I was so not impressed with
The Haunted movie. . .
I think my problem with it was that I watched the film expecting it to be as good as the book. I was sadly mistaken.
Having said that, the film wasn't that bad. There were a few good scares and I liked the portrayal of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Diane Baker). Honestly if I hadn't have read the book first I may have even liked the movie. Well, let's not go that far . . .
We find the Smurl family having just moved into their new dream home - a nice little duplex in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. There is enough room there for the Jack (Jeffrey DeMunn - you might remember him as the whiny town manager Robbie Beals from
Stephen King's Storm of the Century), Janet (Sally Kirkland) and their children - not to mention the inlaws on the other side of the duplex. Unfortunately, there wasn't quite enough room to share with the three ghosts and one angry demon who already resided there.
After a series of very strange incidents - one of which left Janet's mother in law (Louise Latham) not speaking to her for weeks - Jack is finally convinced that there is something strange going on in the house. The family begins to seek help from the church only to find out that the church does not really sanction exorcisms and does not really support them. Luckily for the Smurls, Janet goes to a seminar by demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren at the local college and they agree to try and help the family battle their unseen forces.
I have to mention one of the scariest passages in the book for me actually turned out somewhat comical on the silver screen. It was the scene with Jack and the succubus. In the movie the succubus kept switching forms from what looked like the oldest daughter with bad teeth, to a man dressed in a blonde wig with pocks on its face. It just kept switching back and forth and I kept finding myself laughing hysterically.
I think my recommendation for this made for TV movie is to skip it entirely and read the book instead - it is so much better!
The Haunted Movie Cast and Credits
Directed by
Robert Mandel
Writing credits (WGA)
Robert Curran (book) and
Jack Smurl (book) and
Janet Smurl (book) and
Ed Warren (book) and
Lorraine Warren (book)
Darrah Cloud (teleplay)
Cast (in credits order)
Sally Kirkland .... Janet Smurl
Jeffrey DeMunn .... Jack Smurl
Louise Latham .... Mary
George Wallace .... John (as George D. Wallace)
Joyce Van Patten
William O'Connell
Stephen Markle
Diane Baker .... Lorraine Warren
Cassie Yates .... Dorie
Allison Barron .... Katie
Krista Murphy .... Colleen
Ashley Bank .... Shawn
Michelle Collins .... Erin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Mallory Asher .... Joe
Gibby Brand .... Reporter #1
Mark Chaet .... Reporter
Sharon Conely .... Secretary
Anthony Delan .... Student
Hope Garber .... Aunt Lily
Julie Hickman .... Young Katie
Jake Jacobs .... Father Kent
John O'Leary .... Father Larson
Julie Payne .... Annie
Michael Prince .... Prayer Group Man
Tim Rich .... Boy
Claudette Roche .... Reporter #2 (as Claudette Roach)
Benj Thall .... Kid
Freyda Thomas .... Woman
Parker Whitman .... Herb
More The Haunted Movie Reviews
Scifilm Movie Review of The HauntedThe Haunted Movie Review and Information Page at The Internet Movie Database
