The Changeling
Low-tech chills, in the best possible way.

Let me preface this here review by saying that The Changeling is one of my favorite movies of all time. So I may not be the most objective reviewer. But I'll do my best.

Let me also let you in on something refreshing -- there is not one special effect in this flick. Physical effects, yes, but no special ones. Not a single CGI monster, no blue or green screens were harmed in the making of this film, and nothing that could only exist in the realms of imagination and Hollyweird.

Still with me? Ready to go? Okay...

This movie is a rare treat in our times of go-go-go action. It's a coolly paced, well crafted film that heebies your jeebies and makes your flesh crawl. Made in 1979, it comes from the end of the Good Horror Movies era. We start out in the snow-crested wilds of upstate New York. Composer and music teacher John Russell (George C. Scott) and his family (including a quickie cameo by Jean Marsh) are returning from a family vacation --right after Christmas -- and are experiencing car trouble. While John phones for help, a freak and tragic accident befalls his loved ones. John is left grieving and bereft and, after a suitable mourning period, ready to make a fresh start. So, at the urging of a friend in Seattle, he relocates.

John wants a place to live, so along comes Claire Norman (Trish Van Devere), who works for the local historical society. Naturally, Claire finds John a gorgeous gothic and haunting-perfect house. The place is huge and rambling, with four floors, carved woodwork, stained glass, crystal light fixtures, and tons of old-money furniture. Home fix-it people will be tripping over their tongues. John is smitten with the place (and Claire) and agrees to take it. As we have all learned from recent television, no place this amazing and cheap is going to be problem free.

First, it's little things. The nice part of this movie is that you have to pay attention and think. While you're focused on the movie, the tension is built slowly, deceptively. Before you know it, you've pulled yourself into a ball with your eyes glued to the screen. So as you are paying attention, the little things become more obvious things. John, being an educated man but no dummy, starts to investigate. But the easy answers aren't always the right answers, and pretty soon, he's ruffled the feathers of Senator Joseph Carmichael, played by Melvyn Douglas. Said powerful man sics his police dog, played by John Colicos (is it me, or is this guy just creepy in everything he does?), on John. Whatever is in the house takes exception to this and the stakes are escalated.

Everything about this movie is superb. Long before the age of X-Files, director Peter Medak uses everything available to him to craft an entire entity of gloom and despair. The sets are perfect (if dated from the time) to create an environment for the actors to perform in. You know, a background that actually says something to the audience about what's going on (I swear, today's set decorators have forgotten this skill). Music and sound are expertly blended to enhance the mood, not detract from it. The camera work smooth and stable (a blessing in post-Blair Witch cinematography), which supplies the viewer with a false sense of security. Even the lighting is crisp and pure, whether it's bright daylight or dark shadows. Medak uses all his tools to create a sense of loneliness and isolation that makes you empathize with John and his ghost.

Then, there is the pace. Some people that I have shared this with complain about the "slowness" of the movie. But they don't get it. This isn't a movie that jumps out at you and yells, "Boo! Be scared!" It's subtler than that. What appears to be a leisurely pace is actually a way of getting under your skin. By the time all hell is breaking loose, all the hooks are in and you are dragged along to the inevitable conclusion.

The only real weakness of this film is the ending. It's a little pat, but considering how genuinely scary the rest is, you're willing to forgive it. My recommendation? Rent it (or, better, buy it -- you'll probably be ready to see it again come Halloween), shut off the phone, turn out the lights, be quiet, and be ready to be spooked. Nowadays, we seem to need big, elaborate critters to frighten us. It's nice to know something as simple as a ghost can still scare us silly.

DROOL FACTOR: None, really. While George C. Scott is arguably one of the finest actors who has ever lived, and a powerful presence, he's not really a handsome man. And unless you dig really old guys or slimy sycophants, the hormones won't get too much action here.

GROSS-OUT FACTOR: Again, not too much. There are some disturbing scenes of children in distress, but they just add to the overall horror. There is John Colicos, though. He's kinda icky.

STRONG CHICK FACTOR: Claire is actually a woman of great fortitude, with the exception of an incident at the end. Quite frankly, if that happened to me, I'd turn into a blubbering hysteric, too. But she looks fabulous throughout this film -- intelligent, striking, chic, and poised.

-- Carrie Rock

The Changeling is currently available on video and DVD.

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