The Changeling
1980 Directed by Peter Medak
Synopsis
..an experience beyond total fear.
A man staying at a secluded historical mansion, finds his life being haunted by the presence of a spectre.
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This film suffers from a classic case of too much plot getting in the way of a good story.
The first half of this film is what a good ghost story is all about. It has a creepy atmosphere, some tremendous sound effects and doesn't resort to cheap scares. At this stage I didn't mind the fact that it stuck to the obligatory rules of the genre. We get our seance, our ghostly recorded voices and our slamming doors.
The second half starts to drag enormously when the convoluted and rather uninspired plot needs to be figured out. The scary scenes are still very good, but the investigation into what's really going on bored me on more than one occasion.…
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What can be said? Maybe: If you haven't seen "The Changeling" (1980), then how can you approach any ghost story made after? Would it be a stretch to say that if it wasn't for this film, the soundtrack of horror would have evolved entirely differently? The Japanese hair ghosts would never have been as scary? Films like "Insidious" or "Poltergeist" might never have been made? Well, maybe that is a stretch, but I think it's safe to say that all those films owe a blood lineage to "The Changeling" because it set the bar, it wrote the rulebook and it scared the shit out of a generation.
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I really liked that this played more like a conspiracy thriller than a horror movie for most of the run time. Pretty good.
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Hadn't seen this in years, and forgot how much I love this movie! Slow-burning, but very effective ghost/haunted house story. That ball coming down the stairs gets me every time!
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An excellent use of atmospheric horror, this ghost story has so much going for it. As the mystery of the ghost and why he haunts the house unfolds, a new riddle must be solved to put him to rest. With George C. Scott in the lead and cinematography that will remind you of "The Shining," this one is well worth revisiting.
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I throughly enjoyed this one, though to be fair myenjoyment was more academic, than visceral. Very intriguing to see George C Scott play a broken man.
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“That house is not fit to live in. No one's been able to live in it. It doesn't want people.”
Like so many movies from this period, it is a bit slow and ponderous. This is a rather standard haunted house story which is really not that original. The scares in this movie are probably a bit tame by todays standards, but some scenes really gave me the creeps.
Conclusion: A well made but at times a bit boring haunted house movie.
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The Changeling is a serviceable ghost story that is slightly elevated by an excellent performance by George C. Scott. Although the plot gets in the way a bit during the second half, the horror elements in the film are expertly handled throughout.
It's an interesting coincidence that two haunted house films that prominently feature bouncing balls came out in the same year.
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I really liked that this played more like a conspiracy thriller than a horror movie for most of the run time. Pretty good.
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The best ghost story I've seen in a film.
This is the ultimate ghost story as far as I am concerned. It has the Gothic undertones, the creepy mansion, and an engaging ghostly mystery at the center of the plot. All of that pales in comparison to the performance by acting great George C. Scott. He really takes what would have been an average ghost story and turns into something far more with his performance, he is an absolute pleasure to watch in this movie.
This one is not well-known in all but the most seasoned of horror circles so if you are a casual horror fan and someone happened upon this page and are reading this review please do…
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An excellent use of atmospheric horror, this ghost story has so much going for it. As the mystery of the ghost and why he haunts the house unfolds, a new riddle must be solved to put him to rest. With George C. Scott in the lead and cinematography that will remind you of "The Shining," this one is well worth revisiting.
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This week Cory and John [producer] whether Hurricane Sandy as they review a couple of haunted house movies in celebration of Halloween! Check out what they had to say about Don't Be Afraid of the Dark and The Changeling.
All this and for some reason the conversation keeps being drawn to the summoning of boners, pianists, fist-fighting third graders, and being black out drunk. Perfect material for a Halloween extravaganza!
Listen to, and download the podcast at Slaughter Film
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63/100
El final de una película de terror lo puede arreglar todo. -
Režisoram Pīteram Medakam ir izdevies radīt filmu, kura vēlāk ir iedvesmojusi nākamos trilleru un šausmu kino veidotājus. Sākotnējais mājas miers un senlaicīgais skaistums lēnām un nepārvarāmi pielīst ar netveramu baiļu atmosfēru. Iespējams, jau pārdzīvotais sievas un bērna zaudējums ir notrulinājis galvenā varoņa šausmu izjūtu, jo ātri kļūst skaidrs, ka agrāk mājā dzīvojošais bērns ir miris vardarbīgā nāvē un šobrīd vēlas kādu sodīt un atjaunot taisnīgumu. Lai arī izpaliek mūsdienu specefekti, spoka manifestācijas ir tiešām biedējošas – dīvaini, cik ļoti var nobīties no lēkājošas bumbiņas un maza ratiņkrēsla.
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Un comprensible clásico del cine de terror. Es elegante, hipnótica, misteriosa y, sobre todo, terrorífica. Muchas obras posteriores han imitado (sin poder alcanzarla) su sabia y efectiva combinación de drama, thriller de investigación, atmósfera oscura y tensión irresistible, con memorables momentos. Otro de sus alicientes es el entregado protagonismo del soberbio George C.Scott