"You goddamn son of a bitch! What is it you want?"
The Changeling (1980)Directed by Peter Medak
Peter Medak's The Changeling is that rare thing in horror films, a haunted house story done exactly right. It has a well developed protagonist, an excellent setting and depends far more on atmosphere and sound than visual effects or jump scares. George C. Scott gives a powerful performance (as usual) as a grieving composer who moves into a spooky old mansion that houses a terrible secret.
I won't go much further into the plot to avoid spoilers.
The "haunting" sub-genre has, of late, fallen into a rut of cliché, literal-mindedness and cheap shock effects but this film remains a shining example of what can be accomplished with those simplest of elements, a good actor, a good script and a solid director.
A classic, and one of the great Canadian genre films.
On second thought, make that one of the great Canadian films period.
I won't go much further into the plot to avoid spoilers.
The "haunting" sub-genre has, of late, fallen into a rut of cliché, literal-mindedness and cheap shock effects but this film remains a shining example of what can be accomplished with those simplest of elements, a good actor, a good script and a solid director.
A classic, and one of the great Canadian genre films.
On second thought, make that one of the great Canadian films period.
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