Year: 1995
Country: UK
Subgenre: Haunted House/Ghost
Runtime: 108 minutes
Director: Lewis Gilbert
I am a sucker for haunted house movies. Done well, they are the best of the horror genre--also the oldest of the horror genre in film history (Méliès House of the Devil is a haunted house film, made in 1896, it is considered to be the first horror film). Having said that, this particular film is not without its flaws; but it is still a pretty chilling experience, and a bit of a sleeper (I haven't met many people who even heard of it). It is an adaptation of a James Herbert novel; and I have read reviews of the film by fans of the novel who say that the film is not a completely faithful adaptation, however many of them say that it is still very recognizable and like the film (readers are notorious for never feeling satisfied with screen adaptations). I have not read the book (PTSD finished off my ability to read novels over 20 years ago 😞), but I take it that a lot of what is going on with script are simply vignettes from the novel that were not included; that makes this an expectable slimmed down narrative. What it may lack in chilling scenes from the book, it more than makes up for with a truly all star cast. It stars Kate Beckinsale and Aidan Quinn, but amongst the supporting cast you will find Anthony Andrews, Anna Massey and Sir John Gielgud! Aidan Quinn plays David Ash an American professor who specializes in debunking seances and the spiritualists that hold them. Set during 1920's at the very end of the spiritualist craze, there are still plenty of "mediums" about for Ash to expose. Despite that he has plenty of domestic work a foot, he simply cannot resist the pleadings of a British nanny to come to an estate called Edbrook located in the English countryside. Needless to say, he bites off way more than he can chew and finds himself in the middle of a very haunted house. His skepticism helps add to the growing spookiness. Filmed on location at Parham House & Park in West Sussex, a good deal of the scary stuff in this film takes place in broad daylight. That makes it a nice twist from your average haunted house yarn. It's also a nice break from all the paranormal "reality" shows out there that always film in the dead of night (I often wonder when someone is going to come up with a gimmick for one of those shows specifically investigating ONLY during the day). There is a nice mystery story to the whole thing, which integral to most haunted house narratives. Additionally the film is beautifully shot; and no wonder, the cinematographer was Oscar nominated Tony Pierce-Roberts (who was the DP on the likes of A Room with a View, The Remains of the Day & Howard's End). Not a perfect haunted house/ghost film, but very watchable and ultimately pretty chilling.
