Last night, as I was waiting for the subway, I noticed a poster for the upcoming horror flick, The Haunting in Connecticut (in theaters March 27). It wasn’t the absurdly geographically specific title that caught my eye, but the nasty picture of a kid barfing up what looks like part of the faun in Pan’s Labyrinth. Then I saw the tagline: "Some things cannot be explained." Um, yeah — some things like how a marketing person convinced studio execs that that disgusting picture should be the poster image! Anyway, I watched the trailer (below) today and discovered more horror-movie clichés in that one short clip than you could ever dream of trying to cram into an entire movie.
I noted the following cliches:
* family moves into a seemingly perfect house, wonders "where’s the catch?"
* family learns "the catch" is that the place "has a bit of a history"
* an ominously locked room is discovered
* there’s a full moon
* a spooky figure is reflected on a switched-off TV screen
* someone singes their hand on an inexplicably hot (or cold?) doorknob
* scary stuff happens in the basement
* a swarm of birds shows up
* doors spontaneously slam shut
* a wise man in a fedora dispenses advice (shades of The Exorcist one-pager here)
* a woman has a hard time in the shower
* someone wields a "Heeeeere’s Johnny!"-like ax and smashes it through the wall
After that, I pretty much lost count. So help me spot the other blatant rip-offs, er, homages in the trailer. Or simply share your favorite horror-flick clichés. That is, if you dare…mmmmmwwaaaa!
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A friend walked in during the commercial and said “Is this a remake or an original? Is this a commercial? Is this new or old?” I didn’t have an answer. I still don’t. I think that sums it up.
In the movie’s defense, it’s based on a “true” haunting. There has already been several “documentaries” about the incident and amongst the supernatural community it’s one of the biggies (like Amityville). This is the first Hollywood telling of it. The problem with hauntings is that they are all pretty much the same. If you’ve ever seen the true-life show “Haunting” on A&E (I think that’s were it was), almost every episode was the same.
Look up the true story and the documentaries. Then talk about horror cliches.
There is something in this house! Something not living…it wants your son!
‘True’ in relation to stories of ghosts?! Really?? Well, if there was a documentary then it must be ‘true’ just like ‘Blair Witch’ right?
As far as ‘Amityville’ the writer of the book admitted to faking it with the married couple from that ‘haunting’ about ten years after the book came out, no one seems to remember that though.
Gotta go, the Mothman wants to give me a prophecy.
Wow, Megan, I missed those cliches in the trailer. I did however like the ‘attacked by a shower curtain’ bit. Funny.
I thought when I saw the trailer, why oh why do these people not move say after the first scary thing. I have seen enough movies that if I ever move to a wierd house I am bouncing at the first sign of trouble. lol
as long as virginia madsen has work, i’m happy
There is a house here in my city that held seances, and is quite well known for being haunted. There are several documented books, and pictures too; That include the ecto plasim that comes out of people. In the picture it looks like smoke or soemthing. The writer who wrote Sherlock Holmes books came and stayed in the house at some point.
Speaking of Mothman, its the only “based on a true story” that I’ve ever seen that actually somewhat (and I emphasize “somewhat”) is true. There were tons sighting of this creature reported in the months proceeding the bridge collapse, people had missing time and strange “time” differentials. Not only the writer of the book, but others in the town were contacted by phone by “someone” predicting the proven to be “natural” tragedy of the bridge. And the sighting DID stop after that. Very weird. I’m from Ohio and knew people from that town.
Speaking of Mothman, its the only “based on a true story” that I’ve ever seen that actually somewhat (and I emphasize “somewhat”) is true. There were tons sighting of this creature reported in the months proceeding the bridge collapse, people had missing time and strange “time” differentials. Not only the writer of the book, but others in the town were contacted by phone by “someone” predicting the proven to be “natural” tragedy of the bridge. And the sighting DID stop after that. Very weird. I’m from Ohio and knew people from that town.
Actually this movie is based off a true story about a house in my hometown. And my good friend lives just a couple of houses a way from there. And even though the events are exaggerated the basic stuff did happen. They had a show based on it as well on the Discovery Channel. “A Haunting in Connecticut” which started off their “A Haunting” series.
