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Late to the Party: The Changeling (1980)

Published

6 years ago

April 11, 2018

It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time to feel a false sense of comfort about being mid-way through the work week! Also, it’s time for another edition of Late to the Party, the series in which iHorror writers realize we’re horribly behind on some cult classics and fan favorites. As we gradually rectify those genre fandom faux pas, we share our thoughts with you, the reader. This week I took some time to watch a 1980 classic, The Changeling.

I’d been meaning to watch The Changeling for quite some time as it’s a Canadian horror classic. With Canadian Film Day coming up on April 19th, this seemed like an appropriate time to finally check it off my list.

The film follows a composer, John Russell (George C. Scott, Patton), who moves to a gorgeous Victorian mansion in Seattle after the untimely deaths of his wife and daughter. The property is rented from the local historical society and has been vacant for 12 years.

via IMDb

As is usually the case with these scenarios, the house is definitely haunted. John enlists help from historical society agent Claire Norman (Trish Van Devere, The Last Run and – fun fact – wife to actor George C. Scott) to help solve the mystery of what the heck is going on in this dang house.

John holds a séance in his home, secrets are revealed, and the plot thickens.

Playwright Russell Hunter was inspired to write the story of The Changeling after his own haunting experiences at the Henry Treat Rogers mansion in Denver, Colorado in the late 1960s. Though the screenplay was written by William Gray and Diana Maddox, the events follow Hunter’s story very closely – with some dramatic flair and embellishment, of course.

via IMDb

I was thoroughly impressed by The Changeling‘s ability to move through the cavernous and stunning mansion with fluid ease. The cinematography is beautifully done; the camera glides through the house to share its love affair with the antique architecture and support the feeling that we’re a silent – spectral? – observer.

When the camera is still, your eye is drawn directly to what the director wants you to see and it evokes emotion and reaction in a fantastic way. The opening scene where we witness the accident that takes the lives of John’s wife and daughter, for example, connects the audience’s attention to the action in a way that we know exactly what is going to happen before the tragedy hits. We see John make this same connection and I physically cringed in anticipation of the big crash.

There’s another scene where John is playing the piano in his new home (one of many – he’s a composer, after all). A door behind him slowly swings open, but because of how the shot is framed and the direction that the door opens, we can’t see who is behind it until the slow creak reaches its dramatic conclusion. It’s brilliant.

Director Peter Medak and Cinematographer John Coquillon really deserve more praise for this film.

via IMDb

The use of sound in The Changeling is also vitally important. The creaks, bangs, and heavy silences work with the orchestral score in a way that initially conveys a sharp dichotomy, but as the film continues, the soft, comforting classical music gives way to a more obviously jarring score.

The music progresses with the film, making the audience feel – or at least hear – the haunting’s escalation.

via IMDb

I do also have to praise this film for telling John’s story in a way that doesn’t shy away from his personal grief. While John is in the process of moving on from his horrific loss, he’s not okay – and that’s actually great to see.

We know John still has these drifting memories of his family. We see his subtle reactions to his daughter’s favorite toy. We witness this grown-ass man in a vulnerable and emotional state.

That being said, he approaches this new mystery in a completely open way. He’s methodical in his search for answers and doesn’t try to convince himself that he’s just tired or seeing things. John does not try to discredit his own feelings or thoughts, which is so important when dealing with any kind of trauma.

It’s oddly refreshing (from a movie made in 1980).

via IMDb

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the actual horror of it all. There are genuinely scary moments here – the séance scene in particular reminded me a lot of the séance in Insidious. It’s easy to see the influence this film had on others in the genre.

I should also give a shout out to the don’t-call-it-a-flashback scene in which we learn about what tragedy happened to the ghost that haunts the house. It’s tense and very unsettling.

via IMDb

Overall, I was surprised by how much I liked The Changeling. You need to expect a difference in pacing with older horror films, absolutely, but the personal elements of the story and characters as well as the stunning composition of the film itself really won me over.

Check back with us next week to see what other parties we’ve been late to!

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Movies

‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

Published

14 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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Movies

‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

Published

15 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Timothy Rawles

It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

^{Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott}

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

_{Great Movie Ride}

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

_{Alien Romulus}

^{Alien (1979)}

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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News

Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

Published

17 hours ago

April 17, 2024

Cameron McFarland

Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.