haunting film haunting british supernatural horror film directed produced adapted novel haunting hill house stars film depicts experiences small group people invited paranormal investigator investigate haunted house worked director wise film want live began month write script reading book wise given perceived book mental breakdown ghosts informed meeting author supernatural novel elements mental breakdown introduced film film shot united_kingdom budget million grounds shot park village cast wise found ideal psychologically fragile eleanor production suffered depression uneasy relationship stars interior sets credited wise instrumental making haunting designed brightly lit dark corners decorated style rooms ceilings create effect film numerous devices tricks filming wise wide angle lens camera technically ready use caused given wise condition sign memorandum acknowledged lens imperfect wise cinematographer planned sequences kept camera moving utilizing low angle takes incorporating unusual tracking shots haunting notable lesbian character character sexual orientation left ambiguous source novel film makes known subtly motion pictures era depict lesbian feminine predatory according harris film demanded shown touch eleanor sensual suggestive way obvious release september film performed moderately box office received plot widely criticized today achieved cult status considered best horror films cinematic history unsettling guardian newspaper ranked 13th best horror film time director placed haunting list horror films time haunting released dvd original screen format commentary released blu ray october film remade director starring version heavily panned critics audiences alike plot narrates history year old constructed home wife died carriage crashed tree approached house time remarried second wife died house fall stairs daughter lived house rest life moving nursery died calling nurse companion companion inherited house later hanged spiral staircase library eventually inherited stood time wishes study reported paranormal activity lease occupy mansion duration investigation acceptance heir chosen individuals accompany psychic known experienced activity child eleanor spent adult life caring invalid mother recent death left eleanor severe guilt large maze like mansion walls constructed angles slightly resulting center perspectives doors open close immense library contains spiral staircase previous owner hanged vast adorned eerie statues night house eleanor terrified supernatural occurrences outside bedroom door heard door voice young girl heard echoing laughter despite eleanor feels tentative affinity team explores house day discovering cold spot outside nursery encountering supernatural phenomena reveals allegedly occurred following night loud disturbances team discovers words help eleanor come home wall causes eleanor severe distress night moves eleanor room fall asleep bed eleanor awakened sounds man speaking woman laughing fearful eleanor asks hold hand feels crushed eleanor hears sound young girl crying shouts causing child pain awakens start turns light eleanor sees moved bed couch felt holding hand following day wife grace arrives warn husband reporter learned investigation concerned grace announces plans join group duration investigation demands bed nursery despite husband warning likely center disturbances night group experiences loud unseen force attempting force way living room staying proceeds way nursery sounds destroying room heard prompts eleanor run source grace found disappearance confirmed following morning eleanor mental instability falls spell enters library climbs dilapidated spiral staircase reaches grace appears unexpectedly trap door eleanor nearly falls death rescues eleanor misses seeing grace disappeared house alarmed eleanor obsession spite dangers poses despite eleanor pleas stay insists leave asks luke accompany home join car eleanor drives speeds road gates soon feels steering wheel car advances struggles regain control unseen force suddenly grace appears tree steps car eleanor crashes tree killed luke observes eleanor deliberately aimed car tree asserts car notes tree claimed eleanor life killed remarks eleanor got wanted remain house cast production post production west story read review time magazine author novel haunting hill house wise read book found frightening passed screenwriter friend worked film want live story treatment wise proceeding work adaptation crafted screenplay came believe novel ghost story compilation insane thoughts lead character having nervous breakdown scenario hospital held psychiatrist cold violence results shock treatment opening closing doors reflected opening closing hospital doors wise traveled vermont meet told good idea novel definitely supernatural nonetheless elements insanity concept remained script audience left wondering supernatural events film eleanor mind real visit jackson wise chose title film want book title asked jackson considered alternative title suggested haunting wise immediately adopted script writing screenplay took months period worked passed work wise work screenplay progressing wise collaborate screenplay screenplay changes story number characters cut story significantly shortened supernatural events depicted novel kept screen greater action set inside house audience feeling eleanor role emphasised character given slightly cruel sense humor order foil eleanor eleanor outsider status role luke novel confident character screenplay finished wise completed work west story wise approached project delay turned wise agent suggested wise owed metro mayer mgm film old contract wise project mgm agreed wise million budget wise knew film mgm took england gave tax breaks financing films way promoting british film industry suggested wise approach mgm subsidiary wise asked come united_kingdom west story trip financing pitch offered budget million levy support allowed film forward production united_kingdom casting reported running female leads chosen role wise seen harris stage felt right psychologically fragile eleanor harris agreed film role complex idea house taking eleanor mind interesting chose long standing interest english actress cast decision cast bloom johnson requirements cast partly british bloom character appear bohemian clothing designer hired design clothing specifically character contract mgm cast wise saw johnson production impressed acting offered role johnson later said received film acting advice wise wise told eyes steady try time acting wise said care editing room johnson credited wise helping craft natural acting performance contract mgm initially turned role luke felt character thought script good studio forced reconsider threatening suspension told british cinema magazine reading script second time realised character interesting ironic said turned favourite films stunt performer appears twice film portrays death second backward flight stairs uncredited actress seen shots fall face audiences associate second appears nurse companion hangs spiral staircase library uncredited actress seen climbing stairs going past camera body suddenly appears shot nurse companion hangs filming wise called haunting favorites films commenting favorite filmmaking experience grounds near village exterior shots according actor wise approached society kept track british haunted houses gave list places production designer sent country look house wise personally selected park cast crew housed exterior shooting location sit harris bloom arriving park thought scary looking outside wise interior sets