This post is part of a series called "31 Days of Horror", thirty-one important horror films over the course of a month. Click The Haunting (1963): Julie Harris, Richard Johnson and Claire Bloom. Directed by Robert Wise, Screenplay by Nelson Gidding based on the novel “The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson.
“The Haunting” has the rare and curious distinction of being one of only a handful of horror films where you never actually see “the monster” in the whole film. While some may regard this as a disappointment, I see this as the skill of a master director not relying on a rubber suit, optical effect or CGI to evoke fear and terror in the audience … unlike the 1999 remake of this film, which will leave you literally speechless if you’ve seen the original, and not speechless in a good way.
Director Robert Wise sticks fairly close to the novel “The Haunting of Hill House” and relies on the characters and situation to create a classic haunted house tale the kind you just don’t see anymore. The pounding dread that starts when participants in a parapsychological experiment just continues to build and build throughout the course of the film to the point where you almost can’t take it anymore. So masterfully is the horror done here in “The Haunting”, you’ll find it hard to believe Wise also directed “West Side Story” and “The Sound of Music”.
“The Haunting” is a must-see film for any film fan, horror or otherwise and often makes many a Top 10 or Top 100 list this time of year. There’s no blood, no gore and you’ll see nary a special effects spectre but I guarantee you’ll be gripped within 10 minutes and have the hell creeped out of you.
Get it at Amazon.com
The Haunting
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