31 Days of Des' Horror Favourites: #17 The Changeling

Why I like it: Well, it's kind of odd. I don't enjoy ghost movies. Besides The Grudge and Dark Water (and I am talking about the Japanese versions although the Sarah Michelle-Gellar version of Grudge was good but still directed by a Japanese guy, in Japan) I haven't liked any besides 1980's The Changeling.

This is not an easy movie to watch. It is a slow build. A very, very slow build. But, the payoff is there. The movie is not gory or even "cat jumping out" scary. It is eerie; it plays on visual tricks, blind corners and noises throughout a spooky house. However, it must be watched alone and with conviction. You will be scared under these strict circumstances.

George C. Scott plays the grumpy old guy. This is a role he perfected. It works. He adds a certain sarcastic wit to a film that needs it. Without his prattling the movie might actually bore its audience to death instead of scaring them.

This is a movie you have to commit yourself to watching. It takes work but it will scare you.

Check these out:
-The House on Haunted Hill-1959 version only. Vincent Price is the eccentric offering money to those who can stay all night in a haunted house.
-Exorcist III-George C. Scott battling the spirit of a dead serial killer in the body of a dead priest? Huh? It's good, trust me.
-Event Horizon-A haunted house movie, in spaaaaaaaaaace!!!!
-Dark Water and Grudge-J-Horror versions. The Japanese, Hideo Nakata in particular, are awesome at ghost stories. It has a lot to do with a rich history of ghost folktales and an entirely different view of what is scary.