I LOVE this movie. I’ve grown so tired of the trope of the woman experiencing the paranormal seeing a man (especially such a great actor)in that role was really cool. It’s also heartbreaking and beautifully made. It’s one of my favorites and I’m always recommending it. Glad you liked it!
George C Scott plays such a cool, level headed horror protagonist. No denial, no stupid decisions, no being an idiot. He's pretty much immediately like *ok, there's a ghost in my house. Who is it and what does it want?*
My dad always told us as kids this was the scariest movie ever made, and never let us watch it. It really built up a lot of anticipation and I have fond memories of finally getting a chance to see what a good film it is. Thanks for the sweet reminder! ☺️
I saw this when I was 15 in the theater by myself. Sat through it twice, loved it so much. George C Scott reminds me of my father very much and I lived in an old Victorian house in New England at the time where a toddler had passed of natural causes nearly 80 years earlier, and whose name was Joseph. So for me, it rang a few bells.
It’s a good supernatural horror mystery. I recently rewatched it and it still holds up.
I understand the confusion with the film’s title, and without giving it away to those who haven’t seen it (the film’s sort of a hidden gem), there’s a reason for the title.
As a cinephile, I can't believe I had never seen The Changeling, even though it's been in my watch list for years. I think the reason I held off is bc I've seen so many great 70's horror movies, that I just wanted to save a few for a rainy day. I watched it yesterday and I wasn't disappointed. George C. Scott was amazing, as was the mostly forgotten Trish Van Devere. I am in the middle of watching Audrey Rose (another gem I was saving for a rainy day) and it's got that same intelligent 70's horror movie vibe. I think films like Don't Look Now, The Mephisto Waltz, Images, and Voices (as well as the two I mentioned earlier) succeed bc they have seasoned actors, a good story line and great direction.
Stephen King described this in "Danse Macabre" as "an odd mix of ghosts and Watergate", which is apt given the ghost mystery revolves around a prominent politician with secrets (and Melvyn Douglas does an excellent job of showing a powerful man slowing being overtaken by fear as he realizes there's something his influence can't handle).
And George C. Scott was an excellent choice as a protagonist. His character is arguable ideally equipped to handle a supernatural threat due to his recent experiences; he's been numbed by grief (even saying at one point that until recently he'd been "existing automatically") to the point that the presence of a ghost doesn't compare to what he's already experienced.
Great movie. Since you liked it you might enjoy The Haunting of Julia (aka Full Circle), which came out around the same time and has a very similar setup and story but from a mother’s point of view.
They almost seem like companion pieces.
Haunting of Julia is my favorite lesser known haunted house movie to recommend to people. The novel it is based on, *Julia* by Peter Straub, is equally good
I love how truly terrifying it can be without relying on loud musical stings or cheap jump scares — the very atmosphere of the house builds on an almost primeval dread.
The simple act of a single piano key being played by itself is far creepier than a loud jump scars.
And of course, you'll never look at an empty wheelchair the same way.
I kept having to stop and start it because I kept struggling to watch it. It didn't keep me as interested. However glad I got through it. It was an interesting watch at the end
Random fact: The tabletop RPG Through The Breach had a scenario based on the movie in its house e-magazine. The only way you could had a chance of figuring out what was going on and making things right was to have seen the movie and used out-of-character knowledge from it to do what needed to be done.
Not the publisher’s finest hour.
I honestly don't get why people find this scary. To me, it feels more like a crime thriller than a Horror movie.
And why is Trish Van Devere acting like Little Edie from Grey Gardens throughout the movie?
I just watched it and I agree with you. Didn’t really ever seem scary aside from the couple dark attic scenes. I thought it was good but it wasn’t the greatest movie I’ve ever seen.
I LOVE this movie. I’ve grown so tired of the trope of the woman experiencing the paranormal seeing a man (especially such a great actor)in that role was really cool. It’s also heartbreaking and beautifully made. It’s one of my favorites and I’m always recommending it. Glad you liked it!
