Haunted (1996)

Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Thanks for the memories!

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

A fine attempt to recreate the old-fashioned chills and thrills of a horror movie in the style of THE WOMAN IN BLACK, this adaptation of the James Herbert novel (which I haven't read, incidentally) is a cut above the norm as far as genre horror movies go. The film is slow-burning but always effective, and strong acting from the leads keeps your eyes riveted on the screen. I recently enjoyed THE OTHERS as an example of a fresh and original ghost story, but after watching HAUNTED I'm not so sure THE OTHERS was that original after all.HAUNTED certainly isn't for all tastes. It's a film which prefers to drag you into the world and mind of the lead character before all of the supernatural stuff starts happening, so we get some good build-up like the fake séance which Quinn is only too happy to expose. As David Ash, Quinn is a revelation; he gives a very strong performance of a man gradually becoming more and more disturbed by the seemingly inexplicable events surrounding him. In fact, I've never seen him better, and I would say that his is one of the best genre performances in the past ten years (and I'm beginning to wonder if he and Rutger Hauer share the same set of eyes - they're so alike it's creepy).As the film gradually progresses, the isolated setting of the country estate grows on the viewer and fine use is made of the English countryside. As well as the horror, a charming romance begins to blossom between Quinn and the female lead, Kate Beckinsale. Beckinsale, an actress I've never much cared for, is brilliant in the film, creating a vulnerable but sexy woman with her own dark secrets - as witnessed in the hints of incest that the film points at occasionally. The actual supernatural events involve a door being held shut although nobody is on the other side; then Quinn is mysteriously pushed into the local lake and nearly drowned; finally, weird, spontaneous fires begin to break out and disappear again at a moment's notice. It comes as no surprise that the mansion begins reliving its past, but HAUNTED puts a fresh and interesting spin on the ghost story tale. The special effects are limited and kept to a thankful minimum, but there are some effective touches like faces in the flames and, my personal favourite; an exceedingly frightening ghost made of dust or some such material.The movie is bolstered by a scene-setting score and good performances from the supporting characters as well as the leads. Anthony Andrews is adept at creating a gentlemanly character with a hint of depravity about him, and it's good to see John Gielgud back on screen as the family doctor. Anna Massey is also fine as the lonely, frightened old woman in the family. The film has one of those fantastic twist endings we're so familiar with in recent years, and the final feeling is one of poignancy rather than horror. Yet rarely do I watch a film and finish with a smile on my face after really enjoying getting caught up in the lives and loves of the fictional characters - old-fashioned horror fans, seek this one out.

You want a Ghost story, well have I got one for you. The one investigating it is none other than a professional skeptic who doesn't fall for any of the regular haunting behavior one typically runs across. In fact, the lead player has wrote a book on the subject matter. The reasons why he wrote a book and the continuing investigations lead him to a very satisfying experience on the subject matter all done nicely while we watch. Did I add that it is intriguing, terrifying, mysterious and haunting? Things will come up in this movie that cause you take notice, but not understand. However, the points are made until all the scary ducks start to line up and quack pure fright. Well it is pure fright courtesy of a good story well acted out. True horror and adventure will be found with the help of engaging the viewer's interest. This movie has the ability to do that. It offers up chills while delivering a story that after you view the movie, you will want to discuss with a friend. Lot's of good questions will pop up and great discussion will follow. Be careful what you ask for is at play here because you just might get it...Eating sunflower seeds or popcorn so that your hands have something to do is recommended

I just watched this movie for the first time tonight. First of all, I love ghost stories, anything about the supernatural and I am interested. I also love period pieces, so this movie seemed like it would be great to watch. Well, I was definitely disappointed. During the first half hour or so, it was very promising and had a lot of potential to be really entertaining, mysterious and suspenseful. Unfortunately this never happened. It was incredibly slow moving for one thing. I was sitting there just waiting for something scary to happen to make David think there were ghosts. I had an idea about halfway through that Christina and her brothers were ghosts, although they tried really hard to make that not seem possible. And that was another thing that I didn't like, it was just way too far fetched. There was nothing that really made you think they were ghosts, they could've been a bit more clever about that. And then Christina dying in the car fire, what was that all about? I don't know, it was very strange. It had real potential to be a fantastic movie, but it just didn't do it for me. Maybe I have to watch it again. I am really surprised about the reviews for this movie, I think I've read one bad review and I really thought there would be many bad reviews. This is by far my favorite genre and I am pretty upset that I didn't like this movie.

I remember seeing this film when I was only little, around 6 years old and I always remembered it to be a crappy horror film. Years later when I got it on DVD to re-watch it, I found myself completely wrong. The film is about a supernatural skeptic called David Ash who tries to debunk fake paranormal events. He is summoned to a house called Edbrook where an old lady named Nanny Tess is convinced that her house is haunted by spirits.The film itself is a return to the slightly cliché but still effective ghost themes, with creaking doors, bumps in the night, etc. The film's story and narrative from Frank Herbert's novel is absolutely brilliant and there are enough twists to keep anybody entertained. Aidan Quinn is brilliant in his role, and Kate Beckinsale shines in one of her earliest roles.I feel though that this film has been marginally overlooked and ignored by many and it does deserve a watch for anyone interested in psychological horrors. The film itself is out of distribution but copies are still available as Dutch imports (with English audio). All in all, a fantastic film!