I don’t have anything negative to say about this spine-chilling little flick. This is an old fashioned film that relies on a developed main character (Scott rules), intelligence, emotion and subtlety to reel you in. No token teens, no excessive gore, no cheap scares…this is the real thing. Haven’t seen that in a while!

The typical haunted house shenanigans spin the movie in a fresh direction. It becomes a clever, engrossing, grim mystery. That aspect works and I’m happy that the film doesn’t give it up too soon. It gives you little flashes here, little clues there and reveals everything in the end. It makes its audience part of the mystery (and what a sick, messed up mystery it is). We’re in the same shoes as John, every time he gets closer to the truth, we get closer.

I was very surprised, I expected the movie to take a more standard route. This one moves around the usual genre pitfalls and instead delivers a layered powerful drama bathed in the supernatural. At a certain point, the film links the house’s history to an outside character. I got a bit scared fearing a one-dimensional villain would step in. I was quickly relieved when the film treated that aspect the same way it treated the rest: With its two feet on the ground, communicating true emotions.

The film also has enough physical action to satisfy the thrill seekers. We get one creepy séance session, disturbing flashbacks, morbid discoveries and one pissed off wheelchair.

The eerie house is also used to its fullest: creepy hallways, whispers, slamming doors…the house is a character in this film and its presence is always felt.

The flick had a budget of $7.6 million. That’s small but I never noticed.

George C. Scott and Trish Van Devere won the Genie Award for their parts (they were married at the time).