La maison hantée

My boss is actually the niece of the Smurl famiy. Today at work the fact that it's 6/6/06 came up and we were discussing scary movies, and she mentioned that there was a book and movie about a haunted house in her family. She mentioned the name and I looked it up online and brought up the story here: http://www.warrens.net/smurl.htm We sat there and read it and she kept adding things to what that website said, about how she had also experienced weird things in the house as a child when she'd go to visit. She was listing off names before I even read them, and events before I read them- then when we looked at the pictures, she was telling us where rooms were, etc... so for any of you "non believers"- believe it, because it's a true story.

Straight-to-TV, inspired by true events hokum… well that's what I thought I was getting myself into. However this dramatised case is a surprisingly eerie, bizarre and downplayed supernatural case that can get under our skin because the actual performances (the Smurls family) are sympathetically portrayed. The normal plot mechanics of the haunted house sub-genre are evident, and the atmosphere isn't particularly striking as it hangs there. You might think that if you see one, you've seen them all. But the predictable material does get more compelling further down the track, before coming to an unfulfilled abrupt conclusion that wraps it up. Everything (from the performances to the script) is done straight-face, with very little in the way of hysteria and humour. Patchy, but it works for most part. It heavily relies on story and mood, than say big special effects and lashing thrills. Although there's something just spooky about those reappearing spirit manifestations. Sally Kirkland and Jeffery DeMunn are capably good in the lead roles of Janet and Jack Smurl. Robert Mandel's crisply well-judged direction and Richard Bellis' hovering score added to the above-average production. I see plenty of jabs about the slow, ponderous pace, but I didn't feel it was that sluggish. Far from it. Slow, but not dull.

I loved the movie. It was scary, not overdone in terms of special effects, and had what I believe to be a strong element of truth. The actors who portrayed the family were believable and likable, which added to the possibility that hauntings may actually occur, and that they might actually occur to nice, normal people. This possibility actually increases the "creep-factor," because if it can happen to that nice, all-American devoutly Catholic family, it can happen to anyone! On the negative side, though, I don't put as much stock in the self-proclaimed demonologist duo, the Warrens, as some (what with all that unfortunate Amityville-being-a-hoax business). Their involvement in the case makes me think "hoax." But the film itself was worthwhile and good for a nice scare--regardless of whether or not it was a hoax.

haven't seen this one for a while but unlike tons of other films this one remains quite vivid in my head. it's tense with well developed characters, creative and most importantly, effective! saw this when i was about ten and it blew my mind. the whispering pillows, the grandmothers voice coming from the basement. chilling stuff. a few bits might be a little hokey to some people but i remember being pretty disturbed by the "ghost rape". it just came out'a nowhere. also, i thought the apparitions were chilling as well. i remember the "black spot" didn't do much for me then so i know now that it is probably quite lame. but otherwise this flick is just dead on and a lot of fun. oh yeah, and i can't forget that part when they pull up to the house and flames are blazing inside and those screams! if you like a damn good ghost story then check this out if you can. no "official" DVD release yet but i guess it is shown on cable occasionally. have to keep our fingers crossed for the DVD i guess.

I really liked The Haunted (tv-movie) & every time it is on I watch it. I scare really easily so I was scared while I watched it. I also thought that Sally Kirkland did a good job with her role as well. I love movies about the supernatural & the paranormal whether they are true or made up, I like them all.