Well, it *is* Friday the 13th, right? (Well, it was when I started writing this) So I’m gonna give up a little write-up on one of my favourite horror/suspense films.
It doesn’t take much to scream “BOO!” very loudly — at the right time, that’ll freak out almost anyone. It does however, take a sick amount of skill to throw together a picture with enough creepy atmosphere and suspended mystery that it can be very difficult to watch alone. Sure, sure everyone says the cliche about “don’t watch it alone!” – but have you actually tried watching a scary movie by yourself? Seriously: Good times. In light of which, to celebrate the weekend that starts with Friday the 13th, I offer our readers this suggestion: find and watch one jolly-good creep-fest all by your lonesome: The Changeling.
This movie is very tasty – and my theory is, has inspired numerous films since. More on that later.
The scene: I first saw this sucker while in school. Up late at night for no reason (a habit that still rules my life) I was flipping through the channels in the empty TV lounge at 2am. “Oh, a George C Scott film… that should be worth something…”. As the soft glow of this movie took over the room, I found myself occasionally laughing at myself as I walked over to the balcony window just to clear my head on how freaked out I was getting. “Holy crap, this movie is freaking me out…” I muttered at least 5 or 6 times.
Released in 1980 starring the late George C. Scott, The Changeling is a classic format, bare-bones “ghost-story” – I had seen my fair share of spookers in my day, but when I got around to seeing “The Changeling”, it was like watching a history lesson on how ghost stories should be told. — and it still creeps me out to this day.
There’s nothing “fancy” about the plot – in fact, its almost too simple, but oh, the creepy glory — such wonderful stuff: After a family tragedy, John Russell (Mr. Scott) moves across the country to teach university music and to start over with a quiet and reserved life. The Heritage Society offers their services and finds John a place to live: in a huge, ancient, gorgeous and equally pissingly creepy mansion. And of course, things are moving along just fine, when the hauntings of a child-like presence begins to slowly eminate and eventually dominate the house. There is a method to this haunting madness, and a jolly good story behind it all – and the more John uncovers, the louder and clearer the hauntings become.
Folks, besides George C Scott, the mansion in this story is arguably the biggest character. This house is straight class – with long, dark hallways, antique doorframes, pale colours and thin, hidden rooms of dust and mystery, it’s an all-you-can-eat delight of the willies. Then there’s this wheelchair.. wheee.. One sec, I must pee.
Quiet and subtle in its delivery and explosive in suspense, it’s a canon against which other films should draw creep-fests from. And I think a few have.
The best example I have seen in recent years: The Others. “The Others”, which you should have seen by now, has far too many “Changeling nods” to be coincidental. Let’s see here…
– Both have only one noticable special effect – both of which involve one object flying/floating in the air.
– Both involve a seance with an old female psychic that “communicates” with the dead in exactly the same way. (A way that I’m yet to see in any other film).
– The “noticable effects” in both movies each occur during these similar seance scenes.
– The kicker for me: Both films have a grounds care-taker named “Mr. Tuttle”
– Those reasons make things like the lack of blood in both movies, the subtle dialogue, even the title (“The [blank]”) seem like an influence from The Changeling.
Either way folks, you owe it to your under-attended fear-response reflex to watch this movie when you have no contact with humans while your phone is unplugged. A jolly-good time.
Wanna watch a trailer for it?? (Keep in mind, it’s a 1980 trailer…) CLICK HERE. (Click on “Watch Preview” link directly above the ad on the left)
As an added horror bonus, this movie contains no teenagers.
Have a happy Friday the 13th.
