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Haunted (1995)

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23 out of 29 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the Best-Unknown Ghost Stories Ever, 12. Januar 2005

Author: Claudio Carvalho von Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In 1905, in Sussex, England, the young boy David loses his twin sister while playing with her nearby a lake. The girl falls and drowns in the lake, and David feels guilty for her death. The grieving family returns to USA, and twenty-three years later, David Ash (Aidan Quinn) comes back to England, to be the professor of psychology in the University of Camberley. The skeptical David is specialized in psychic phenomena and exposition of false mediums and frauds, and wrote a successful book about this subject. After a countless number of calls from an elder lady called Miss Webb (Anna Massey) claiming to be haunted by ghosts, David is informed that the lady lives in Edbrook, and he decides to accept her invitation to visit her. When he arrives in Edbrook's train station, the beautiful young woman Christina Mariell (Kate Beckinsale) is waiting for him. She drives him to her remote mansion, where she lives with her two brothers and their former nanny, Miss Webb. After being introduced to the family, David finds the behavior of Miss Webb very weird and disturbed, but decides to investigate the existence of any psychic phenomena in the place. Meanwhile, Christina and him fall in love for each other. Their romance and his investigation come to surprising revelations.

I do not understand why "Haunted" has not become a successful movie. This awesome story slightly recalls "The Innocents", and is better than "The Others", "The Sixth Sense" or "El Espinazo del Diablo", having romance, sexual situation, drama and horror in right doses. The soundtrack is one of the most beautiful of the cinema, and may be compared to "Somewhere in Time". Kate Beckinsale, with twenty-two years old, is astonishing and the scenes with her naked body would be enough to make this movie worthwhile. But the chemistry between Aidan Quinn and her is marvelous; the mysterious story is magnificently well tight, and in the end nothing is like it seems to be. Yesterday I saw this movie for the third time on VHS, since the DVD has not been released in Brazil, and I found it again one of the best ghost stories I have ever seen. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "Ilusões Perigosas" ("Dangerous Ilusions")

Obs: On 12 Oct 2007, I saw this awesome movie again, now on DVD.

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17 out of 23 people found the following comment useful :-
Why there aren´t any more ghost movies like this ?..., 8. September 1999
Author: Luis Filipe dos Reis Peres von Portimão, Portugal

I first saw this a couple of years ago, when it was released on video, and since then i must have watched about two or three times more. Surprisingly for a mistery movie, this doesn´t loose it´s appeal even when we are watching it for the second time. Even when we already know how it´s going to end.

The first time we see it, it´s great and we spend the whole movie trying to guess what is going to happen next, even if the ending might be a bit easy to guess from a certain point in the movie, if we pay atention to some details.

Anyway, this is an excelent movie, the atmosphere is perfect. Very intriguing and misterious, but at the same time set in very normal locations. Normaly ghost movies are associated to lots of scenes in the dark, but this movie is a very bright movie with most of its story set in very iluminated places, contrary to the classic ghost storytelling. But at the same time even during normal scenes whe can feel that there is something wrong in the air, and this is what makes this movie so atmospheric. It realy feels like the whole movie is haunted. We can watch it again, and again and keep finding new small details, that we missed the first time.

But what ghost story would be without scares and chills. Well there are a couple of scary moments in here also and some very good chilling sequences. Most of them is actualy in our minds, because ther aren´t many special effects in, but that´s the way a good ghost story should be presented. The atmosphere in this is so good, that if the few flashy special effects that are present were removed, it wouldn´t make a diference. But fear not, this is not a Spielberg effects film, the atmosphere is what counts here. And it has loads of it.

Overall this is at least a very diferent ghost story, and originaly presented. Don´t skip this movie if you like ghost stories.

Excelent.

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11 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
Despite some strong merits and a wonderfully radiant Beckinsale, the film never fully succeeds as romance or as horror., 2. August 2005
Author: Li-1

Rating: ** out of ****

Haunted is probably a slightly better movie than I'm giving it credit for, but after having seen so many similarly themed supernatural dramas the past few years, this one just didn't have the impact on me it could have had if I'd seen it back in '95. So take that into account for both my rating and my review.

Set mostly in the English countryside in the early 1900s, Aidan Quinn stars as David Ash, a professor who spends his time debunking the supernatural. His latest investigation takes him to a country manor occupied by three siblings (two brothers and a sister played by the gorgeous Kate Beckinsale) and their housekeeper, who claims the estate is haunted.

