; - Erika Elaniak and Nicole Eggert. The latter was a cherubic and polished but nonetheless very sexy girl-next-door type. Whoever knew that, before her "Baywatch" period, Eggert had already appeared in a cheap and ultra-sleazy Roger Corman production loosely - VERY loosely - inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's writings? At the beginning of the film, Eggert depicts the fiercely foul-mouthed witch Lenora who gets executed in front of an angry town's mob and her powerlessly staring husband who's holding their few weeks' old baby in his arms. Nearly 18 years later, the baby matured into the gorgeous Nicole Eggert again. Morella is excited to celebrate her birthday and taste adulthood, but little does she know that the voluptuous nanny has been carefully preparing Lenora's reincarnation via the pure body and soul of her daughter.

Roger Corman knows Poe, trust me. He was single-handedly responsible for the absolute greatest Edgar Allan Poe film-adaptations during the early sixties, like "House of Usher", "The Masque of the Red Death", "Premature Burial", etc. If Corman really wanted to make an atmospheric, qualitative and genuinely frightening adaptation of Poe's short story, he certainly could have done so. Instead, he cleared just hired Jim Wynorski ("Chopping Mall", "Transylvania Twist") to direct a cheap but profitable B-movie with a focus on ravishing women, tacky horror, secondhand sets & scenery and boobs, boobs, boobs! 18-year-old Eggert still gets a stand-in for her nude sequences, but Corman regulars Lana Clarkson, Maria Ford and Gail Thackray showcase their bodily assets gratuitously and repeatedly. The sets and stock-footage, like the numerous lightening strikes, are shamelessly edited from much older flicks (you might recognize "The Terror" - 1963) and our producer would still continue to recycle them in later films like "The Haunting of Hell House" - 1999. "The Haunting of Morella" is nevertheless fun and amusing, at least if you don't mind the derivative plot and the dull moments in between the cheesy gore and the nudity.

Morella (Nicole Eggert) is killed in the opening minutes for murder and witchcraft as her husband Gideon (David McCallum) looks on with their infant child. 17 years later, the child Lenora (Eggert again) is all grown up and soon to receive an sizable trust fund on her 18th birthday. But she is also the target of her teacher Coel (Lana Clarkson), who was Morella's accomplice back in the day, and hopes to put her old friend's soul in this new body. Loosely based on Poe's "Morella" short story, this feature runs only 82-minutes (the film ends at 78 minutes) but seems to go on a lot longer than that. Director Jim Wynorski gives the story what every critic of Poe thought it was missing - lots of topless women running around. To be fair, it succeeds on an exploitation level, but you'll never confuse this with a 1960s Corman Poe adaptation. And it is a nice looking production because this is back when Wynorski gave a damn. Eggert was "hot" off CHARLES IN CHARGE at the time so this must have seemed edgy for her. Regardless, she uses an obvious body double during her nude scenes. It is hilarious seeing her and Clarkson on screen as there is over a foot height differential, which leaves Eggert level with Clarkson's chest. Concorde staple Maria Ford has a smaller role as a servant. The film ends with the ridiculous on screen words "I still live!"

The Haunting of Morella (1990)

** (out of 4)

Based on the Poe story, Morella (Nicole Eggert) is put to death for being a witch but before dying she passes off a curse in front of her husband and baby daughter. Seventeen years pass and the daughter (also played by Eggert) begins to have strange visions and soon a possession begins.

Jim Wynorski's THE HAUNTING OF MORELLA deserves a lot of credit. It was a Roger Corman produced cheapie but you have to give it credit for at least looking like an authentic period piece. I must admit that I was really shocked to see how good the film looked. More times than not these low-budget movies update the setting to where they don't have to worry about costumes and other things like that but that's not the case here. I thought the director did a very good job at delivering a nice atmosphere and the setting was perfect.

As far as the film goes, I wouldn't call it a complete success but there are enough interesting moments to make it worth sitting through. As you should expect from the director, the horror elements often take a back seat to the nudity and sexuality. There's plenty of both here but the horror elements aren't too bad for what they are. There are a couple bloody moments that will have fans of the genre happy.

David McCallum offers up a good performance in his role. Eggert is simply okay in her part. Lana Clarkson stands out in the role of the friend and you've also got Gail Thackray in a small part. THE HAUNTING OF MORELLA isn't a complete success but it's certainly entertaining enough to make it worth watching.

