Hi all!

Welcome back to a fun segment on my blog, where I pit an original horror film against its remake and discuss which one I personally believe is better. You can check out the dedicated category here. There will be a few factors to take into consideration: a.) Does the remake improve the original story, b.) Is the original already so superior, the remake is quite irrelevant and c.) Do both films exist side-by-side, complementing one another in horror cinematic history? For my ninth subject, I am tackling Robert Wise’s, The Haunting from 1963 and Jan de Bont’s reboot from 1999. These movies are an adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s: The Haunting of Hill House. Remember, it’s okay if we don’t agree. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Round #1 – Improvement

Did the remake improve upon the original? Absolutely not. I cannot even claim the visuals were better because the amount of awful CGI that was used, forced me to give it a very low rating. Aside from maybe appealing to a younger audience, I don’t see any value in the reboot. It took a serious, chilling ghost story and made it goofy. Catherine Zeta Jones as Theo was the best part. I wish I had more positive things to say. 

Winner – The Haunting 1963

Round #2 – Relevance

Was the original already so superior, the remake was irrelevant? Here is where I would disagree but not in the way one might think. The 1999 remake was extremely irrelevant. The Netflix televsion series however, was a must. It is the most faithful adaptation since the 1963 version. Mike Flanagan actually took the time and care to deliver something deeply resonant and powerfully horrific. 

Winner – The Haunting 1963 & The Haunting Of Hill House 2018.

Round #3 – Cohesion

Can both films exist side-by-side in cinematic history? I don’t believe the 1999 remake adds anything to the original. Therefore, I would not say it is a cohesive reboot. It goes off on its own campy direction – almost making a mockery of the source material. The Haunting from 1963 was so captivating for its time. It delivered genuine scares and tension. The lead (Julie Harris), was the perfect unreliable narrator. You felt her fear and inner turmoil. Maybe I’m too close-minded but I believe this story should never veer into the silly. It deserves to be taken seriously. 

Winner – The Haunting 1963 

THE WINNER IS: The Haunting 1963

The original wins by a landslide. This one was a no-brainer. Shirley Jackson did not write The Haunting of Hill House from a comedic perspective. I’m glad the 1963 version honoured that, as did the television adaptation.

Thank you so much for reading! I’ll be back next time to tackle Prom Night. 

Peace & Love xoxo