Initially, the strangest oddities Ash notices is the pseudo-incestuous way the siblings act around each other; the older brother paints the sister, Christina, in the nude, and she and the younger brother often go skinny-dipping in the lake together. Still, Ash finds himself falling for the lovely Christina, even as he ponders the history of the manor, its occupants, and the secret behind this haunting.

By most standards, Haunted is not a bad movie. In fact, it's got plenty of merit. The cinematography and locations are beautiful, the pacing is rather brisk despite the fact very little actually happens on-screen, and Kate Beckinsale is so breathtakingly gorgeous it's hard to believe a person could be so naturally luminous. I would wager anyone new to the genre would probably enjoy the movie quite a bit.

But as someone expecting something innovative or original, the film just didn't do it for me. From the beginning, the climactic twist is blatantly obvious, and unlike the later films this twist inspired, it's not structured in such a manner that you'd gain a new appreciation of the film by re-observing the hints.

While I gather that the film is partly a romantic drama, the tone and atmosphere are a little too light, such that when the film does attempt its scares they never fully work (this is the kind of horror movie that'd work well for those who generally don't like horror). It surely doesn't help that few of the characters even seem concerned the manor might be haunted.

But as a romantic drama, the film is a moderate success. Aidan Quinn makes a likable enough protagonist and Kate Beckinsale is not only a physically wondrous presence (I would have been inclined to bump the rating up if her nude scenes had been genuine), she's immensely charming and appealing as well. There's enough solid chemistry between the two to sustain a large portion of the film.

But even this story stumbles pretty badly once it intersects with the haunted manor plot, both leading to an unsatisfying ending. Come to think of it, even if I had seen the film in its initial release, the twist might have worked as a genuine surprise, but it really harms the film more than it helps, so perhaps it makes little difference the twist is so obvious.

I have little regret of the time and money I spent to watch the film; it's still going to be required viewing for Beckinsale fans (like myself) who'll watch her in just about anything. But with so many superior entries in the genre, the film otherwise wouldn't be worth mentioning without her.

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Professor Ash, a paranormal investigator looks for the truth in a reportedly haunted house., 4. Mai 2006

Author: Jim (tinman19602003@yahoo.com) von California - Film Capitol of the World

Young David Ash and his sister are playing beside the lake on their family estate. When his sister falls, hitting her head on a stone and drowns in the lake, David is unable to save her. Blaming himself for her death, David becomes a Phd in Paranormal studies. Years later, after a successful career of exposing fraudulent mediums, David is recalled to his former home by an old woman who writes to say the home she works in is haunted.

David is met at the station by Christina (Beckinsale), a bewitchingly beautiful woman, who drives extremely dangerously and thinks nothing of stripping her clothes off and swimming in the nude in front of Dr. Ash, though she has just met him. When one of her brothers also swims nude, David is still more surprised.

The older brother is barely tolerant of David and wants him to do his job as rapidly as possible and not get involved with his sister. David talks to the elderly woman, referred to as Nanny, learning of the tragic death of Christina's parents. During his attempts to understand what is going on David has several very frightening moments. The Special effects are outstanding by the way.

While making his investigation, David comes across a shocking family secret and sees the ghost of what may be his own sister, near the lake. He then has several more strange experiences which cause him to doubt his sanity. The only person who seems to understand his confusion is the elderly doctor who is the family physician. David visits the old man at his home in the village which helps him realize he is not insane, but still leaves him with unanswered questions.

The shocking conclusion will completely twist everything you think you know about ghosts and reality. This film may be the seminal influence in a new era of ghost stories on film, which was lately added to by the talented director, Alejandro Amenabar, who gave us THE OTHERS, starring Nicole Kidman. If you like ghost stories HAUNTED is a must see.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
One of those disturbing Ghost Stories that you should not miss., 31. Mai 2007

Author: ozthegreatat42330 von Central City, Kentucky

Aiden Quinn stars in this haunting film by director Lewis Gilbert, of a very curious and disturbing string of events. This is not your typical haunted house story. Professor David Ash lost his twin sister when he was a child due to a terrible accident. Years later he has returned to England as an author and professor of Psychology who spends his time trying to prove that there are ghosts, while as a skeptic, uncovering the fraudulent claims of those who deal with the spirit world. But then, in a response to repeated letters from an old woman he is invited to sort out a ghostly problem in an old house in the southeast of England. Kate Beckinsale and Anthony Andrews co-star, with brief appearances by the immortal Sir John Gielgud. Also there is a short scene with a gypsy woman, played by Liz Smith who has made a career out of playing quirky and particularly Dickinsonian characters. A modest little film that deserves a look see, especially if you like things that go bump in the night.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
How Romance and Horror Can Live in perfect harmony..., 22. Januar 2007

Author: matheusmarchetti von Brazil

"Haunted" is the perfect example of the kind of horror movie I like: psychological thriller. So far, there's been a few good thrillers such as: recent "The Others", 1963's "The Innocents" and "The Haunting", 1980's "The Shining" and also from Stephen King, "Misery" made in 1990).

