Movie Review: THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT turned out better than I expected
The way horror movies are being made these days I had low expectations for the new movie ‘The Haunting in Connecticut’, movies are always a little better when you go in with low expectations, but I certainly did enjoyed this movie. It was a little rough around the edges but in the end it worked as well as it could.
The movie was actually made in an old school ghost story practical way which is one of the things I really enjoyed about it. The filmmakers didn’t seem to over complicated things even though they had every opportunity to do so. They kept it simple. Sure there are a few thing sin the film that the characters do that drive you nuts. For example, The main character Matt Campbell decides to stay in the creepy basement night after night while bad things are happening. Yeah right. Also you never ever play hide and seek in a creepy ass house, let alone twice! Then when things look like the shit is about to hit the fan your use Hide and seek as a way to get the kids in a safe place. Come on now. Other than making bad decisions like that in the movie it did a good job of pulling me into the story that was being told.
Evidently the movie is based on the true story about paranormal activities experienced by the Snedeker family in the 1980s. The Snedekers moved into a house in Southington, Conn., so they could live closer to a clinic where their oldest son Matt was being treated for cancer, and would later claim that it was plagued by some manner of demonic presence. Carmen Snedeker described the demons; "One of the demons was very thin, with high cheekbones, long black hair and pitch black eyes. Another had white hair and eyes, wore a pinstriped tuxedo, and his feet were constantly in motion. Also one had a very big smile that on each side touch his eyes, and he was very short.” The house was examined by Ed and Lorraine Warren. The story follows that mortuary equipment was discovered in the basement, and Lorraine Warren would later state, "In the master bedroom, there was a trap door where the coffins were brought up, and during the night, you would hear that chain hoist, as if a coffin were being brought up. But when Ed went to check, there was nobody down there. Lorraine Warren has told the Associated Press that the house was cleared of any presence after a séance conducted in 1988.
Like any Hollywood film that is based on a true story they embellish the story and change a few of the details, for example in the film a priest played by Elias Koteas replaced Ed and Lorraine Warren.
If you like horror films and ghost story’s this is definitely a movie that will interest you. Don’t expect an over the top blood bath in your face horror movie of craziness, the movie uses very subtle tricks here and there and builds the suspense, thus messing with the audiences mind a little before you get the payoff. I Thought the movie was a nice little horror film, if you like these kinds of films then you should check it out.
Directed By: Peter Cornwell – Who did a fine job.
Staring: Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Elias Koteas, Amanda crew, and Martin Donovan. – all of which were very good in the film.