The Changling (1980)

[Jesse]

The Changeling, 1980

Not be confused with the more recent movie, called just "Changeling", with Angelina Jolie. This one's about a haunted house and, well, I don't really want to spoil any more than that.

It's a really great movie with a slow-paced, haunting feel to it. Besides some great acting by George C. Scott (of Patton fame) and especially Melvyn Douglas as Senator Carmichael, there's some really interesting camera work -- a memorable scene has George C. Scott walking quickly to the next room, while the camera follows behind slowly, portraying the essence of ghostliness.

I'd place it much closer to a murder mystery than the typical haunted house tale. Its tone somewhat reminds me of 2001's The Others, with Nicole Kidman. There's not a single jump-scare moment that lesser movies (like The Ring or The Grudge) can't seem to live without, but it generates an aura of tension, and those moments that are frightening are able to do so just by a subtle movement of the camera and a bit of orchestral dissonance.

Unfortunately, some of the themes feel dated. It takes a slightly more realistic role than its more famous contemporaries -- that is, The Amityville Horror and Poltergeist -- and this somewhat hurts its ability to be relevant with the modern viewer. However, if one can put aside those few moments that seem a bit passé, the movie still manages to holds it own ground as a chilling bit of movie history.