Hokum involving a deceased witch's coven's attempts to raise her from the dead to inhabit her daughter's rather impressive body (17 years later).

This is absolute rubbish, not even worthy of the great Corman's name. At one pivotal moment, two women disrobe under a waterfall ~ and the prettier one is wearing... string bikini panties!

And those of you looking for the lovely Nicole Eggert's ummm... assets... can rent "Blown Away" (because this one's an obvious body double).

Avoid.

At the start of The Haunting of Morella, I wondered why it's won itself so many negative reviews. The film has a great Gothic atmosphere, and while the story is highly derivative of a great many other films; it fits well with the tone of the film and leads you to believe that you're in for something decent. However, it soon became clear why this film isn't well liked - and that's because it doesn't really go anywhere. The story is based on a short by the great Edgar Allen Poe, and follows the burning of a witch somewhere in America. She leaves her husband and daughter behind, but promises to return several years later. She plans to do this, of course, by taking over the body of her newly matured daughter. The Gothic atmosphere soon becomes little more than a slight distraction from the dull central plot, and by the end; the film was actually reminding me of a bad music video. Chopping Mall proved that Jim Wynorski isn't the best director, and this film does nothing to disprove that; as the action is dull and sluggish, and a good potential for a nice horror flick is wasted. Overall, this film may appeal to Poe completists (although I doubt it), and everyone else should stay clear!

Absolutely atrocious "horror" movie. A witch is put to death in colonial America leaving behind an infant daughter. 17 years later she tries to return through the body of her now grown up kid.

As you can see this has nothing to do with Poe's classic short story. This is a very obvious story full of bad acting and unintentionally hilarious dialogue. The only reason this was made was to show as much female nudity as possible in a R rated film. The women are truly beautiful here but have zero acting ability. When see a horror movie I expect to see just that--not a skin flick. Lousy sets too. The crypt at the end looks like it was made out of cardboard! It's really sad to see a talented actor like David McCallum reduced to making dreck like this. I guess he was desperate for work. Boring and stupid and an insult to Poe. Even the VERY frequent nude scenes can't save this. A 1 all the way.

Breasts. That is kinda what this movie was about. It was tailor made for a latch-key kid in the 90s to stay up late watching HBO to eventually see breasts.

Breasts.

It delivered that.

There was some plot about an evil witch and breasts. Something about a love affair and breasts. There were a few deaths and breasts and...

...yes, there was a thong despite the fact it takes place a long time ago before there were thongs and...yes, breasts.

What you have here is really a movie about breasts, but, it is a period piece Lovecraftian movie about breasts.

So if you want breasts, this is the movie for you, especially since it really makes no effort whatsoever to pass itself off as anything but a movie about breasts.

Breasts. You really have to appreciate that honesty.

Stupid childish garbage... Worst predictable story.. . Worst background music

The late Lana Clarkson is really the star of this one! As the evil lesbian Governess towering over the budding Nicole Eggert, she seeks to reincarnate her long dead lover (Nicole's mother, "Morella") with the blood of virgins! This includes servant girls Maria Ford, Debbie Dutch, Gail Harris, and Miss Eggert herself! Memorable are the bath scenes (a Wynorski trademark) by Lana, Nicole (bathes in blood!), Debbie, and of course the midnight tryst under the waterfall with Lana, Maria, and a very sharp KNIFE! Gorehounds as well as fans of EVIL WOMEN, lesbianism, and unashamed female nudity will enjoy this one! CAUTION: Gory violence, nudity, lesbianism, and other things that make life worth living. :-) Jimbo

