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The acting is okay, the plot is very "ensemble cast haunted house 90's film" with not much innovation, but younger Owen Wilson is kind of a treat.
However, the set design is incredible. The ludicrous attention to detail is astounding, with some of the most elaborate and spectacular sets in any movie I've seen, horror or otherwise. The cinematography is also top notch and does a lot to accentuate the intricate and creepy set work. Came for the cheap haunted house story, stayed for the immaculate sets.
Seriously, they got some truly creative and talented designers and told them to just go crazy, I swear 3/4 of the budget was spent on set design, with each room having its own unique aesthetic. It truly is a masterpiece of sets.
One of my favorite pieces is the way, way too large fireplace with a giant lion's head for the flue. Seriously, Liam Neeson and Owen Wilson can stand inside the fireplace with both arms stretched out and not touch each other. Like, who the hell builds a fireplace that stupidly enormous? But man, it does so much to add to the grandeur and magnificence of the setting, making the characters feel small in the face of something so much larger than them. For those of you who have played Dark Souls or Elden Ring, you might recognize that trope.
Okay movie, amazing art.
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Completely agree, and the scene with Owen and the lion freaked me out when I first watched the movie. Wasn't much of a horror fan before watching this, was also only 14 when it came out; but it definitely was one that started my interest. Guilty pleasure movie for me for sure!
It's a great "my first horror movie" experience. More intense than Tremors but not so rough as, say, Hereditary.
Speaking of Tremors, I do now remember watching Tremors 2 with my parents when I was younger and having a (ass) blast. I wouldn't make anyone watch Hereditary as their first horror movie lol
I love the look of the movie, and the mood is really solid, but I prefer both the book and the 1963 version. The 1999 version is okay, and I saw it in theaters then, but it just didn't leave a lasting impact on me.
Not that I'm disagreeing, but I wonder what would be the greatest sets in cinema and where something like The Haunting would rank. I would think something like Titanic would be top of the list. Maybe Lord of the Rings, especially Hobbiton.
I would think a lot of those classic 50s and 60s films with gigantic casts would be up there too.
I get this house mixed up with the one in Rose Red. Both have that same feel to me, especially in the arial shots for Rose Red.
Yeah the movie isn’t a great adaptation and goes off the rails, but I thought it was really interesting how the set just kept seeming to get bigger and bigger, with all the characters dwarfed by this impossibly spacious house. Very unnerving
I love this movie. It’s so nostalgic to me and I agree it looks so cool. I know it’s not considered a great film but I really enjoy it. It was one of my first introductions to horror along with The Others.
The sets are wonderful and very impressive. Also Goldsmith's score is beautiful. Other then that, it's more of a fairytale haunted house flick. More light then House on Haunted Hill.
Agree, and the sound design and mixing was superb too
I loved the fuck out of this movie when I was a kid and the house is definitely one of the reasons. Those sets were absolutely amazing. I wanted to BE in that house. Ugh. 😩
First film I watched after buying a 5.1 surround system. Of course, I remember to this day how great it sounded!
We watched this movie when I was in rehab last year because it was the only horror film. Everyone hated it but I remember feeling the exact same way as you just described about the set in particular
I think I’m gonna rewatch this now. So good.
I saw it when it came out and then remember seeing some clips recently. It doesn't look that bad even by today's standards, and definitely has a look to it.