Stars: Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn

Director: Robert Wise

Summary: A psychic researcher sets out to conduct an experiment with the supernatural at an evil old house.

Dr Markway (Richard Johnson), a paranormal investigator, invites a pair of psychic researchers to help him examine the restless spirits at Hill House, a sinister family estate haunted by the angry souls from its troubled past. The owner insists her nephew (Russ Tamblyn) join the team of Theodora (Claire Bloom) and Eleanor (Julie Harris) become increasingly obsessed with the history of the huge, ominous house. Based on Shirley Jackson's lyrical novel "The Haunting of Hill House" THE HAUNTING is one of the most frightening psychological horror films ever made, featuring virtually no blood, gore, or monsters for its effective scares. Chilling.

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Made in 1963 The Hauntingis one of the best-ever movie ghost stories and was adapted from Shirley Jackson's novel The Haunting of Hill House. Suave ghost-hunter Richard Johnson takes a couple of psychic women--neurotic spinster Julie Harris and elegant lesbian Claire Bloom--to stay in Hill House, which has unsettling architecture (the spiral staircase is especially unnerving) and a bad reputation. Russ Tamblyn is along as a jive-talking sceptic, but he soon shuts up as the eerie phenomena mount up. The scene with a breathing door is a wonderful terror highlight, and the business about whose hand Harris is holding in the dark (she thinks it's Bloom, but Bloom is on the other side of the room) provides a moment of unmatched creepiness. Perhaps director Robert Wise allows too much psychology into the picture, letting you off the hook with the possibility that the twitchy Harris is behind all the spookery, but he fills the widescreen frame with really scary stuff and the cast are perfect. Lois Maxwell, of Miss Moneypenny fame, makes a marvellously chilling sudden appearance from the dark. Forget the remake, this is the real deal.

On the DVD:The Hauntingcomes to DVD with a trailer narrated in character by Johnson, a satisfyingly packed file of stills and an interesting commentary featuring input recorded separately from Wise, screenwriter Nelson Gidding and all four principal cast members. --Kim Newman

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Commentary - 1. Robert Wise - Director, Trailer, Stills Gallery, Essay: THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT
Year:	1963
Release Date:	September 29, 2003
Runtime:	107 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 065194
Keywords:	General, Haunting, Horror, Occult, Sci, Fi
Genre:	Horror/Occult