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March 2000

The Haunting
Reviewed by Roger Kanno
DVD Format

Overall Enjoyment: ***
Picture Quality: ****1/2
Sound Quality: *****
Packaged Extras: ***

Starring Liam Neeson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Owen Wilson, Lili Taylor

Directed by Jan De Bont

Theatrical Release: 1999
DVD Release: 1999
Dolby Digital 5.1
Widescreen (Anamorphic)


Jan De Bont’s latest film is The Haunting released by Dreamworks SKG. Having previously directed such blockbusters as Twister, Speed and the less than successful Speed 2: Cruise Control, De Bont gets back on track with this supernatural thriller. What all these films have in common (with the exception of Speed 2) is that they are extremely well crafted. None of them are particularly artistic, but they combine fast paced action, impressive special effects, good performances, and incisive direction.

The Haunting may actually be the best of this bunch of films. Although it lacks the antagonism of a Dennis Hopper and the star power of Speed, the overall execution of The Haunting, especially its technical aspects is superior. The plot development is this film’s weakest aspect, but it hardly seems to matter. Under the guise of conducting a study into the effects of sleep disorders, Liam Neeson as Dr. Marrow brings three insomniacs to Hill House to study their reactions to fear without their knowledge. The premise of the study is a bit weak and contrived, but thankfully Neeson’s character does not dwell on it.

Neeson does a good job as the scholarly Dr. Marrow as does Catherine Zeta-Jones who plays Theo, one of the subjects of the study. Although her character is a bit of a seductress, she never really develops any sexual tension between either of the two male leads, but she is a strong presence nonetheless. Lili Taylor plays Nell, the sheltered wallflower who strikes up a relationship with Theo and is helped in her attempt to gain confidence in herself. Nell’s character is the most dynamic of the group and Taylor makes the most of it. Her relationship with Theo is not fully developed, but her interactions with the entire cast and the spirits of Hill House provide enough of a basis for her character’s growth to be credible.

What makes The Haunting such an effective thriller are the very scary special effects and the decisive direction of De Bont. The effects are not relied upon to carry the film, but serve only to heighten the action. Ghostly images and sound effects are used sparingly to good effect. By doing so, De Bont deftly peaks our interest, builds the tension, and then provides the pay off in the form of a huge scare. The camera never lingers too long on a scene or belabors the point. Situations are set up, thrills are delivered, and the story moves on. But do not think that The Haunting is predictable. There are some genuinely shocking moments that will have you jumping out of your seat.

The sound design of The Haunting is exceptional with reference quality bass effects that provide a foreboding atmosphere throughout the film. However, the soundtrack is not all massive bass thumps and crashing sounds as you might expect. There are some realistic surround and foley effects that make full use of the discrete digital sound format’s capabilities. The surround envelopment inside Hill House is incredible. The creaking of the floors and walls, footsteps, echoing voices, and wind noise emanate from all around the listener creating a creepy atmospheric experience. The sonic mapping of the interior of Hill House is the best that I have heard and surpasses my previous reference soundtrack for this, the DTS version of Casper. Dialogue is also well recorded and natural sounding and the orchestral score is expansive. The video quality of this disc is only slightly less impressive than its audio quality. Colors are well saturated with excellent fidelity as is evidenced by the establishing shots of Nell’s apartment complex. The deep red of a parked car, the rich green lawn, and the naturally uneven brown brickwork of her apartment block are all exquisitely captured. Many of the shots in and around Hill House are taken in low light, but there is still plenty of detail with deep blacks and easily discernible shadow detail.

The extras included with this disc are the ubiquitous "Behind-The-Scenes" feature, theatrical trailers, cast and crew biographies, and production notes. However, the one extra that you should not overlook is the teaser trailer that is one of the coolest, creepiest trailers ever made. It is wonderfully mixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound which made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end when I first saw it in theaters and it has the same effect on DVD.

The Haunting is well crafted, scary fun. There is nothing profound here that will seriously disturb anyone or make you question the existence of an after world. It is simply a thrilling scream-fest with the technical quality of the DVD, especially its dynamic and complex soundtrack making it all the more enjoyable.


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