Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

Mark Turner I remember the first time I ever saw THE CHANGELING. It was on a double bill at a drive-in and I can't recall the other feature. I was impressed with the film at the time and was stunned that it didn't do better business. It featured one of the biggest stars at the time in George C. Scott, was a horror story at a time when they were on the rise and was actually quite well done. And yet it got lost somewhere along the way. It was even rare to find a copy on a video shelf when it came out in that format. All of that changes with the release of the film in blu-ray format from Severin.Composer John Russell (Scoot) is on vacation with his wife and daughter when their car breaks down on a snow covered road. Pushing the car they come across a payphone (the movie was made when those existed) and he walks across to call for help. While he does so an oncoming car crosses the path of a truck that veers and plows across Russell's wife and daughter.Fast forward months later and Russell is still trying to cope with his loss. He moves to Seattle where a friend has set him up to teach at the local college. Looking for a place to stay an agent of the local historic society, Claire Norman (Trish Van Devere) finds him just the place, a Victorian mansion that is secluded and offers him the solace he needs. But things aren't quite what they seem. Russell begins hearing a banging every day at the same time. He has the pipes checked but the noise continues. One night when he hears water running he goes to turn it off and has a vision of a young boy drowning. As he begins investigating the history of the house he finds out more happened there than anyone has realized.Following noises in the house he finds a hidden attic. The doorway is sealed over, boarded up and shelves placed over those boards. Removing them he enters through the door and finds a room upstairs where it appears a young boy lived alone. His diary is there as well as a ball and a wheelchair he would have used. Russel continues to investigate the history of the house with the help of Claire. The noises, breaking glass in windows and more occur. He finds that the history of the house leads to a sitting Senator (Melvyn Douglas) as well as a young boy who was murdered and buried elsewhere. As he continues to discover more he still can't figure out why these images, these spectral visions are attaching themselves to him. What is it they want him to do and how can he follow through?The film is one of the best ghost stories ever committed to film. And like those that are the best it never puts everything on display for all to see. There are no floating sheets flying from one end of the house to the other, no million dollar special effects shots of walls/doors/furniture visibly changing into another form and no zombiefied corpses roaming about seeking revenge. Instead the majority of the hauntings taking place here involve the use of sound, of darkness and light and of things as simple as a bouncing child's ball to create an unsettling tale that holds the viewers interest from start to finish.Directed by acclaimed director Peter Medak who had already directed THE RULING CLASS and would go on to direct THE KRAYS, and ROMEO IS BLEEDING, the film uses a light touch rather than an in your face method of provoking scares and telling a complete story. With a combination of wonderful cinematography, a fantastic script and the acting abilities of the film's stars the result is a ghost tale that is second perhaps only to the 1963 version of THE HAUNTING, one of my all-time favorite films. The movie is an amazing film and one that I'm delighted to see saved from obscurity by Severin. It deserves it. If simply saving the film weren't enough Severin has gone the extra mile and included some wonderful extras that make you want to go back and watch the film a second time just to apply the things learned in those extras. Included in the extras are an audio commentary track with Medak, producer Joel B. Michaels and moderated by Severin Films' David Gregory, THE HOUSE ON CHEESMAN PARK: THE HAUNTING TRUE STORY OF THE CHANGELING in which we learn the facts of the actual case that the film is based on, THE MUSIC OF THE CHANGELING: AN INTERVIEW WITH MUSIC ARRANGER KENNETH WANNBERG, THE BUILDING OF THE HOUSE OF HOROR: AN INTERVIEW WITH ART DIRECTOR REUNBEN FREED, THE PSYCHOTRONIC TOURIST: THE CHANGLING which returns us to the various locations the film was shot at, Master of Horror Mick Garris talking about the film, a poster and stills gallery, the original trailer and TV spots for the film. After watching the pieces here about the real story and the construction of the sets you just want to restart it all over again.I would be remiss if I didn't mention one small item that Severin did here that deserves tremendous praise. I'm sure we've all grown weary of having to put in a disc only to sit patiently while we see the standard FBI warning about copying the film. That doesn't happen here. Instead once the disc loads on your player we see George C. Scott and Trish Van Devere sitting and looking at a microfilm machine taken from the movie. They scroll and stop and we're allowed to see what they're reading. It's the FBI warning written as a news item. What an ingenious way to insert that onto the disc! And it makes viewing the warning seem less a chore than normal, something you'll want others to see when watching the film again.Having the opportunity to watch this film again was such a joy. Having the chance to see it presented in such a way that it was clean, clear and crisp made it even more so. Previously all prints had seemed washed out and slightly off focus from seeing it on an outdoor screen to watching it on sloppily transferred video tape. Now I and many others can enjoy watching it along with the well-made extras again and again. Congratulations Severin on a job well done.

