THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT
Official Site:
Cast: Kyle Gallner, Virginia Madsen, Amanda Crew, Martin Donovan Rating: MA15+ for Strong Supernatural Themes. Tagline: Some things cannot be explained. DVD Release: May 20, 2010 BOX OFFICE: For some reason this has never been on the release schedule for Australia, and I don't understand why. It was a huge box office success in America, which was prompting a Australian release, but we are yet to get one. AValiable for rent since March 4, it was retail released on May 20. DVD Special Features: TBA |
Plot Snyopsis, Review
Matt Campbell has cancer, and in order to be closer to the hospital trating him, the family move to an old house which was used as a morgue decades ago. When Matt and Wendy find some weird things around the house, and Matt reveals he see's one of the boys in a picture, they decide to research the happening's of the house, and discover the dining room was a seance area decades ago, and the only reason they stopped is that the medium Jonah went missing, and the five people involved in the last seance were found dead.
Entertaining. Although the film has a slight "Amityville Horror" vibe going on, with similar elements, it's original in it's effect of making you jump when you're not expecting it. The dark mood also gave it a slight effective climax, and I did feel the ending, which just had a summary (in words) of what happened after the seen events, was pretty dull as I would've preferred to see it, rather than just read it. I always knew there was going to be the little twist, because when you would think the movie was ending, which was only just over an hour in, there was a twist which you saw coming, just not to the extent it did. Although not gruesome and bloody, there were key scenes that made me shocked, example when someone is getting there eyelid cut off. A highlight of the film was that it wasn't too bent on getting you scared, rather it focused on the story, which in itself is enough to scare you.
The plot wasn't entirely original. As I previously stated, it gives the vibe that it's "The Amityville Horror", just not as intimidating and in-your-face. I think the realness came from the family, with the way they were written and there dialogue being believable enough for you to not just say "Oh that is so fake". Every time I watch something with a seance it creeps you out, because something always happens that is successful in freaking the shit out of you. I did feel the ending was slightly rushed, and the word summary before the credits was cheap and easy way of saying what happened, when I would prefer the visual.
The acting was a major part in the movie, and excelled in making you believe it was happening for the characters. "Virginia Madsen" plaed Sara, the mother who is finding it hard to cope cwith the sons cancer. She was excellent to watch, she always stole every scene she was in because she made it real, and gave it the sense of vulnerability. "Kyle Gallner" plaed "Matt", the caner ridden boy who is seeing the spirits. He was really irritating in some scenes because he barely changed his expression, even if he was supoosed to be in pain, he just didn't pull off the role as well as I think he could've. "Elias Koteas" played the reverend, who helped Matt in the end, and I think although he was good at playing a cancer patient, I felt his role was a little underused. "Amanda Crew" played "Wendy", and her voice was just the typical teenage American girls, and it pissed me off because it always sounded snobby. She did pull off her role acting wise, but that voice was just a ticking time bomb. "Martin Donovan" played "Peter", Matt's father. He didn't quite pull off the alcoholic the role was, and he was underused too.
Overall "The Haunting In Connecticut" was an entertaining, slow burning scarer, and the acting was of a very high standard. My rating is 3.5/5.
Entertaining. Although the film has a slight "Amityville Horror" vibe going on, with similar elements, it's original in it's effect of making you jump when you're not expecting it. The dark mood also gave it a slight effective climax, and I did feel the ending, which just had a summary (in words) of what happened after the seen events, was pretty dull as I would've preferred to see it, rather than just read it. I always knew there was going to be the little twist, because when you would think the movie was ending, which was only just over an hour in, there was a twist which you saw coming, just not to the extent it did. Although not gruesome and bloody, there were key scenes that made me shocked, example when someone is getting there eyelid cut off. A highlight of the film was that it wasn't too bent on getting you scared, rather it focused on the story, which in itself is enough to scare you.
The plot wasn't entirely original. As I previously stated, it gives the vibe that it's "The Amityville Horror", just not as intimidating and in-your-face. I think the realness came from the family, with the way they were written and there dialogue being believable enough for you to not just say "Oh that is so fake". Every time I watch something with a seance it creeps you out, because something always happens that is successful in freaking the shit out of you. I did feel the ending was slightly rushed, and the word summary before the credits was cheap and easy way of saying what happened, when I would prefer the visual.
The acting was a major part in the movie, and excelled in making you believe it was happening for the characters. "Virginia Madsen" plaed Sara, the mother who is finding it hard to cope cwith the sons cancer. She was excellent to watch, she always stole every scene she was in because she made it real, and gave it the sense of vulnerability. "Kyle Gallner" plaed "Matt", the caner ridden boy who is seeing the spirits. He was really irritating in some scenes because he barely changed his expression, even if he was supoosed to be in pain, he just didn't pull off the role as well as I think he could've. "Elias Koteas" played the reverend, who helped Matt in the end, and I think although he was good at playing a cancer patient, I felt his role was a little underused. "Amanda Crew" played "Wendy", and her voice was just the typical teenage American girls, and it pissed me off because it always sounded snobby. She did pull off her role acting wise, but that voice was just a ticking time bomb. "Martin Donovan" played "Peter", Matt's father. He didn't quite pull off the alcoholic the role was, and he was underused too.
Overall "The Haunting In Connecticut" was an entertaining, slow burning scarer, and the acting was of a very high standard. My rating is 3.5/5.