The first time I watched The Haunting, the original version made in 1961, I knew that I witnessed a perfectly crafted scare flick. It didn't matter that the movie filmed in black and white or that you never see what's on the other side of the door. In fact, those two choices enhanced the movie's effectiveness. By half way through, I was on the edge of my seat. Really.
A few years later I convinced a couple of friends to watch it. They were being all macho and saying "No black and white movie will scare me." and "This movie is old, it can't be scary." How wrong they were. By the end, one was curled up for safety inside a blanket in the recliner and the other one looked dumbfounded with his jaw hanging wide open with fright. I laughed at them and mocked away because I knew exactly how they felt.
This remains one of my all time favorite horror movies. So if you want a good scare on Halloween, get this movie and turn out the light and let your imagination run wild.
The movie is based the book, A Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. It's an outstanding piece of literature.
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