Ode To Haunted Houses

I love haunted house stories. They are my all time favorite of the horror genre, in literature and in film. The dark wood, the creaking stairs, the dust, the stale air of the attic, the long hallways....pure heaven to me. The quiet, subtle moments are what I love most. The idea that a house is a living being with feelings and intentions is one that is ever intriguing, as well as the notion that a house can replay and echo the horrors that happen within them over and over. In a haunted house time stops, and the connection (and safety) to the outside world is lost. For some reason I find that comforting. Perhaps it's the timelessness of it, or because the rules of the world no longer apply, or because it is a final destination and there is no more work to be done. I don't know.

There are many haunted houses that I revisit often: The Shining (novel & film), The Haunting (the 1963 film), The Legend Of Hell House (novel & film), The Haunting of Hill House (novel by Shirley Jackson), The Haunting of Julia (novel & film), and others that I will remember after I publish this post.

I've a new one to add to the list - a short story that appeared in Weird Tales Magazine. It's "Renovations" by Matthew Pridham. You can read the story here.

Screencap from The Legend Of Hell House.


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The Haunting of Julia

Revisited an old favorite of mine today. I think The Haunting of Julia is one of the best ghost stories on film. The look, the colors, the gauzy lens, the subtly, the pace, and the absolutely incredible & chilling score work with organic perfection that softly pulls you in and holds you silently, but firmly, to its chest. In it you will find horrors hidden in the quiet. Watch it alone on a windy night. Watch it on a cold rainy day, wrapped in blankets. Get lost in it. I promise it's worth it. And to top it all off, the film features one of the most beautiful end shots I've ever seen.





I should also add that after much searching a friend has finally found the score for me. I was desperate to have it for so long. Here is the title track, The Park.



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