“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream. Hill House, not sane, stood by itself against its hills, holding darkness within; it had stood so for eighty years and might stand for eighty more. Within, walls continued upright, bricks met nearly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there, walked alone.”
That is the opening paragraph of one of the greatest haunted house novels ever written, Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. It can still pack a punch as much today as it did when it was first released in 1959.
Now that we are in October, nothing says Halloween than the thoughts of ghosts wandering about, and the dwellings where they resonate. Ghost stories and haunted houses are the perfect theme, and one of my favorite sub-genres, for any Halloween season, so why not use this month to celebrate them?
The October Army Mission is to find two horror movies that you have NOT seen before, that deal with either ghosts or a haunted house. Yes, they can be different. For example, I would probably consider The Amityville Horror a haunted house, not a ghost story. Same with ghosts stories don’t necessarily have to take place in a house or specific place. But again, we’re not here to split hairs, so I’m sure you’ll be able to figure it out. You will have until 11:59pm on October 31st, to find and watch these two films, and then post your thoughts on this page. Since we usually are all taking advantage of this month to watch scary movies, this shouldn’t be too hard. And there are plenty of titles that fit this month’s theme, so that should be pretty easy as well.
So as you wander the halls, a candle lighting your way, boards creaking, wind blowing, with thunder cracking outside… hopefully you can enjoy your films!
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The Bell Witch Haunting 2013 / USA
This movie attempts to retell the Bell Witch story in modern times. A nuclear family (Dad, Mom, teenage daughter, teenage son) buy a house that happens to be built on the site of the original property where the Bell Witch haunting took place. Sure enough, strange events start taking place, most centered around the daughter. The son, having just received a video camera for his birthday, is filming everything. His friend and he set up security cameras in the house (even in his sister’s room – kind of pervy. Do the parents even realize this? They seem totally oblivious to the new security cameras all around the house.). Lots of supernatural shenanigans are caught on the security cameras, but no one ever seems to bother looking at the footage. Later in the film, the kid shows his friend some footage, which consists solely of the picture blanking out on consecutive cameras. That’s it!
I’ve spent all this space, and I haven’t even conveyed the enormous stupidity of this movie. Too much happens which has no seeming connection to anything else. At one point the Mom wants to get out of the house, but the Dad goes ballistic, and says they are not leaving the house because he’s sunk so much money into the place, they can’t leave. Husband and Father of the year material right there.
Anyway – Spoiler Alert – the witch possesses the daughter. Everybody dies. Except the daughter, who ends up in an asylum.
The only terrifying thing about this movie, is that I wasted 91 minutes of my life watching this.
American Conjuring 2016 / Canada
Oh Oh! A family (Stepdad, Mom, teenage daughter, younger daughter) move into a house with a distasteful past history of which they are unaware. Soon, strange things start to happen. The daughter becomes withdrawn, and starts drawing very unsettling pictures. They soon are told that the house was an orphanage where the woman who ran the place killed the kids there and some from the community. She eventually hanged herself, but…her spirit still lurks in the house! The Dad is the target here, as he gets more deranged as the movie progresses. The Mom at one point, says she’s had enough, and she and the kids are leaving. The Dad goes physically ballistic, and says they are not leaving the house because he’s sunk so much money into the place, they can’t leave! Really. Almost verbatim dialogue from The Bell Witch Haunting. Dad kills lots of people, but is stabbed by the youngest daughter when he tries to strangle the Mom. But wait, it was all a dream! With a twist ending that will leave you shaking your head, at the 86 minutes of your life you just wasted.
Bonus movie!
Water 2019 / USA
This one gets points for the fact that the ghosts are central to the swimming pool (hence, the title), and that’s it. The inept screenwriting continues in this movie, and I don’t have the energy to spend to explain all the stupid in this movie. Just be prepared to sacrifice 100 minutes of your life for this one.
Jon, you painted a great picture of ghosts as unseen terrors, and houses with shadows and mysteries around every corner. Today’s filmmakers (if these three movies are any indication) do not have the first clue on how to make an effective ghost movie. There is no mood, no atmosphere, no subtlety. There is nothing scary, NOTHING, in any of these movies! I no longer have any faith in any horror film made in the last decade. Yes, there are exceptions, but overall, at least as far as ghosts and haunted houses go, modern filmmakers have absolutely no clue.
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Wow Bob….sounded like you had a trilogy of non-terror in those titles! Sorry to hear there wasn’t at least one good one among them. Hopefully someone will post a good recommendation that you haven’t seen that you might be able to cleanse the bad taste from those! I have not seen any of those titles and don’t think I need to seek them out anytime soon!
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It was a little difficult to find a couple ghost/haunted movies I hadn’t seen!
