"The Haunting" @ the Paramount
Like most of the films in the Paramount’s thematic “Horror Fest” package, director Robert Wise’s “The Haunting” is equal parts thrilling and chilling.
Based on the Shirley Jackson novel “The Haunting of Hill House,” the film adaptation follows Dr. John Markway (Richard Johnson) on an investigation of a purportedly haunted mansion with a sinister past. Prior to the investigation, Markway recruits Luke Sanderson (Russ Tamblyn), Eleanor (Julie Harris) and clairvoyant Theo (Claire Bloom) to help him find proof of the existence of the paranormal.
What the team really finds not only qualifies as “proof” but also seems to center around the naive Eleanor, eventually luring her in and threatening to trap her eternally. Wise’s “The Haunting” pairs with Roman Polanski’s “Repulsion” in tonight’s double feature. — Shannon McGarvey (Originally featured in the Austin American-Statesman and on Austin360.com)
Movie poster from the 1963 film "The Haunting"
