The Haunting (1999)

Plot of The Haunting: Nell Vance has been looking after her aged mother for 11 years, but she has died and her sister has inherited their flat and is throwing her out. With nowhere to live she answers an advert for a group of insomniacs to take part in a trial. She drives to a vast New England mansion and meets half a dozen others. Dr David Marrow, the scientist, Theadora, a glamourous young woman, Luke a rebellious young man and the Doctor’s two assistants. One of the assistants is injured in an accident and is taken to hospital by the other. They do not return. Marrow’s agenda is to frighten the subjects for study, and it is thought that the house is haunted. Nell, is almost immediately haunted, apparently by the ghosts of children, and various children’s carved heads on the furniture seem to look at her. No-one believes her, but gradually more and more weird things happen until the whole house seems to be animate, attacking them. They try to escape but cannot unlock the gate. How will it end?

Content: No sex or nudity. A few glasses of wine are poured when the group meet for dinner on the first evening. It is made apparent over time that Nell is somehow associated with the house. She is haunted by ghosts of the children who appear as shadows in the drapery and forms in the bed linen. As time passes the hauntings ramp up. Nell is pinned in her bed by spears of ceiling decoration. Dr Marrow is grabbed by a statue and nearly drowned. Luke is decapitated by a bobby trap in the main room fireplace. It is the ghost of the original owner, and as we have learnt, the killer of numerous children, Hugh Crain. Nell has to face up to him, whatever he is. Actually, none of it is very scary.

A View: This film probably made money, and was various criticised by the critics. But most were in agreement that the sets were absolutely amazing, and we know they had cost many millions of dollars. The style was Victorian over elaboration with leanings towards Art Deco, and Tim Burton’s Gotham City. The film was nominated in most categories of the Razzies. It might have been an underlying feeling that there was such a difference between the script which was less than inspired, and the wonders of the set, that resulted in a general thumbs down. So really only a watch for those interested in set design.

Fun Fact: The sets were built in the former Spruce Goose hanger close to the LA port facility.