Ruby (1977)
1930s, monsters kill the boyfriend of Ruby, a fellow monster. They feel so bad, they quit the life. Ruby starts up a drive in theater and employs all said former gangster. But now, 16 years later, the ghost of the boyfriend (also the dad of Ruby’s daughter), decides he’s still mad about the whole murder things and comes back to kill them.
I’ll not actually sure how I feel about this one. Interesting idea, but it mostly came off like a gangster movie with a ghost.
The Tag-Along (2015)
Taiwan’s highest grossing horror movie ever (at least as of the release date), the story of Tag-Along is based on the legend of a little girl dressed in red who, if she follows you home, you will eventually disappear.
There’s a hell of a lot more supernatural stuff going on in this movie. Some of it is pretty interesting, other parts just muddle the whole story. The cgi is crap but the overall film is enjoyable. I like learning about other cultures’ superstitions, urban legends, etc., and this was pretty decent. The acting was really good, too.
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I have seen Ruby a couple of times over the years, but for the life of me, other than the gangsters and drive-in parts, it’s a little fuzzy! I do remember liking Piper Laurie though.
Haven’t heard of Tag-Along, but like you, I also enjoy the other superstitions from other countries. Will have to look this one up.
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So many ghosts and hauntings to choose from! Can we do this Kryptic Army mission a few times more, Jon?
Given the variety of spectral dishes – unseen and readily available – that I managed to conjure up from my cinematic cauldron, I sort of surprised myself a bit here, by boldly going for this kind of thematic 2008 double bill: two American remakes of Asian originals. Having seen the originals when they came out, I’ll add that waiting more than 15 years to finally see these remakes, actually turned out favorable for experiencing / evaluating them on their own terms as ghostly horrors. I’ll leave out any synopsis, as both films are most effectively entered unbeknownst. Which, admittedly, might not be an easy feat in this case, given the two well-known titles at hand…
The Eye (2008)
Hong Kong original: Gin Gwai (2002)
What made the original so great to begin with, was that it wasn’t just about a woman starting to see dead people after her successful eye surgery. The appearance of ghosts is what you’d expect, but that’s only scratching the surface in this haunting outing. The mystery runs deeper, things turn out more complicated, as we’re also dealing with other supernatural matters in the mix. Since the original was such a solid film, they wisely decided not to mess around and the whole film translated quite well to American soil (even the back story of the eye donor with Mexican origins, was a satisfying integration into the plot). Jessica Alba is a capable lead, the whole cast felt on par, production values and effects were decent, it’s got a creepy atmosphere and the occasional jump scares worked. I only recall the ending of the original HK film to be a bit more doom-laden, which at the time enjoyed my preference. Regardless, this is a film / remake that works. Watch it at night with good sound for best creepy results.
Shutter (2008)
Thailand Original: Shutter (2004)
Although it’s a different film in subject matter, here we have a similar case as a remake: the original’s strength lies in the intrigues between the characters and the twists and turns of the plot. And wisely so, with source material this good, most of it stayed intact for the adaptation. Interesting enough, this turned into an American-Japanese co-production – as if the Japanese got a little jealous of the Thai successfully coming up with their own original J-Horror flavored material and decided they couldn’t have that, hence eagerly excepting the offer from Americans to join forces on a remake – which resulted in an English (scripted) language version, filmed on location in Tokyo with an American principal cast and Japanese crew.
The original Thai film, although very effective, wasn’t a big budget looking effort. That somehow translated similarly, even if slightly exponential, to the production level of this remake. It may look a bit more polished and upgraded, but it lacks some impressiveness when compared to The Eye remake (especially in the visual effects department). This was my main problem with the first half of the film. As it felt somewhat bland and superficial, I started fearing this would turn into an inferior and unnecessary remake. Luckily, the script’s plot punches pulled matters through during the second half, thereby effectively increasing tension during some of the later scenes. The final moments – in particular that last shot – were already great in the Thai original: disquieting in its subtlety, yet so haunting in its reveal. Obviously the remake couldn’t end on a different note. But only the impact from the first time you get to see it, will leave the lasting impression. And, in my case, that award already went to the Thai in 2004.
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I do remember seeing and liking The Eye, though it has been quite a while. I also remember liking The Eye 2 (original, not the remake…if there was an American remake of the sequel!?!?!), which was a little different but pretty good.
I honestly don’t remember if I have seen Shutter, original or remake. There were so many of those Asian horror titles coming out, with just as many American remakes of them, it was hard to keep track of!
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Yes, I’ve seen The Eye 2 (2004, the Asian sequel) as well and liked it. Indeed, a bit different, but still good. The year after they already made a second sequel, which I haven’t seen yet, released over here in Europe under the title The Eye: Infinity (2005). What I wasn’t aware of, is that in 2010 a fourth film came out, called The Child’s Eye. The good thing, at least, is that all of those were written and directed by the Pang brothers (Danny & Oxide), so at least you can still expect the same kind of quality.
