Review of The Haunting (1963) by Woody W — 02 Nov 2007

This movie is the only movie to ever literally scare me to the point of shaking in my seat -- thus I give it a ten.

-- Some spoiler material follows --.

A warm summer day in 1963, this twelve year old and his friends went to the Granada Theater for a Saturday movie matinée. but not to see "The Haunting", which was the first movie shown. Needless to say, I was disappointed at first because [b]A.[/b] It was not the movie I came to see, [b]B.[/b] It was some old black and white film, and [b]C.[/b] They spoke in English dialects.

I knew to see the main event, I must first set through this film, so I dutifully scrunched down in my seat, snacking on my milk duds and slow poke.

Slowly, this movie drew me into the tale of whoa and misfortune of Hill House -- I'm a sucker for a good ghost story. The tension the movie builds by never really showing you a "ghost" was genius to me as my mind would conger up the evilest of demons pounding on the walls or rattling the door knobs. As the tension continued to build, I awaited the unveiling of this being with edge of the seat anticipation. As Elenore climbs the rickety spiral stair case she is coached down by the Dr. Markway. Elenore starts back down the stairs, she turns briefly to the door way she was headed for and suddenly Dr. Markway's wife, who became lost earlier in the vast house, pops her head out from the door -- My whole body shook uncontrollably starting from my head all the way down to my toes. Never before or after has a movie elicited such a reaction from me -- it was great and will never forget it. The best roller coaster ride of a move I've ever been on.

To this day, I cannot for the life of me, remember the "feature" movie that warm summer day in 1963.