Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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108 of 109 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Did you die in this house? Why do you remain?", January 12, 2004
Director Peter Medak's THE CHANGELING is a highly entertaining and very creepy old-fashioned ghost story. It stars award-winning actor George C. Scott as John Russell, a musical composer who still grieves over the tragic deaths of his wife and young daughter (the film opens with the accident in which they are killed). In an attempt to put the loss behind him and move on with his life, Russell accepts a teaching position and moves to another town, where he also rents a rather dilapidated old mansion. It doesn't take long for him to realize that his new domicile is haunted, and when he learns that the ghost is that of a young boy who was stealthily murdered in the early 1900s, he throws himself wholeheartedly into the task of solving the mysterious crime. He is assisted in the endeavor by the real-estate agent who arranged his rental contract, played by Scott's wife Trish Van Devere.This film follows the old-school, Hitchcockian method of sucking the unwitting audience into the fantasy and thereby creating a genuine visceral horror. Unlike a lot of more contemporary genre fare, THE CHANGELING subtly builds tension by first concentrating on character development. Then, once the audience has some empathy for the protagonists, the details of the haunting and the related crime slowly unfold as the film's atmosphere becomes more & more eerie and more & more unsettling. So when the film's scariest events finally take place, the audience has been psychologically primed for being genuinely spooked. The acting in this film is superb. In contrast to the arrogant, flamboyantly self-assured characters that Scott is generally famous for playing, his John Russell is a sensitive and vulnerable man who seems truly concerned with the plight of others, and Scott delivers an exceptional performance that is just this side of stupendous. It's a shame that he wasn't offered more roles such as this. The always beautiful Trish Van Devere does a great turn as the real-estate agent who assists Russell, and she does an especially good job and exuding terror when she is confronted vis-à-vis by things that go bump in the night. Also turning in a wonderful performance is the highly revered Melvyn Douglas, here portraying a rather smarmy politician in one of his last roles. Genre fans will recognize Mr. Douglas from an early performance as Roger Penderel in another spook-house film, James Whale's classic THE OLD DARK HOUSE. Like some of its notable predecessors, this old-fashioned ghost story creates lots of gooseflesh and increases the heart rate without resorting to lots of gratuitous gore or stomach-churning make-up effects. So keep in mind, then, that fans who prefer only blood-and-guts horror may find THE CHANGELING a bit slow going. However, anyone who enjoys great acting, great story-telling, and deep-in-the-pit-of-your-stomach psychological scares will really enjoy watching this oft-overlooked gem.
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69 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Changeling, October 29, 2000
Although I have heard much praise for this movie over the years, I had not seen it until a few weeks ago. And I can see where all the positivity came from. The movie was dead on with the idea that you don't have to do anything visually appealing to score a hit with your audience. Although it had its visual moments (such as it's haunting finale), a lot of it was due to eerie noises and subtle reactions (with no annoying overacting) from star George C. Scott. One way I identify a good horror movie is if the movie (or part of the movie) sticks with me for a while. This movie did that with the brief shot of the wheelchair sitting at the top of the stairs, looking down at the 2 of them. It's very creepy, and it stays with you, along with a few other moments in the film. The dvd transfer is great (as i had rented a vhs version as well and compared the two), it has wonderfully dark scenery and great sound. Unfortunately the disc has only bios, but to have the movie in such great quality, it's no big deal. More people should see this movie, it's not getting the right amount of attention. Rest assured, you will definately get your money's worth with this one. And stay out of the attic.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Boy, the Wheelchair, and That Haunted House., June 1, 2003
There's something about low-budget horror movies that have a greater impact than their Hollywood counterparts. I thought I'd seen every good horror movie on the market until a co-worker had me borrow this DVD. 1980's "The Changeling" is a quintessential low-budget vintage horror movie, done in that classic late-1970's style. George C. Scott is a widower who is walking wounded following the freakish death of his wife and child (without giving away details, the opening scene is a hair-raiser and sets the tone for the rest of the movie). He moves into a giant, towering mansion to work on his music and recover from his tragic loss. But a few moments later, weird things happen inside the house. Piano keys play by themselves. Voices start speaking. And loud, banging noises happen out of nowhere. Come to find out, the house is haunted by a child. The movie then pursues a murder mystery in which we discover the boy's identity and the history of the house. Unlike most thrillers, "The Changeling" doesn't have much gore, but it has enough intense and spooky moments to make this film earn an R rating. Instead of aiming for shock, this movie effectively works on the viewer's emotions and has a reasonably interesting plot. I wouldn't call it the scariest film ever made, but if you're into horror movies of the haunted house variety, then "The Changeling" should rank high on your list of DVDs to get.
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