Fantastic!

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The Changeling (1980) **** (out of 4)Composer John Russell (George C. Scott) has his world turned upside down when his wife and daughter are killed in a traffic accident. A few months later he moves to Seattle to get some work done and moves into a mansion that hasn't been lived in for years. Before long he starts to hear strange noises and he quickly believes that a ghost is there. With the help of a local woman (Trish Van Devere) he quickly uncovers a dark secret.From what I've read THE CHANGELING wasn't a hit at the box office and in fact it was in and out of theaters very quick without too much press one way or another. The film pretty much went away but over the years it slowly built up a cult following and today it's considered one of the greatest ghost films ever made. While there are a couple flaws here and there and while it doesn't reach the same greatness as THE SHINING, there's no question that the film deserves its new found fame because it really is a great one.I think what I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it really does take its time to get the atmosphere right, slowly build up the scares and in the end it really delivers. A lot of credit has to go to the screenplay because it actually delivers a very good story for us to follow. Every ghost story going back to the 1930's usually had some silly story just to get the ghosts on the screen. I will avoid spoilers but the story here is a very detailed one and one that is highly entertaining and works perfectly as a mystery.Director Peter Medak does a marvelous job at building up the atmosphere and slowly building up the suspense and terror. There aren't any cheap scares here but instead we get a slow-burn effect of the haunting completely taking over the lead character as well as the viewer too. I really loved the art design in the picture and there's no doubt that the music is flawless and one of the most effective scores you'll ever hear. The look of the house was terrific and in many ways it became its own character.Of course, it also helps that you've got an actor like George C. Scott in the lead. Scott was one of the greatest actors in history and he really does deliver a rare emotional performance here. He was great at playing anger and he was always a very strong actor but I really thought he showed off emotions here that we typically didn't get to see from him. The actor perfectly nails the part as well as the various emotions going on with the character. Van Devere is also extremely good in her supporting role as is Melvyn Douglas in his few scenes.THE CHANGELING really is one of the best ghost movies ever made with several extremely creepy moments.

This movies deserves to be considered a classic in the genre, I first heard of it in a list of the scariest horror movies ever, I saw the picture of George C Scott staring up a burning staircase and new I wanted to watch it. I found it on youtube divided into 10 videos, and I'm glad I did. The movie is very eerie and overall a pretty creepy film. The story is very well written as well. There are also many memorable moments, including a scene with a red ball and another with a wheelchair that you will remember for the rest of your life, even after only one viewing. It all leads up to a finale that is still one of my favorite horror movie endings. The story, the memorable scenes, and the music box all make this a very great underrated classic.

Very Slow and Boring. Plot/Dialogue/Acting Sucked.Best part: When George C Scott made a phone call and fell down. Perfect fall. Great.The rest of the movie was so slow and boring, with crappy acting and plot that it took me 4 sittings to watch the whole movie. It has a professional and thought through cinematography. Some cool effects at the end, nothing great. The dialogue and the acting were painful. The character interactions were really wooden. Script needed more work and some excitement. Not to be found. I don't know if this was based on a book, but the movie played out like it was copying a reading. I'd give it a grade of C/D, the C is for the cinematography, D is for the rest of the movie. Hard to watch.

John Russell, a composer and music professor, loses his wife and daughter in a tragic accident. Seeking solace, he moves into an old mansion unoccupied for twelve years. But a child- like presence seems to be sharing the house, and trying to share its secrets, with him. Through research into the house's past and a séance held within, Russell discovers the horrific secret of the house's past, a secret that the presence will no longer allow to be kept........If your a horror fan, there is nothing more refreshing than a good old fashioned haunted house movie, without any CGI to spoil the atmospherics.The Woman In Black aside, it's been so many years since we had an effective haunted house movie, and from watching this really effective horror movie, I'm really surprised that more haven't been made.......without the use of CGI.Scott is as impeccable as he ever is, and he brings more to the films atmospherics due to his emotional performance. There are times when he's edging towards the hammy side, but he restraints himself, especially toward the end.It's a slow burner for sure, but it's consistently eerie, from the banging heard at six in the morning, to one of the most wonderful séance scenes I have seen for a long time, to John playing back that séance on tape and hearing other worldly noises not spotted first.If you are a fan of everything Blumhouse, with all their quiet..........quiet............quiet...........bang!! Cow prod scares, see this, this is what proper horror looks like, and the film doesn't force you into jumping.Your just too scared to notice that your not doing it.