Following the successful release of John Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN in 1978, and Sean Cunningham’s FRIDAY THE 13^TH in 1980, the slasher craze was well under way. The "Have-sex-and-die" theme was prevalent in practically every genre release. Then, a small independent distributor called Associated Film Distribution (A.F.D.) unleashed this 7 million dollar Canadian film into the marketplace. In place of sex and gore, THE CHANGELING offered legitimate acting and supernatural suspense. THE CHANGELING went on to become a sleeper hit (and still holds up today), while those terrible slasher films have gone the way of Disco. HBO video recently released THE CHANGELING (in widescreen for the first time) on DVD.

THE CHANGELING is directed by Hungarian filmmaker Peter Medak, whose credits include ROMEO IS BLEEDING, THE KRAYS, and SPECIES 2. Patton himself, George C. Scott, takes the lead role as John Russell, a classical musician who loses his family in an automobile accident. Scott’s real-life wife, Trish (THE SAVAGE IS LOOSE) Van Devere, stars as Claire Norman, a sensitive real estate dealer. Melvyn (GHOST STORY) Douglas stars as Senator Joeseph Carmichael, a man with a secret. John (PHOBIA) Colicos is featured as police investigator De Witt. Barry (ASYLUM) Morse cameos as a parapsychologist.

John Russell (Scott) is a distinguished composer who loses his wife and daughter in an automobile accident. After the tragedy, John has a hard time coming to terms with his loss, and he imagines seeing his deceased daughter playing in his house. He decides he needs to get away, so he moves to Oregon, where he will compose original music, and teach at a local university. His real estate agent, Claire Norman (Trish Van Devere), hooks him up with a large, scary looking mansion. Right after he moves in, he begins hearing strange noises and footsteps. At a black tie affair that he attends, he talks with Claire (who is a member of the town’s Historical Society) and tries to get some background information on the house, which is very hard to come by. At the party, John also meets Senator Carmichael (Melvin Douglas), who is speaking at the event.

When John returns to his new home, he experiences supernatural phenomenon which convinces him that the house is haunted. He manages to convince a disbelieving Claire, and the two of them begin digging into the history of this house. Some of the ghostly activity leads him to the discovery of a hidden room in the attic, complete with relics from the early 19th century, including a child’s wheelchair. As the hauntings begin to pick up intensity, John consults a parapsychologist (Barry Morse), who recommends that John hire a medium to host a seance. Clair attends the seance as well, which provides some answers for John, but raises a whole new set of questions. The seance does, however, yield a clue--that the ghost is somehow linked to Senator Joseph Carmichael. The tormented spirit is clearly seeking absolution, and is using John to quell it’s thirst for revenge. John and Claire are drawn into an 80 year-old puzzle and political intrigue to resolve the mystery surrounding the ghostly presence.

THE CHANGELING has a suspenseful and compelling script that successfully blends horror and mystery elements. THE CHANGELING baits the audience by balancing haunted house ambiance with a leave-it-to-your-imagination approach. These tactics work, and the film does not fail to disturb the viewer. This approach flies in the face of modern special effects-fests like THE HAUNTING (1999). The supernatural occurrences are very authentic—like a real haunting would be. No digital monsters or demons, just an angered, invisible presence that is everywhere and nowhere. The seance scene is particularly effective. Instead of the usual horror cliches like using a oujia board or summoning an apparition, the medium simply writes out what the spirit is attempting to convey. What makes this scene so much more effective than your fun-house horror film, is the honesty and attention to detail.

The mystery angle to THE CHANGLING is quite effective, even if the conclusion leaves you feeling a little short-changed. The entire film is a puzzle that unravels as the plot progresses. But even if you remove the mystery elements (like if you view the film a second time), THE CHANGLING still delivers shocks and chills, even if you know what’s coming. There is no blood in the film, and the supernatural presence is only responsible for one death. But that doesn’t stop THE CHANGELING from being one of the most effective haunted house chillers of all time. Peter Medak’s directing career has had its ups and downs, but THE CHANGELING is clearly one of his finest moments. Medak gives the film a subtle but powerful emotional undercurrent that separates it from the pack.

George C. Scott is the actor’s actor, and he brings a sense of legitimacy to the production. His performance is much better than what the script calls for. He has some truly great moments during the haunting scenes, and even though he is shocked, he never truly lets the ghost get to him. Another great but simple moment has Scott in bed and crying. He’s obviously thinking about his family, and the ghost picks this moment when John is vulnerable to make it’s presence known. The graceful Trish Van Devere has a natural chemistry with Scott that translates perfectly onscreen. She really brings a sense of fear to her character, Claire, who is aghast with horror whenever she witnesses any trace of the supernatural force. Melvin Douglas turns in a good performance, although he looks a bit old to be playing an active Senator. Though George C. Scott is the best talent in the film, even he is upstaged by the haunted house.

-  Phil Chandler