The Haunting

The Haunting (1963) starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn. Directed by Robert Wise. Haunted-house feature has a small group of "researchers" taking up residence in a 90-year old house in remotest New England. Loud noises, disembodied laughter, etc. combine to scare the bejesus out of the researchers, who are there because their leader (Johnson) wants to prove that the supernatural exists. This movie seemed really tame to me, and not scary at all. Actual human monsters, such as serial killers or gangsters, are far more frightening to me than things that go bump in the night. The only thing that sets this film apart for me is Julie Harris's performance as a middle-aged woman who is slightly off-plumb and really wants something -- anything -- to happen to her. This is only so-so scare fare. (Subtitles in English are available on the disc, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B-