Review of The Haunting (1963) by Tanner K — 25 Sep 2012

Robert Wise has created some of the biggest, most memorable films of all time, so it's nice to see him do a movie that is a lot smaller. It doesn't have any of those big, clumsy cliches that Wise was known for; it has a very calculated, dark sense of atmosphere and pacing.

And I friggin' love it! For horror fans and Wise fans, this one often slips under the radar, and I can understand why. It didn't open as strong as "West Side Story" or "The Sound of Music", but so what? Do we look down on movies like "Amadeus" or "Psycho" because they aren't as big a hit as "Avatar"? No, they're still celebrated! Folks, we need to turn this around.

We need to increase the DVD sales of this movie, because people deserve to see it. The effects are subtle, even innovative for its time, the music is intense, the characters are enthralling, and the pacing is quick and it holds your interest for every terrifying frame.

If you're a fan of something like "Paranormal Activity" or "The Blair Witch Project", give "The Haunting" a watch, because this is the movie that spawned that genre of movie-making.