If the blind recluse Gideon Locke seems a tad depressed and bewildered in 1990's "The Haunting of Morella," I suppose he's got reasonable enough cause. Seventeen years earlier, his beautiful wife Morella had been crucified and eye-gouged to death for the crime of witchcraft (in an opening scene that still pales in comparison with the similar one in Mario Bava's 1961 horror classic "Black Sunday"), and now, his look-alike daughter Lenora is beginning to show signs of possession. This by-now-familiar storyline has been padded out with gratuitous (but always welcome!) nudity, lesbianism, mucho gore and various gross-out FX to the point where any resemblance to Poe's short short story "Morella" is glancing at best. This being a Roger Corman production, the film has been put together on the cheap, but typical for Corman, still manages to look handsome enough. In her dual roles as Morella and Lenora, Nicole Eggert proves something of a mixed blessing. She is OK in the evil witch role, but hardly seems a proper young 19th century British lass; more like a whiny Valley girl. As her towering and murderess governess, Lana Clarkson literally stands out in this cast. Her nighttime waterfall tryst with servant girl Maria Ford is a hoot and a half, as I'm not certain that Frederick's of Hollywood existed 200 years ago! Best of all, of course, is my main man, David McCallum, as Lenora's reclusive father. Blind, unkempt and constantly rattled, he is here as different a character as can be imagined from supercool U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin. Anyway, while nothing great, "The Haunting of Morella" should prove just fine for an evening's entertainment. Oh...I just love the name of the actor who passes sentence on Morella in the film's opening scene: Clement von Franckenstein!

This movie was a total farce. They used Edgar Allen Poe to get several young women out of their clothes. No different then your typical stupid slasher film. The only difference is that it is based off a short story by Edgar Allen Poe. Don't watch this movie

Granted, I wasn't harboring much of any expectations to this 1990 horror movie titled "The Haunting of Morella" from writers R. J. Robertson and Jim Wynorski, though I opted to watch it regardless since it was based on an Edgar Allan Poe story.

While I haven't read Poe's story upon which this movie is based, so I have no idea how true writers R. J. Robertson and Jim Wynorski stayed to the source material. But this movie was painful to sit through. The storyline was slow paced, monotonous, and actually downright boring.

The acting performances in the movie didn't exactly do much to lift up the movie either. But then again, the actors and actresses didn't really have a world of contents to work with here in terms of script, dialogue and characters. There are some familiar faces on the cast list, with the likes of David McCallum, Lana Clarkson, Maria Ford and Nicole Eggert. Not top list performers, sure, but some familiar faces nonetheless.

For a horror movie, then "The Haunting of Morella" was a swing and a miss. It is more like a mystery with elements of thriller and supernatural to it.

My rating of director Jim Wynorski's 1990s movie "The Haunting of Morella" lands on a three out of ten stars.

Not a bad version of Poe's short story. There seemed to be some lesbian overtones I didn't catch in the book, but that's okay. Beautiful women and a fairly spooky plot. I liked it.

Edger Allen Poe gets the Roger Corman treatment in this flick with plenty of naked women and lots of sexual situations. The story involves a witch put to death. 17 years later, her daughter is all grown up and stands to get a good sum of money. Seeing this as the perfect chance to return to life, the mother tries to take over her daughter's body. Film is totally devoid of entertainment, not even all the sex and nudity can help this one out.

Rated R; Violence, Nudity, Sexual Situations.

You could be mistaken that The Haunting of Morella was a Charles Band movie because it follows a very similar formula of his movies. The acting wasn't very good, often it sounds like they are reading their lines off the page. The movie itself was well directed and storyboarded.

It's not quite soft core porn but it wasn't far from it, very fleshy which really pushed the romance angle of the movie about as far as you can.

There was a bit of an Edgar Allen Poe spirit left in the story but again this movie would be more appreciated by the Band fans. Ultimately it was the script that lacked depth and continuously killed off any development of suspension of disbelief.

Edgar Allan Poe is known for his horror novels. "The Fall of the House of Usher" is well put in many ways. But in "The Haunting of Morella", it's raw in every way. Nicole Eggert way before "Baywatch" play dual roles as Morella and her daughter 17 years later. This movie has plenty of sex appeal in it. I wondered Poe thought of it up. My only problem with the movie is that it needed more to the story. It's was just too short for me to understand. It just needed more. I'm disappointed. 1 star!

On my list of top ten worst movies of all time, it's debatable between Superman III and The Haunting of Morella, but I'd put this as #1 worst. Stupid movie. Not only morally bankrupt, but from what I have understood, bore no resemblance whatsoever to the Edgar Allen Poe story. They seemed to keep adding character after character to the point where it became difficult to keep all of the characters straight. I went with a group of friends, and we resoundingly agreed that this one stunk. The plot was so convoluted that I couldn't even follow what exactly was going on half the time. This seemed like a bad B movie that they stuck Edgar Allen Poe's name on to give it some clout, but Poe would probably turn over in his grave on this one.