I went to use a free movie pass that was expiring this week to see Scary Movie 4. I know, not great, but probably worth a few laughs. But due to a mix-up, I wound up watching An American Haunting. I'm a fan of the genre and hadn't read ANYTHING about this movie, so I decided to stay (as the other movie had already started).
Anyway, if anyone has ANY interest in seeing this movie ..... please rethink your position. If you absolutely must see it, wait for rental. This movie SUCKED. The more I think about it, the more I hate it.
My spoiler-laden review:
***SPOILERS APLENTY***
The movie takes place in Tennessee around 1817 and is supposedly based on true events. It starts off by stating that there has been only one case (in USA?) of a spirit causing a person's death...... this is that story. That got me interested. Too bad it doesn't hold true. Only one person dies in this movie and it isn't from a spirit. It is a (justified?) pre-meditated murder. Of course you have to sit through the entire movie to be disappointed by this little fact.
I liked the setting and the costuming, pretty much all of the period element, even if the actors didn't always seem to fit into them. Even Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek seem to walk through their roles. And Betsy (the girl who was absolutely wonderful in Peter Pan) doesn't seem to have any emotional stake in the events happening around and TO her. Even when falling asleep during school due to nights of incessant torture from a spirit, she doesn't appear tired.
Sutherland plays a pillar of the community who is found guilty of breaking church law by committing usury of a neighbor. The neighbor vows that he and his beautiful daughter (an arbitrary choice of one of his at least four children?) will suffer. The seed has been planted that she has cursed them. If only ....... that would have at least made sense.
Soon after Sutherland begins to see a black wolf and possibly more on his property. But the wolf vanishes whenever confronted. Then Betsy is visited in her bedroom by a spirit. At first the spirit only pulls back the covers, but soon it becomes more violent, flinging her about and slapping her around. The family consults a friend and soon after Betsy's school teacher. (The church has apparently severed ALL ties.) As usual, there is belief that Betsy only suffers from bad dreams. But soon pillows explode and objects and people are tossed about the room, dispelling that theory. This all goes on an indeterminable length of time until exhaustion (both on the part of the characters and the viewers). All the while Betsy appears to act frightened when the script deems appropriate, but at other times she wanders away from school into the woods and NEVER stops sleeping alone in her bedroom. Now some of this may be dream sequence, but frankly it doesn't matter. The family seems to simultaneously use Betsy as "bait" to witness the spirit, yet not do anything about it.
And despite all this, I didn't hate this movie at this point. It's standard horror movie fare - ignoring or emphasizing certain illogical elements in order to advance the plot. As I've said before, I'll give horror movies plenty of slack because I like the genre so much. At this point, I wouldn't have particularly liked the movie, but .........
***MAJOR SPOILER ALERT***
What fatally ruined it was the startling twist that was tacked on to the end. It is revealed to Spacek, the mother, magically by a (the same????) spirit. Sutherland, apparently distraught at being separated from the church, had begun molesting young Betsy. Betsy, also understandably distraught now, separated from her own spirit and her spirit began haunting her family and herself and beating her mercilessly. And to make matters worse, this entire movie has been "bookended" by present a present-day storyline in which it is now revealed (somehow - inference) to a mother that her daughter is being molested by her (ex-)husband.
The End
Anyway, if anyone has ANY interest in seeing this movie ..... please rethink your position. If you absolutely must see it, wait for rental. This movie SUCKED. The more I think about it, the more I hate it.
My spoiler-laden review:
***SPOILERS APLENTY***
The movie takes place in Tennessee around 1817 and is supposedly based on true events. It starts off by stating that there has been only one case (in USA?) of a spirit causing a person's death...... this is that story. That got me interested. Too bad it doesn't hold true. Only one person dies in this movie and it isn't from a spirit. It is a (justified?) pre-meditated murder. Of course you have to sit through the entire movie to be disappointed by this little fact.
I liked the setting and the costuming, pretty much all of the period element, even if the actors didn't always seem to fit into them. Even Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek seem to walk through their roles. And Betsy (the girl who was absolutely wonderful in Peter Pan) doesn't seem to have any emotional stake in the events happening around and TO her. Even when falling asleep during school due to nights of incessant torture from a spirit, she doesn't appear tired.