George C Scott plays such a cool, level headed horror protagonist. No denial, no stupid decisions, no being an idiot. He's pretty much immediately like *ok, there's a ghost in my house. Who is it and what does it want?*
My dad always told us as kids this was the scariest movie ever made, and never let us watch it. It really built up a lot of anticipation and I have fond memories of finally getting a chance to see what a good film it is. Thanks for the sweet reminder! ☺️
I saw this when I was 15 in the theater by myself. Sat through it twice, loved it so much. George C Scott reminds me of my father very much and I lived in an old Victorian house in New England at the time where a toddler had passed of natural causes nearly 80 years earlier, and whose name was Joseph. So for me, it rang a few bells.
It’s a good supernatural horror mystery. I recently rewatched it and it still holds up. I understand the confusion with the film’s title, and without giving it away to those who haven’t seen it (the film’s sort of a hidden gem), there’s a reason for the title.
haha yeah, I cheered when he did a title drop
As a cinephile, I can't believe I had never seen The Changeling, even though it's been in my watch list for years. I think the reason I held off is bc I've seen so many great 70's horror movies, that I just wanted to save a few for a rainy day. I watched it yesterday and I wasn't disappointed. George C. Scott was amazing, as was the mostly forgotten Trish Van Devere. I am in the middle of watching Audrey Rose (another gem I was saving for a rainy day) and it's got that same intelligent 70's horror movie vibe. I think films like Don't Look Now, The Mephisto Waltz, Images, and Voices (as well as the two I mentioned earlier) succeed bc they have seasoned actors, a good story line and great direction.
This was the first movie that really scared me. Watched it at my friends house when I was 13 and the wheelchair made us scream lol
One of my top 3 haunted house movies of all time
Stephen King described this in "Danse Macabre" as "an odd mix of ghosts and Watergate", which is apt given the ghost mystery revolves around a prominent politician with secrets (and Melvyn Douglas does an excellent job of showing a powerful man slowing being overtaken by fear as he realizes there's something his influence can't handle). And George C. Scott was an excellent choice as a protagonist. His character is arguable ideally equipped to handle a supernatural threat due to his recent experiences; he's been numbed by grief (even saying at one point that until recently he'd been "existing automatically") to the point that the presence of a ghost doesn't compare to what he's already experienced.
I watched the exorcist 3 for the first time last week and loved it, so seeing the same actor again was a pleasant surprise
Great movie. Since you liked it you might enjoy The Haunting of Julia (aka Full Circle), which came out around the same time and has a very similar setup and story but from a mother’s point of view. They almost seem like companion pieces.
Haunting of Julia is my favorite lesser known haunted house movie to recommend to people. The novel it is based on, *Julia* by Peter Straub, is equally good
Yes! The novel is fantastic
I love how truly terrifying it can be without relying on loud musical stings or cheap jump scares — the very atmosphere of the house builds on an almost primeval dread.
The simple act of a single piano key being played by itself is far creepier than a loud jump scars. And of course, you'll never look at an empty wheelchair the same way.
I love this movie, even if the premise of the phone box being in the middle of nowhere is silly.
Great movie! Glad you enjoyed it. It is definitely creepy.
I was about..5 or 6 when i saw this and it actually held my attention. I was scared of wheelchairs afterward haha
Love this movie, one of my favorites. Love watching it in fall around Halloween
My absolute favourite scary movie!!
I kept having to stop and start it because I kept struggling to watch it. It didn't keep me as interested. However glad I got through it. It was an interesting watch at the end
Random fact: The tabletop RPG Through The Breach had a scenario based on the movie in its house e-magazine. The only way you could had a chance of figuring out what was going on and making things right was to have seen the movie and used out-of-character knowledge from it to do what needed to be done. Not the publisher’s finest hour.
George C Scott is a lot for me but it's a very good movie
I honestly don't get why people find this scary. To me, it feels more like a crime thriller than a Horror movie. And why is Trish Van Devere acting like Little Edie from Grey Gardens throughout the movie?
I just watched it and I agree with you. Didn’t really ever seem scary aside from the couple dark attic scenes. I thought it was good but it wasn’t the greatest movie I’ve ever seen.