Michael_Elliott The Changeling (1980) **** (out of 4)Composer John Russell (George C. Scott) has his world turned upside down when his wife and daughter are killed in a traffic accident. A few months later he moves to Seattle to get some work done and moves into a mansion that hasn't been lived in for years. Before long he starts to hear strange noises and he quickly believes that a ghost is there. With the help of a local woman (Trish Van Devere) he quickly uncovers a dark secret.From what I've read THE CHANGELING wasn't a hit at the box office and in fact it was in and out of theaters very quick without too much press one way or another. The film pretty much went away but over the years it slowly built up a cult following and today it's considered one of the greatest ghost films ever made. While there are a couple flaws here and there and while it doesn't reach the same greatness as THE SHINING, there's no question that the film deserves its new found fame because it really is a great one.I think what I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it really does take its time to get the atmosphere right, slowly build up the scares and in the end it really delivers. A lot of credit has to go to the screenplay because it actually delivers a very good story for us to follow. Every ghost story going back to the 1930's usually had some silly story just to get the ghosts on the screen. I will avoid spoilers but the story here is a very detailed one and one that is highly entertaining and works perfectly as a mystery.Director Peter Medak does a marvelous job at building up the atmosphere and slowly building up the suspense and terror. There aren't any cheap scares here but instead we get a slow-burn effect of the haunting completely taking over the lead character as well as the viewer too. I really loved the art design in the picture and there's no doubt that the music is flawless and one of the most effective scores you'll ever hear. The look of the house was terrific and in many ways it became its own character.Of course, it also helps that you've got an actor like George C. Scott in the lead. Scott was one of the greatest actors in history and he really does deliver a rare emotional performance here. He was great at playing anger and he was always a very strong actor but I really thought he showed off emotions here that we typically didn't get to see from him. The actor perfectly nails the part as well as the various emotions going on with the character. Van Devere is also extremely good in her supporting role as is Melvyn Douglas in his few scenes.THE CHANGELING really is one of the best ghost movies ever made with several extremely creepy moments.

aaamail I found this movie pretty entertaining. The plot is in the form of what has today become a pretty cookie cutter formula. A house haunted by a sad or angry spirit wanting revenge, avenge or justice. The plot is not quite esoteric or nuanced enough for my tastes, and it kind of drags a bit from the middle and out, transforming itself from a claustrophobic and intense exorcist like nightmare to more of a mystery thriller with loads of dialogue and daylight scenes.Fortunately the cinematography is beautiful, slow, wide and open. The 1800'th century aristocratic victorian interior decor, coupled with the bright and open scenes from the inner city of New York and Washington (?) creates a nice contrast between the darker scenes inside the house which becomes a bit carnival-like in the long run.Another positive factor is the way the movie takes itself seriously, largely fueled by the cast that seems less Hollywood and morel like stage actors.

FlashCallahan John Russell, a composer and music professor, loses his wife and daughter in a tragic accident. Seeking solace, he moves into an old mansion unoccupied for twelve years. But a child- like presence seems to be sharing the house, and trying to share its secrets, with him. Through research into the house's past and a séance held within, Russell discovers the horrific secret of the house's past, a secret that the presence will no longer allow to be kept........If your a horror fan, there is nothing more refreshing than a good old fashioned haunted house movie, without any CGI to spoil the atmospherics.The Woman In Black aside, it's been so many years since we had an effective haunted house movie, and from watching this really effective horror movie, I'm really surprised that more haven't been made.......without the use of CGI.Scott is as impeccable as he ever is, and he brings more to the films atmospherics due to his emotional performance. There are times when he's edging towards the hammy side, but he restraints himself, especially toward the end.It's a slow burner for sure, but it's consistently eerie, from the banging heard at six in the morning, to one of the most wonderful séance scenes I have seen for a long time, to John playing back that séance on tape and hearing other worldly noises not spotted first.If you are a fan of everything Blumhouse, with all their quiet..........quiet............quiet...........bang!! Cow prod scares, see this, this is what proper horror looks like, and the film doesn't force you into jumping.Your just too scared to notice that your not doing it.