L'Enfant du diable

In this sadly forgotten horror film, George C. Scott plays a music composer who has just moved to Oregon to escape the painful memories of his wife and daughter who were killed in a car crash. He rents an old and secluded mansion from the historical society as a place to live. Soon after he moves into the house, strange occurrences begin.

This is one of those horror movies that can be scary without being bloody and gory. It simply relies on atmosphere and frightening, but subtle images to deliver its chills, and it works. I will never be able to understand that "R" rating mainly because there is only very mild profanity and there is no blood or gore. Anyway, I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good scary ghost story. 8/10.

Talk about FUN...this one is FUN.

I'm with the people who say this is one of the most frightening haunted house movies ever. For me, it really is, and it's influenced many movies that came after it, including "The Others."

Like Robert Wise's "The Haunting," this film's ethereal manifestations are largely auditory: unidentifiable, rhythmic booming sounds coming from deep within the house, etc.; and in this case there is an amazing stereo mix that exploits 3D effects and pulls you into the scenes. It sounds great. I wish "The Haunting" (the real one, not that other thing) had such a mix!

George C. Scott is amazing as a composer who absolutely refuses to be frightened by the weird phenomena, ever. Watch his face throughout the proceedings--this character is a tough cookie, but most people who watch this one don't fare so well. Well worth a rent or a buy.

I first saw 'The Changeling' in the mid-eighties and it has lost none of its edge. A few of the reviews I see below seem to be written by those who have read glowing reviews but just didn't get it: Comparisons with 'The Exorcist', a story of demonic possession, are inappropriate. This movie isn't a visual shock feast nor a gore fest, this is a powerful psychological drama. The penultimate ghost story. If you just sit back in a defensive posture and challenge the movie to scare you, you will lose out completely. If however you choose to get involved, you will find yourself going for one hell of a ride. Few scenes in moviedom rival the poignancy, for instance, of the disbelieving George C. Scott character when he is reviewing the tape of the seance and comes upon the inescapable evidence that there IS a paranormal presence in the house. Here I will make my own inappropriate comparison: In the context of this story, Scotts ultimately human and believable response and the collapse that follows is far scarier than Exorcist's Reagan spewing green puke, by a long shot.

And the little girl going alone, summoned into the haunted room in her house at night? Forget about it. My hair stands on end.

If 'The Changeling', watched at night doesn't give you a fright, then there are at least six 'Hallowe'en' movies on the rack that should suit your particular needs. The Changeling is something else: the fear of the spiritually macabre.

I recently bought The Changeling on DVD because I first saw it when I was much younger at around 3 in the morning. I was flipping channels when I found this movie just starting. The first 5 minutes sucked me in and I watched the whole thing. I found the movie to be pretty good and quite freaky as well. Based on that memory I decided to take the plunge again and I was not disappointed. The Changeling displays a quality of movie making that is sadly becoming rare. George C. Scott delivers a fiery performance as usual as Jack Russell, our tormented protagonist. The sets are moody and perfectly fit the tone and atmosphere of the story. This film manages to be spooky without descending into camp, and suspenseful without overdoing it. The supporting cast brings up the rear with fine performances all around, and the music contributes to rather than distracts from the film. Bottom Line: If you're looking for a obscure old movie to curl up and watch with your significant other with the lights out, then you can't do much better than this.

I found this to be a pretty solid haunted-house thriller...and better than I remembered so I have changed a few things in this review. The cinematography was admirable, mainly in the first half of the film and the special-effects near the end were excellent. That was capped off by a wheelchair chasing Trish Van Devere and a railing catching fire. In all, kind of bizarre and interesting scene.

George C. Scott stars and Van Devere and an aged Melvyn Douglas provide noted supporting roles. There are very few dry spots and overall, its a decent horror film and not an expensive DVD purchase - so grab it, if you can. The suspense build beautifully. Nice direction by Peter Medak.