You forgot things showing up in the mirror, weird unexplainable things on your body, problems with food…
Oh and shadow people walking around outta nowhere.
The classic person running and killer walking yet person ends up getting killed by the killer due to cluminess and directional stupidity. Also, blonde girl being the first to die is another cliche.
I love that series ‘A Haunting’. I saw the one based in CT, can’t wait to see the movie, since I live in CT.
Raw eyes I’d say it looks like an above par haunted house flick. I did hear from a reliable source that it’s one of the highest testnig films in the studio’s history (Lionsgate?).
although it doesn’t look bad, I agree with the cliches…half way through I thought that this movie was in the Amityville Horror Series (I think there were 5 movies?)…anyway it’s a movie…if’s it’s true I want proof…let’s see the newspaper clippings and the eyewitnesses…sorry, guess still a little raw from dumb blair witch and the people who believed it was real…wasn’t and it was also based on a foreign movie made somewhere in the jungle (cambodia?)
I’ve seen the sub ad myself and couldn’t figure what in the world the kid was barfing up. Whoever approved of this poster should be fired.
Yes there have been several horror films with a similar premise but who cares? I think it looks genuinely scary, the writing on his body part definitely made me jump.. Plus its based on a true story which always makes horror movies much scarier to me. Oh and BTW, has anyone seen the “motion poster”, pretty scary stuff…
Oh my God!! I just saw the motion poster. As if the regular poster wasn’t creepy enough, now I’ll really have a hard time getting any sleep tonight.
For those that are curious, here it is, the motion poster. But I must warn you, you WILL be creeped out:
http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/haunting-in-connecticut-motion-poster.html
okay maybe being raised on horror movies has left me a little bit jaded (the old hammer films were mother’s milk to me)…but I just saw the poster and not scary…interesting as what is being “thrown up”…ectoplasm, expeling a ghost or phantom that was possessing him? like I said interesting, not scary.
Kristina, I was from that town too, growing up, and had read “In a Dark Place: The Story of a True Haunting”, which is also based off of this ‘legend’. Let me clarify that NONE of this film is true whatsoever. The author of the novel I mentioned above has posted several blogs debunking the entire story and was told to fabricate 90 percent of it because the family could not get their story straight. And that son who was “possessed” by demons was possessed by meth-amphetamines. I feel ashamed that this studio has the audacity to advertise this as even “based” on a true story, when there wasn’t even a true story to base it off of. I just prey they changed the name of the town in the film, so our quaint little town doesnt turn into another Salem.
Kristina, I was from that town too, growing up, and had read “In a Dark Place: The Story of a True Haunting”, which is also based off of this ‘legend’. Let me clarify that NONE of this film is true whatsoever. The author of the novel I mentioned above has posted several blogs debunking the entire story and was told to fabricate 90 percent of it because the family could not get their story straight. And that son who was “possessed” by demons was possessed by meth-amphetamines. I feel ashamed that this studio has the audacity to advertise this as even “based” on a true story, when there wasn’t even a true story to base it off of. I just prey they changed the name of the town in the film, so our quaint little town doesnt turn into another Salem.
Well as far as the movie is concerned, I will be in line on the 27th for the first showing in the morning!!!! I love these type of movies, true or not. I watch a haunting daily and keep it on my dvr, I have seen alot of horror flicks and ghost movies, but I do not scare easily. However a yr or so ago, I saw a movie called A Haunting, this is not it and its not even the same reference, however this movie actually scared me, I have been looking for it ever since to add to my dvd collection.
As far as the Warren’s, Ed and Lorriane, they are not “fake” so to speak. I have seen what they do first hand. Yrs ago I lived in a house with spirits so to speak, mr and mrs warren came in and right off the bat they knew there was something in there. Long story short, I had to leave and hope it didn’t follow me. I will continue to watch these type of shows and movies. As far as this movie is concerned, I hope it doesn’t stir up Southington, its a beautiful town.
The kid in the movie poster looks like he is throwing up a major poo. This is scat porn, not a bad make believe horror flick. True story? Right, and the earth is flat…much like the idea behind the movie. Very flat.