One difference here between the other movies mentioned above is that "Haunted" mix horror with romance, and it's a good example of how this two tally different genres can live in perfect harmony. Though, this motion picture has a bit of nudity and one sex scene, but, when I saw nudity and sex I mean "artistic nudity", not the one that you can find in slasher films with a guy and a teenager girl making out and getting cut in half by a man with a chainsaw.

Talking about the acting, I was quiet surprised by every single actor here in marvelous performances as their characters. Even the actress who plays Aidan Quinn's little sister's ghost plays it very well.

Final conclusion: "Haunted" is highly recommended by all means.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Wonderfully Spooky and Scary, 14. Dezember 2000

Author: William C. Uchtman (aesgaard41@hotmail.com) von Hendersonville, TN

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I first picked this up in Blockbuster and saw it shortly after it first came out on video and enjoyed it very much. Anyone who reads my reviews of ghosts and haunted house movies knows I always strip them down as according to actual paranormal behavior, but I can't do that here. This movie was very intelligently made as it really tells the story of Aidan Quinn's character as he looks for absolution from his dead sister's spirit. I love how he breaks up a phony séance, but I could have done it better with some ignorant jest: "Mother,are you there ?" "Oh yes,my son." "Where's your Irish brogue ?" "Oh... um... it doesn't exist here on the other side." "Is Aunt Tilly there with you?" "Oh yes,we talk about you all the time." "Mother, Aunt Tilly was my Rottweiler!" This movie is also graced by the lovely visage of Kate Beckinsdale who seems to shed her clothes with wanton abandon at times, but these scenes were actually done by a double and seamlessly added later. Aidan is on hand to investigate the ghostly claims of her elderly aunt who claims to be able to see ghosts, but the absolution of the movie and the twist at the end leaves me empty. I can watch this movie again and again and see all the clues that support the ending the same way I can spot the clues watching "Psycho" over again.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
A good combination of a mystery and a ghost story, 17. November 2000

Author: Chukar von Palm Desert, CA. USA

I think the summary about says it all. It has twists and turns and has you guessing all the way through it. And in the end, you find out you were possibly fooled all the time. It was scary at times and I would rate it as an excellent film of this genre. I must admit, that I am a real fan of this type of film.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
An overlooked spooky story, 23. Januar 1999
Author: Paul P von Indiana

This movie must not have gotten much attention when it was released because I had never even heard of it when I happened to catch it on a cable movie channel. As somebody who likes spooky (but not conventional horror/ gross-out) films, I found it to be a real sleeper.

The story is about a psychologist who specializes in debunking the supernatural and his becoming a house-guest in an old mansion that one resident claims is haunted. For a while, the plot remains pretty conventional, with a lot of strange and unexplained events that may or may not be practical jokes, dreams, psychological delusions, or a real ghost. But before it is over, there are several twists that I did not expect and had not seen before. Give yourself a treat. This one has been largely overlooked.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Not a patch on the book but..., 16. Juli 1999
Author: Neil Hanson (neil.hanson@prudential.co.uk) von Reading, England

A couple of years old this now but still worth a mention. Originally A very spooky James Herbert book the film doesn't quite hit the mark in the same way but it's still worth a look especially if you haven't read the book. Dashing surrogate Yank Psychologist Quinn returns to native England in the thirties with two aims: to pursue an academic career and the expose all who make others believe in a spirit world. He investigates the case of a mad old woman, whose house is supposedly haunted by her daughter and husband. Her three adult grandchildren are also in tow, including the alluring Christina (Kate Beckinsdale) - alluring enough to tempt at least one of her brothers and the new visitor. However, the ghosts of his own past - either real or imagined - start him doubting his own ability to rationally explore what is going on. Personally Kate Beckinsdale saves the film for me as it's very difficult to judge it in it's own right if you have already read the book and constantly find yourself noticing huge differences. To bring it down to a more basic level, for me Kate Beckinsdale puts her more famous English namesake far into the shade as a top example of what English actresses have to offer.

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