To my knowledge, the American remake with Jessica Alba never received a sequel.
My guess is you haven’t seen the Korean Shutter (or remake) yet then, because the ending would have likely stayed with you. The final conclusion made the film stand out a bit, during that whole wave of Asian J-Horror ghost movies.
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Movie: 100 Feet
Synopsis: A woman who killed her abusive husband is placed under house arrest. His ghost begins to haunt her and continues his history of physical abuse.
Review: I love horror movies with something to say. This movie is as much about a battered wife’s treatment by her friends and family as it is about ghosts. The movie begins after her husband’s death (a policeman), but we find out that she reported his abuse multiple times and it was either ignored as typical domestic squabbles or swept under the rug by his police friends. Now, after killing her husband in self-defense, she gets judged harshly by ex-friends and neighbors not to mention the police, the very same people who ignored her pleas for help. We get a portrayal of how the system fails and even criminalizes the victims of abuse.
But the movie wouldn’t be as enjoyable as a pure morality tale. The ghost who haunts this movie is obviously a threat physically and often mentally torturing, in turn. There are some great suspenseful moments and one or two shock moments too. It took me a while to accept the odd “smeared” CGI look of the ghost but by the end I actually liked it. The movie takes its time to build the lead character and the few people she interacts with. But the build-up of horror is not so slow that the movie bogs down. In fact, if there is one flaw with the movie, it is that sometimes (but not always) the ghost’s appearance is too rushed, without a proper build-up of tension.
Overall I liked the movie quite a bit and I would recommend it to anyone who can enjoy a movie that doesn’t have constant action.
Movie: Shock (1977) (also known as Beyond the Door II)
Synopsis: A woman, her son, and her second husband move into her old home where her previous husband committed suicide. The ghost of her ex-husband haunts her, often by possessing her son; until her mind snaps. Several awful truths are revealed and the ghost gets vengeance.
Review: The last movie (I think) of Mario Bava, it certainly isn’t one of his best. The music (by Libra) works well (not as good as Goblin for ex. but good enough) and there are some very good camera angles, framing and other cinematography peppered throughout. The biggest issue with the movie is the pacing is very slow and the frights are too far and few; leaving a lot of screen time of a panicked woman looking about for her son or screaming in panic and of the young boy looking as if he’s doing something evil (like destroying a doll) with a wicked grin. The worst part is the story is too bland and has been done so many times before. The movie has its moments and isn’t horrible, I just would have expected more from Bava, and Italian horror in general. I would recommend this to any Bava completist, ghost genre completist, or 70’s completist or those who are really into the music associated with Italian Horror. Otherwise, I think there are better works out there to spend your time on.
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Hey Chris –
I remember seeing 100 Feet when it first came out, thinking it was a great idea for a new twist on a haunting. And I still think it is a great concept, but for some reason, I remember not being too impressed with it. It has been quite a few years since then so maybe I need to revisit.
As for Shock, well you are correct that it isn’t the best of Bava, but at least now you’ve checked it off your list. I do remember a few creepy elements (one with the hand reaching out), as well as that kid being annoying!
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Hi Chris. Was meaning to type in a quick reply here. Glad to see some appreciation for 100 Feet. It was great, at the time, seeing Eric Red come back with this film. First watched it when it came out on DVD and more recently revisited it again. Still feel the same way about it, the film holds up well. And what you wrote about it, was pretty much how it went down with me too, on both viewing occasions.
It’s surely different than most other ghost stories that were coming then. And perhaps that’s why I have the impression it’s still being overlooked too easily. Maybe also, I don’t recall it having been backed by some major studio. It’s not the most spectacular of ghostly outings, the story handles a rather minimalist approach, which actually serves the tightly executed concept for the better. By now, in a sea of abundant ghosts, it just might be a hidden gem.
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Movie 1: Insidious Chapter 3
I honestly don’t know why I watched this one. I don’t really care for these types of newer horror movies. They all seem to be cookie cutter, boring, and full of terrible CG screaming jump scare effects. I can’t tell the difference between The Conjuring movies, Sinister, and this series. I think I just wanted to give this one a chance, because it had a “prequel” title. I thought maybe something old school would stand out in this one. That was not the case. It was an okay movie. It just didn’t thrill me the way old school movies do. However, I do love Lin Shaye. If she wasn’t in these movies, I definitely wouldn’t give them the time of day.
Movie 2: Insidious: The Last Key
I actually really enjoyed this one, and I admit it was my favorite out of the franchise. (I still rolled my eyes at the jump scare scenes, but I won’t dwell on that.) “Key Face” looks cool and is a creative entity, but I would’ve loved to see some practical makeup with it. I know that is an unrealistic request with how fast these movies are produced. I just have to keep voicing my opinion and love for practical effects. I liked how this movie pulled it full circle to the first 2 movies. I need that kind of closure. Again, Lin Shaye is awesome, and I don’t have any complaints with the story or acting in this one.