Sutherland plays a pillar of the community who is found guilty of breaking church law by committing usury of a neighbor. The neighbor vows that he and his beautiful daughter (an arbitrary choice of one of his at least four children?) will suffer. The seed has been planted that she has cursed them. If only ....... that would have at least made sense.
Soon after Sutherland begins to see a black wolf and possibly more on his property. But the wolf vanishes whenever confronted. Then Betsy is visited in her bedroom by a spirit. At first the spirit only pulls back the covers, but soon it becomes more violent, flinging her about and slapping her around. The family consults a friend and soon after Betsy's school teacher. (The church has apparently severed ALL ties.) As usual, there is belief that Betsy only suffers from bad dreams. But soon pillows explode and objects and people are tossed about the room, dispelling that theory. This all goes on an indeterminable length of time until exhaustion (both on the part of the characters and the viewers). All the while Betsy appears to act frightened when the script deems appropriate, but at other times she wanders away from school into the woods and NEVER stops sleeping alone in her bedroom. Now some of this may be dream sequence, but frankly it doesn't matter. The family seems to simultaneously use Betsy as "bait" to witness the spirit, yet not do anything about it.
And despite all this, I didn't hate this movie at this point. It's standard horror movie fare - ignoring or emphasizing certain illogical elements in order to advance the plot. As I've said before, I'll give horror movies plenty of slack because I like the genre so much. At this point, I wouldn't have particularly liked the movie, but .........
***MAJOR SPOILER ALERT***
What fatally ruined it was the startling twist that was tacked on to the end. It is revealed to Spacek, the mother, magically by a (the same????) spirit. Sutherland, apparently distraught at being separated from the church, had begun molesting young Betsy. Betsy, also understandably distraught now, separated from her own spirit and her spirit began haunting her family and herself and beating her mercilessly. And to make matters worse, this entire movie has been "bookended" by present a present-day storyline in which it is now revealed (somehow - inference) to a mother that her daughter is being molested by her (ex-)husband.
The End
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. ... The piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
~ Howard Phillips Lovecraft
Marc B. Wrote:It is my understanding that the American release received an alternate ending after a poor test screening. The rest of the world has the original. Since I haven't seen it I can't tell you how they differ though.On-screen script at the end of the movie tells the audience that this is only one of the many possible interpretations of events that may have taken place. This leaves open the possibility of multiple alternate endings being added for the DVD release. Frankly, I doubt any ending could gloss over the flaws in this movie. It might fix the abhorrent ending, though.
The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents. ... The piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.
~ Howard Phillips Lovecraft
This movie is supposed to be based on the real life 'Bell Witch' haunting. Just as the movie says, the family lived in Tennesse in the early 1800's. I've read about this story many times. It is one of the most famouse early haunting cases in US history.
But it seems Hollywood just cant' leave interesting enough alone, can they. It would seem they have gone and destroyed the Bell family name. I can only shudder to think what the Bell decendents think of this film. I have not seen it, but after that review, I don't think I want too.
To learn more, do a web search for the Bell Witch. You will get tons of responses.
But it seems Hollywood just cant' leave interesting enough alone, can they. It would seem they have gone and destroyed the Bell family name. I can only shudder to think what the Bell decendents think of this film. I have not seen it, but after that review, I don't think I want too.
To learn more, do a web search for the Bell Witch. You will get tons of responses.
jimbow8 Wrote:***MAJOR SPOILER ALERT*** What fatally ruined it was the startling twist that was tacked on to the end. It is revealed to Spacek, the mother, magically by a (the same????) spirit. Sutherland, apparently distraught at being separated from the church, had begun molesting young Betsy. Betsy, also understandably distraught now, separated from her own spirit and her spirit began haunting her family and herself and beating her mercilessly. And to make matters worse, this entire movie has been "bookended" by present a present-day storyline in which it is now revealed (somehow - inference) to a mother that her daughter is being molested by her (ex-)husband.
The ending ruined the movie for me too. I mean, if the spirit of the girl were to attack someone, wouldn't it have attacked the abusive father? Seems the scriptwriters figured this out near the movie's end and had the spirit attack the father. Too little, too late. Tacked on ending takes down a potentially good B-movie.
AC
Marc B. Wrote:It is my understanding that the American release received an alternate ending after a poor test screening. The rest of the world has the original. Since I haven't seen it I can't tell you how they differ though.
I wonder if there's ever been a test screening in which the audience liked the ending, but thought the rest of the movie sucked?