constructed shot mgm british studios interior sets designed credited wise major contributor haunting sets designed brightly lit dark corners decorated style rooms ceilings create effect film actor said sets created subdued feeling cast crew wise says contract mgm specified picture shot black white wise preferred genre film attempted park look sinister lighting effects camera settings failed wise hit idea infrared film establishing shots house infrared film stocks quickly rushed location shoot belgium new film worked wise felt infrared film brought stone mansion look like monster house wise wanted haunting tribute producer writer wise directed film supernatural horror picture curse cat people wise says theory horror people afraid unknown things decision little supernatural early picture pre production wise cinematographer wanted distances film look longer darker audience wise approached company wanted wide angle lens lens wise learned company working lens contained ready wise kept pressing eventually turned lens condition wise signed memorandum acknowledged imperfect wise planned shots kept camera moving utilised low angle shots incorporated unusual tracking shots led active camera movements wise film career feeling house alive exterior shots filmed windows appeared eyes shoot harris suffered depression believed stars film seriously times cry makeup chair prior day shoot bloom speak harris filming continued worsened depression afterward bloom told harris lack interaction helped build performance women reconciled harris incorporated depression performance wise heightened sense character conflict having characters step lines allowing character begin talking finished occasion characters simply talk time enhance actors performances scenes react stage voices sounds wise sound editors created pre scored soundtrack voices noises played filming wise says greatly enhanced acting performances sounds replaced post production pre scored sounds left soundtrack actors heard sound editors collected created sounds manor house week create pre score sounds low bass range cause physical high volume effects editing effects achieved ways immediately obvious scene supernatural force pushes door bends inward repeatedly door appears viewers latex fact wood strong crew member pushing piece timber hard door physical effects spiral staircase library appear frightening scene camera appears ascend staircase rapid rate point view backward looking staircase camera staircase track lowered slowly means wire sequence run reverse high speed effect frightening scene staircase appears unstable way later eleanor goes staircase trance like state rescued staircase ready collapse collapsing staircase effect designed studios effect created tying portions steps cable ran inside staircase central pole cable elements moved freely staircase appeared solid stable effect disturbing cast ascend staircase shaking order prove safe effects relied simple cinema tricks early film audience sees lying bed aging young child old woman camera fixed bed different actresses different age posed bed beneath camera aging process scene characters come cold spot haunted mansion physical effect characters makeup department applied special makeup characters appeared invisible normal light effect cold skin filters gradually drawn lights set revealing cold effect makeup camera work editing work frightening qualities film eleanor viewed scene camera closes tightly forced backward eleanor viewpoint eerie views house viewpoints editing choices film audience discomfort number rapid cuts film throw viewer sense spatial orientation dutch angles imply reality cutting action showing characters exiting room right entering room left violated viewer clear sense rooms connected audience lacks temporal clues shots window determine night day eleanor rescued unstable spiral staircase windows nearby strong sunlight streaming darkness outside haunting notable lesbian character character subtly mentioned novel film makes explicit film hollywood motion pictures depict lesbian feminine predatory helps create conflict picture eleanor growing attraction threatened clear lesbian threat causes conflict psychic investigator originally script contained scene early film shown apartment city clear context broken female lover hate written mirror window wise decided cut scene believing explicit film worked hard things implicit according harris film demanded shown touch eleanor order obvious reception haunting released september audiences frightened film critic related female friends expecting film took film minutes intention fixing faces film proved frightening said women jumping seats losing items houston texas local cinema promoted film chilling held contest patrons sit way midnight screening prize despite stunts haunting average success box office haunting opened mixed reception consensus generally stylish film major flaws plot lacked excitement variety called acting effective cinematography visually exciting production design monstrous house decidedly star film unnamed reviewer felt screenplay major shortcomings plot points motivation characters poor new_york_times cited haunting highly regarded haunted house films produced point writing atlantic magazine critic called film moderately elegant expensive criticised comic considered film superior birds released didn consider great film said wasn great movie certainly wouldn thought audience haunting wasn merely bored movie assuming interests didn feel inferior felt audience crude bad movies scattered people haunting restless couple sitting near arguing man threatening leave woman assuring happen terms cheated happened course missed happening nervous primitive notion real things physical film stature following grown steadily original release cult movie status director placed haunting list horror films time says steven_spielberg considers haunting seminal films youth says told haunting film rough guide film called frightening films said performance played intensity frightening guardian newspaper ranked 13th best horror film time critics think highly film stated believe film frankly professional filmmaker argued people truly find film shocking disturbing october review aggregator website rotten_tomatoes scores film rating based reviews film nominated director magazine hosted screening film park special guest event participated prior screening johnson said actually stepped foot hall filming occasion actually inside premises movie mentioned novel remakes remake film attempted early 1990s noted horror author king pitched project rose red steven_spielberg project went turnaround complete script written demanded thrills action sequences king wanted horror king mutually agreed project years work king bought rights script king returned project completed revised script successfully pitched script producer king revised script aired miniseries titled rose red bears superficial resemblance haunting haunting formally remade title legendary horror director initially worked project abandoned adaptation directed starring roles named luke eleanor widely panned home media media announced begin black white motion pictures pleasing audiences watching cable networks announcement generated extensive controversy touring turner facilities member wise learned turner haunting wise able prevent pointing contract stated picture black white released film vhs pan scan format released dvd original screen format dvd release included voice commentary wise bloom harris johnson film released blu ray commentary track october
The Haunting (1963 film)