The Haunting is testament to the fact that well-enough should be left alone.
Nonetheless, if one looks past the excesses of the budget and special effects, the film does have a couple of good moments. I rather enjoyed old Hugh Crane, the house's resident spook, coming out of the woodwork. It's a kind of fun-house ride, with a few kicks and a corny, contrived, and convoluted ending to spoil things. To be honest, though, the scariest scene for me was when Nell was sleeping with her feet outside the covers. Forget the Blair Witch. Has she never heard of the Bed Witch?
Video:
As I mentioned before, the picture is gorgeous to look at. The wide 2.21:1 aspect ratio is a necessity to take in all the film's spectacle. The colors are radiant, clear, and clean, maybe a shade too brilliant for real life. A few wavering lines, which will show up more or less depending on one's playback equipment, can sometimes be distracting.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is slightly bright, like the picture itself, but it is well detailed, reasonably well distributed to the back channels, and extremely robust. George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound provided most of the visual and aural effects, and they are impressive, indeed.
Extras:
In addition to the film, DreamWorks provide a twenty-seven minute featurette with behind-the-scenes footage, cast and crew interviews, and a few ghost stories of its own. There are also cast and crew biographies and filmographies, production notes, theatrical trailers, and one of the most creative animated scene-selections menus I have ever encountered.
Parting Shots:
This new version of "The Haunting" may not match the older one for shivers and goose bumps, but it does provide its fair share of visual splendor. So, if for nothing else, think of it as an audiovisual experience to impress your neighbors.
Video:
As I mentioned before, the picture is gorgeous to look at. The wide 2.21:1 aspect ratio is a necessity to take in all the film's spectacle. The colors are radiant, clear, and clean, maybe a shade too brilliant for real life. A few wavering lines, which will show up more or less depending on one's playback equipment, can sometimes be distracting.
Audio:
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio is slightly bright, like the picture itself, but it is well detailed, reasonably well distributed to the back channels, and extremely robust. George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic and Skywalker Sound provided most of the visual and aural effects, and they are impressive, indeed.
Extras:
In addition to the film, DreamWorks provide a twenty-seven minute featurette with behind-the-scenes footage, cast and crew interviews, and a few ghost stories of its own. There are also cast and crew biographies and filmographies, production notes, theatrical trailers, and one of the most creative animated scene-selections menus I have ever encountered.
Parting Shots:
This new version of "The Haunting" may not match the older one for shivers and goose bumps, but it does provide its fair share of visual splendor. So, if for nothing else, think of it as an audiovisual experience to impress your neighbors.
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