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I still need to get caught up on the last of these Insidious films. Actually, I don’t even remember where I left off! I do agree that these modern films can start to feel like cookie-cutter titles and formulaic. And those obvious jump scares? Ugh! But you have reminded me that I do need to get to these at some point.
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Movie 1: Ghost Ship
When it opened I thought the mood, music, and credit typeface was a little light and colorful to set the opening scene for a horror movie. Then, I saw Zemekis in the credits and instantly my mind was set to something along the lines of Tales From the Crypt or The Frighteners. And it felt just like either of those after that. I’m sorry to say that I felt that that same opening sequence was by far, the most impressive and hard-act-to-follow-that scenes in any movie opener. I can’t really recall any scary scenes that could live up to it. Sure, there were jump scares aplenty, but I ultimately found myself a little bored with picture.
Movie 2: Winchester
I didn’t know this came out already! I also didn’t know Helen Mirren was to be in the role of Sarah Winchester. I had read about this house back in the 90s and always found it to be rather fascinating. And the place they had used as the Winchester Home itself was really believable as the actual home. (I wish I had done some research on the film to see if the film makers had access to the real home or if it was just a massive reproduction set, but it was immaculate to say the least!) The history and lore were well balanced with believable characters and you could tell, in fairness, which were movie plots/subplots embedded to carry it along. I thought the “final showdown” sequence was a little too over the top with too much CGI, but this is the world we live in now. I would visit this again just to take another tour of the Winchester house.
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I agree with that opening of Ghost Ship, but after that, I think it went down faster than the Titanic! Granted, I’ve only seen it the one time when it first came out, but don’t remember it too fondly.
I was very excited to see Winchester, both because I love a good ghost story and for Mirren as well. But unfortunately, I was let down on this one too. Like you said, way too much CGI, and it shouldn’t be the world we live in. But it seems to be an easy crutch to fall back on, sadly.
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Saving this space – reports to come!
#1 YUMEJI (1991)
#2 RELIC (2020)
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ahem… sorry about the delay!
RELIC (2020) d. Natalie Erika James (Australia/USA) (89 min)
Director James’ debut feature masterfully weaves myriad haunted house tropes into a thoughtful and devastating examination of Alzheimer’s, a journey that dances and sways into vivid metaphor such that by the final act, the viewer knows not what is “real” and what is merely illusion/delusion. More importantly, however, this dream state seems absolutely appropriate to the circumstances and the topic at hand, where we are as confused and disoriented as the characters themselves. It’s a brave and disturbing tack, one that reaps estimable dramatic rewards even as it raises neck and arm hairs.
The social commentary about how the elderly can slowly lose their faculties, their memories, and eventually their identities is not necessarily subtle, yet James cultivates such a thick atmosphere of dread and mystery that we are transported along with Kay and Sam into Edna’s shifting, slippery reality. We feel the geography of a once-familiar home transforming into a moldering nightmare abode, where walls literally close in and hallways lead to doors that lead to identical hallways. Huge kudos are due to production designer Steven Jones-Evans, as well as cinematographer Charlie Saroff and sound designer Robert Mackenzie, expertly transforming the banal interiors of the country cottage to a sprawling insane funhouse that plays by its own rules.
Full Review here:
https://horror101withdrac.blogspot.com/2020/11/relic-2020-blu-ray-review.html
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and here’s the other one!
YUMEJI (1991) d. Seijin Suzuki (Japan) (128 min)
A most unusual ghost story, this final chapter in Suzuki’s Taisho Trilogy is at first glance a biopic about painter and poet Yumeji Takehisa (Kenji Sawada), yet ends up being far less concerned with realistic depictions of the artist’s life and more with exploring the elusive boundaries between man and woman, life and death, objectification and obsession. Takehisa’s relationships, specifically those with three women, highlight key elements of human nature, and Suzuki applies his painterly vision to nearly every frame, weaving a hypnotic spell that lingers in the heart even as the images ebb and flow through the mind.
Dramatically, the unhurried pace will likely prove challenging for some viewers (guilty as charged), especially when the more fantastic elements are dealt with in such a banal, matter-of-fact manner. Except of the existential sort, there are no real scares to be had, but that’s not to say this isn’t a fascinating cinematic exercise in and of itself.
More art-house than haunted house, Yumeji’s non-traditional handling of supernatural elements will not be to everyone’s liking, but for those in the mood for something different will certainly find it here.
Full Review here:
https://horror101withdrac.blogspot.com/2020/10/yumeji-1991-blu-ray-review.html
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