 The Changeling (1980) Released in 1980, and recently on DVD, The Changeling is, as far as I can tell, a largely forgotten movie, overpowered in our cultural memory by the far inferior The Amityville Horror, and the far flashier Poltergeist. But trust me, I would not fuck you over, The Changeling is a classic horror movie in the best possible sense, and easily ranks up there with The Shining. The film stars George C. Scott as John Russell, a composer who rents a huge abandoned mansion in Seattle after his wife and daughter are killed in a freak accident. The house is insanely big for one person, but justified by Russell's desire for isolation and apparent wealth. Suffice it to say that things get weird really quick, and even weirder as Russell takes steps to investigate the source of the strange goings-on, a dusty hidden room high up in the mansion with a horrific past. The film moves at a slow but excitingly creepy pace, with lingering shots that build a tension that doesn't let up until the climax. Several scenes are downright freaky, including a séance with one of the scariest mediums ever, and a few ghostly flashes of past events that left this reviewer with a fear erection. The mystery behind the haunted house is, as with most ghost movies, a bit mundane, but consistent scares keep things moving. Just when you think you've seen enough of him looking at old newspapers in the library, you get another scene that tickles the hairs on your neck and lovingly caresses the underhang of your buttocks. Best of all is the film's style, which from the opening scene quietly gets under your skin until you have fright-rashes and scare-pimples. I've said in the past that 70s horror films have a hard-to-define style in which you think anything could happen at any moment, and this one follows suit beautifully. It's so well-played that even an opening door seems frightening. The biggest flaw in a nearly flawless movie is Russell's lack of fear. It's hard to know, at least in the beginning, why he's so determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, when any rational human would be running for their life in open-assed long johns. But the film eventually does explain his interest, if a bit lazily, by tying it in with the loss of his daughter. Also, the climax is a bit confusing, but still very scary, suspenseful, maybe even spectacular, and quite worth the wait. Scott is well up to the task of convincing us this is really happening, and not just some sweaty stagehand pulling the chandelier with a rope. Scott's one-time wife Trish Van Devere, who plays his love interest, is pretty good, if a little stilted, but has one truly great, piss-your-pants fear meltdown near the end of the film. I'm hopeful that my own trumpeting of this unfairly overlooked movie will do a small part in getting more people to see it. Certainly I believe that the Loud Bassoon holds such sway. For the love of God, rent this movie, turn down the lights, and prepare to be Changeling-ized.
Review by Crimedog |