Just in time for Halloween, October’s movie night at Old City Hall presents the 1963 film, “The Haunting,” from director Robert Wise. He may be better remembered for “The Sound of Music” and “West Side Story,” but the gothic elegance Wise brings to “The Haunting” prompts many viewers to proclaim it his finest work. The film stars Academy Award nominated actress Julie Harris (winner of five Tonys, three Emmys and a Grammy), Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson and Russ Tamblyn.
Based on Shirley Jackson’s classic novel The Haunting of Hill House, “The Haunting” follows slightly unstable Eleanor (Harris) as she joins a paranormal research group for a weekend at a sinister mansion reputed to hold a horrifying past. The researchers slowly realize that an unstoppable supernatural force lurks in every shadow and behind every closed door.
This startling film doesn’t rely on visual effects to tell its dark tale of psychological terror. Instead, Wise uses complex storytelling techniques to give the audience shivers without actually showing anything. And yet, things that go bump in the night bump overtime in “The Haunting,” affirming that horror doesn’t need a face or a name to have you hiding under your seat.
Come to Old City Hall at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 21. You’ll never have more fun being frightened.