Some day soon, I need to sit down and hash out the specific rules of SIB. Does the Stuff I Bought absolutely have to be bought that day? If it does not, can I just grab any item and begin e-pining about it? If I rent something, did I really Bought it? Though these questions remain unresolved, I bring you today's post about the oft-overlooked 1980 horror movie The Changeling.
On Saturday evening, my girlfriend and I stopped by my local video store, I Luv Video. Anyone who lives in Austin probably already knows about it, and anyone who doesn't live in Austin should move here to see what a truly great video store looks like. I have secret fantasies wherein I become enough of a regular customer to get to know the clerks; after several years of careful trust-building, they invite me to join their ranks. I then spend the rest of my days wandering the aisles of obscure, indie and cult film goodness, smug and self-satisfied. Dare to dream.
As I had picked the last several movies, the gf got the nod this time. The less said about that the better. Though now a few weeks late for Halloween, I still had a hankering for horror, so I picked up The Changeling as well, though we did not view it until tonight.
To get a feel, check out this classic trailer. What does it remind you of? Perhaps this. Awesome.
The movie begins with composer George C. Scott (best known as the curmudgeonly grandfather in Angus) and his family pushing a broken down station wagon along a snowy road. Spotting a telephone booth, Scott calls for help while his wife and daughter enjoy an idyllic, laugh-filled snowball fight. Seconds later, to pay for their care-free joy, they are crushed by an out of control semi-truck. Cue the titles.
Solid, effective opening.
From there, Scott relocates to Seattle. Hoping to clear his head, he takes up a lease in a 6,000 square foot mansion that has been uninhabited for over a decade. Nothing better for a lonely widow. Soon after his arrival he begins experiencing banging pipes, breaking windows and doors that just won't stay closed.
Saying much more is unnecessary. "George C. Scott in a haunted house." There's your movie. What makes it special is how well it handles the classic tropes of the haunted house story. Like Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House," and completely unlike the absurd 1999 movie version of that story, "The Changeling" relies on subtle touches, off camera noises and the great art of what is not seen to chill the audience. It also brought back memories of Richard Matheson's Hell House, a much less restrained, but scary little read.
For those who prefer today's popular pseudo-moral torture porn style of horror, this movie may seem dull, but the overall craftsmanship is hard to deny. A perfect example is a sequence involving Scott and a rubber ball that belonged to his deceased daughter. The sequence is not original, and the payoff scare is almost impossible not to predict, yet it is effective and creepy (like me).
Since first seeing this movie as a child, I have re-watched it every five years or so. While some of the strands of the plot were a bit worse for wear this time around (see below), it still achieves a solid atmosphere of mystery and dread.
In the end, $1.50 well spent.
Note: Clint Eastwood's current theatrical release Changeling features Angelina Jolie in the George C. Scott role. She underwent six hours of makeup each day to achieve his paunchy strong chin look.
***SPOILERS***
***NO F'REAL***
For the few who have seen this movie. Can we talk about the ending? WT FUCK?
While I never thought about it in the past, this time around the ending seemed disjointed and nonsensical. Was the Senator evil or just a victim of circumstance? Why did he have the old lady on his payroll? If the ghost could kill the cop from a few blocks away, why couldn't he handle the Senator on his own a long time ago? Why did the ghost burn down the house? Was the Senator actually in the house at the end or was he just having a vision? If so, why could Scott see him there?
I get the feeling the screenwriters meeting in the late 70s went something like this...
S1: Ok, we're nearly done! This is sure to be a classic of the moody, somber Gothic horror genre!
S2: Do you think people might get bored with that whole thoughtful melancholy coping with death thing?
S1: But it all makes sense! Scott will have tried to appease the spirit and thereby come to terms with his own loss, only to find it impossible to fully resolve the fissures death brings, the Senator will be left with the torment of his tarnished image of his father, and the Ghost will remain to alternately plead with and prey on the next inhabitant.
S2: .........What if the ghost sets the house on fire?
S1: Hmm...well, if he can do that, maybe he'll kill some folks too? That could jazz up the sagging third act!
S2: Awesome, let's go grow more facial hair!
It didn't ruin the movie, but it did cheapen it a bit.
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