Burning Down the Haunted House

The Haunting in Connecticut was a terrible disappointment.

Seriously? What were you expecting? Maybe you didn't see the previews because they weren't very good.

The first ones I saw made it actually look pretty creepy making this appear to be more of a spook story than a manipulative piece of garbage.

Well then maybe you didn't see the cast list because it includes Virginia Madsen who is absolute poison when it comes to quality.

But Martin Donovan was in it and I used to love him, although it was 15 years ago and I haven't really been impressed with him since he change my life in Trust.

And he really was stuck with a thankless role here playing a former drunk who is completely personality-free until he starts hitting the bottle again. His Dr. Jekyll was a snooze and his Mr. Hyde was ludicrous. I expected a terrible movie and it delivered perfectly. I give it a 1 for quality but a 10 for matching my expectations exactly.

I just wish they had left the "real" story alone. I watched a documentary about this case years ago and it was 10 times more frightening than this nonsense. The DVD extras were more unsettling than the movie itself which is not a sign of greatness. I just want my scary movies to actually be scary instead of stupid and while I am not a huge fan of Boo! scares, this movie actually had a few good ones that set a creepy mood early on. But then the writers embellished on the story so much and so badly that it derailed the film and ruined the whole thing.

Bringing in ectoplasm as a plot point probably wasn't the best idea.

It was one of the most idiotic and far-fetched pieces in a sea of bad ideas but one the minds behind this movie latched onto in the previews and posters so they obviously thought it would wow the crowds. The scene was ridiculous and a little gross. Also, all the close-up morgue preparation shots weren't scary as much as they were nauseating and vomit-inducing. I guess if you want a visceral reaction from the audience, throwing up is just as good as wetting your pants with fright.