The Changeling (1980)

Director: Peter Medak

Writers: Russell Hunter, William Gray, Diana Maddox

Composer: Rick Wilkins

Starring: George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, Melvyn Douglas, Jean Marsh, John Colicos, Barry Morse

More Info: IMDB

Tagline: Whatever you do...DON'T GO INTO THE ATTIC.

Plot: A man whose family is killed in a road accident retires to a lonely mansion and begins to experience supernatural occurrences linked to the house's mysterious past and its previous owners.

View the "Ball Drop" scene

My Rating: 8/10

Would I watch it again? Oh, hell yes

Featured on Stephen Romano Presents Shock Festival (part of the TRAILER TRASH PROJECT)

I don't get creeped out much by movies anymore but this picture was much better at it than most. The acting was right on target. Scott, as usual, does one hell of a job and it's his performance that grounds the film and keeps the audience with him. There are no eye-rolling moments. The story moves just at the tempo it wants and needs to. Too slow for today's audiences. But screw 'em. This is a damn fine haunted house story that doesn't jump the rails for even a moment.

There is a scene where Scott tosses his dead child's ball into a river only to have it bouncing down the stairs (and wet) as he enters the house. In any other film it would have probably been laughable. The director allows Scott's character to breathe a little longer than most as well as many of the scenes. They linger just long enough for you to relax and familiarize yourself with the room/characters/situations while he's slowly delivering the goods. This is easily the best haunted house movie I've seen. Intelligent, emotional and chilling. I even teared-up a couple of times - Scott is THAT good.