Haunted house horror tale leaves no room for originality

"The Haunting in Connecticut" is a haunted house horror movie, supposedly based on fact, and full of shadowy rooms, dingy décor, rotting corpses, a bedeviled family, screaming kids and a loud, clanging clamorous soundtrack to cue the scares. There's even an exorcist of sorts, played by the always intense Elias Koteas - who manages the movie's best performance, despite the scene where he suddenly realizes he may have messed up.

The movie as a whole seems about as real as a $3 cadaver, but there's no accounting for taste. Grisly, cliché-packed, unimaginative horror movies trying to repeat the horrific successes, and excesses, of the past have popped up regularly recently. And "Connecticut," which might also have been called "The Amityville Snorer," is no worse than some.

The hell-hounded Campbell family of "The Haunting in Connecticut" includes cancer-stricken son Matt (Kyle Gallner), courageous mom Sara (Virginia Madsen), excitable kids Peter and Mary (Ty Wood and Sophi Knight), lively cousin Wendy (Amanda Crew) and troubled dad Peter (played by Hal Hartley stalwart Martin Donovan). Peter, like Jack Nicholson in "The Shining," has a drinking problem, but, unlike Jack, he doesn't have any great tantrum scenes. He does however have a weak, drunken snit fit about the family leaving too many lights on. (Isn't that the cinematographer's job?)

Ah, the poor Campbells. Ignoring the danger signs - including a friendly warning from the landlord and funeral documents and equipment that don't seem to have been removed since the 1920s - they move into the house hoping, despite its bad reputation, that living there will help Matt's treatment and recovery. Had they but known! Fairly soon, the rotting corpses make an appearance, popping up like skeletons on a carnival scare ride. They have company: another group of pale, dead but very active "Hellraiser"-looking bodies who have strange, incomprehensible inscriptions written all over them ­- perhaps this movie's screenplay.

Director Peter Cornwell, in his feature debut, shows some talent for gruesome atmosphere, and editor/songwriter Tom Elkins works overtime trying to crank us up. But the script never jells, most of the live actors seem dispirited and the movie, overall, seemed less scary to me than the nightly stock market report.

Devotees of rotting corpses, however, will get more than their fill, as will lovers of shock cuts, dingy decor and loud clangs. Devotees of haunted house movies are advised to stay home and rent "The Shining."

<p class="factboxheadblack">"The Haunting in Connecticut"</p> <p class="News">One and a half stars</p> <p class="News"><b>Starring:</b> Virginia Madsen, Kyle Gallner, Elias Koteas, Martin Donovan</p> <p class="News"><b>Directed by:</b> Peter Cornwell</p> <p class="News"><b>Other: </b>A LionsGate Pictures release. Rated PG-13 for violence. 92 minutes.</p> <div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=281028">Horror film draws unwanted visitors to Conn. house <span class="date">[3/24/09]</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>