Search - The Haunting on DVD

MPAA Rating: G Movie Release: 1963 DVD Release: 08/05/2003 Format: DVD - Black and White,Letterbox for TV - Closed Captioned Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 52 mins Studio: Warner Home Video Members Wishing: 14 Genres: Horror, Haunted House Film, Supernatural Horror, Ensemble Film, Gothic Film

One of the most highly regarded haunted house films ever produced, Robert Wise's The Haunting (based on Shirley Jackson's novel -The Haunting of Hill House) weaves the dark tale of a questionably sane young woman and a sinister house which holds a terrifying past. Invited to join anthropologist Dr. Markway (Richard Johnson), ESP expert Theodora (Claire Bloom), and probable heir to the estate Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn) in order to dispel the near mythical tales that surround the house, unstable Eleanor Vance (Julie Harris) agrees to spend a few nights in the house following the death of her mother. As they slowly begin to discover, the horrific and seemingly unbelievable tales may hold more truth than the skeptical guests might have previously expected. With a seemingly unstoppable supernatural force lurking in every shadow, the probability of anyone escaping the evil clutch of the cursed mansion seems increasingly remote. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Julie Harris - Eleanor Vance
Claire Bloom - Theodora
Richard Johnson - Dr. John Markway
Russ Tamblyn - Luke Sanderson
Lois Maxwell - Grace Markway

Robert Wise's subtle but powerfully effective supernatural thriller The Haunting has earned a potent following from fans of vintage horror over the years, and this DVD release of the film should leave fans of the movie quite pleased, if not ecstatic. The Haunting has been given a letterboxed transfer at the original widescreen aspect ratio of 1.85:1, which has been enhanced for anamorphic playback on 16 x 9 monitors, and while the image is a bit dark in some sequences and the source print shows slight signs of wear, overall it looks quite good and preserves Davis Boulton's cinematography admirably well. The Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack is clean and clear, and features both the original English-language audio track as well as a dubbed French version; the disc also includes optional subtitles in English, French, and Spanish, which for the most part thankfully slip below the frame line into the letterboxing so as not to obscure the image. The disc's most notable bonus feature is a commentary track (first prepared for an earlier laserdisc release) which features director Wise, screenwriter Nelson Gidding, and actors Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, and Russ Tamblyn, all of whom sound intelligent and thoughtful in this context, and who thankfully don't overload the track with pointless anecdotes. Also fascinating is the disc's still gallery, which, along with a portfolio of production photos and advertising art, includes highlights from Wise's original shooting script, complete with handwritten notes from the director. Rounding out the package is a short text essay on other notable cinematic ghost stories, and the film's original theatrical trailer. If the minor flaws of the transfer prevent this from getting straight A's, the DVD release of The Haunting honors its source very well, and is worth a look for both fans and anyone interested in checking out a smart, atmospheric ghost story. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide