Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie

LouHomey From my favorite movies..

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

bkoganbing I'm normally not a big fan of horror films but The Changeling is certainly a unique experience in viewing that genre. No unearthly ghouls, no scenes of blood and gore, The Changeling is a film of horrifying and crushing sadness as the ghost of a child tries to communicate with George C. Scott who recently lost his wife Jean Marsh and their small daughter in a car accident.Had that not happened, I'm sure that Scott who is a music teacher and composer would have thought renting this huge rambling mansion would have been great for a wife and child. As it is he's rattling around this big house though the only sounds he hears are from the house itself and they're not from this plane of existence.The mansion was formerly the property of the Carmichael family and it's the kind of place the Vanderbilts and Astors would have found adequate for their needs. The heir to the Carmichael family is none other than United States Senator Melvyn Douglas a most powerful player in our nation's capital. It's through a seance attended by Scott who learns of the identity of the child and what he wants. In life he was the victim of the foulest kind of murder done for greed and profit.Great performances all around from the entire cast. It certainly is one of George C. Scott's best roles and one of the best horror films. The final scene as the child ghost wreaks a terrible vengeance on this house and those who occupied it will stay with you forever.

Fella_shibby Had seen this in the mid 80s on a VHS. Revisited it recently on a DVD. Its one of the best haunted house/ghost story. After losing his wife and child in a car accident, George Scott rents a secluded mansion so he can immerse himself in his work and try to move on with his life. George C. Scott is terrific in the lead role. Scott expertly conveyed the pain the character is going thru. The film is very atmospheric, it features excellent cinematography. The director did an excellent job. He created a character outta the spooky mansion. The creepy hallways of the house, the darkened attic, all these are masterfully done. The camera-work is unique, making the viewer feel as if they are in the house along with Scott. Some may not find this scary specially with all those usual stuff like doors banging, pipes making noises, piano playing by itself, window panes breaking, taps starting on its own, etc. but there was sufficient tension n gripping story to hold viewers attention. It is a very well done haunted house, ghost story with more emphasis on the character n drama. I find movies like these sad.

calvinnme A man, recovering from the recent deaths of his wife and child in an automobile accident in New York state, moves across the country to Washington. There he tries to move on with his life as a musical composer by moving into a large Victorian style house in the country. Strange things begin to happen, however, water taps turned on, a window smashing on its own, his daughter's rubber ball inexplicably bouncing down a towering staircase and, above all, thunderous bangs periodically echoing throughout the house for no apparent reason.The man realizes that something is trying to communicate with him in this house, and he begins an investigation of the building's history. And there's something, something going on in that tiny dusty cob web strewn room at the very top of the house, the one with a music box and a small wheelchair.George C. Scott is a solid presence in this film as the man bewildered by this huge old home, with Scott's wife, the elegant Trish Van Devere, cast as a member of the local historical society instrumental in having secured him this house. Melvyn Douglas appears as a U.S. senator who is somehow related to the house.Director Peter Medak lets the suspense build slowly in this intelligent Canadian made ghost story. Rather than going for terror, this film goes for subtle chills. There's a seance scene that is genuinely eerie, as Medak's camera returns to that small room and then starts to glide down the stairs towards the seance participants trying to communicate with the spirit.Some ghost films are all special effects and over-the-top performances of terror. Like the best of the classy, more mature films that explore the supernatural, The Changeling never goes for cheap thrills. This thriller's eeriness is analogous to a tap on the shoulder by a cold finger, only to turn around and find there is nobody there.It may be a cliché to say it, but, in this case, it's true: if you watch this film, be sure to do so with the lights turned low.

SnoopyStyle John Russell (George C. Scott) loses his wife and daughter when their car breaks down on the side of a snowy road in upstate NY. He rents an old house to write music and recover from the loss. The large mansion turns out to be haunted by the ghost of a murdered child. Claire Norman (Trish Van Devere) from the historical society helped him get the mansion. She helps him in finding and solving his spirit problem. They discover a book from 1904 in the sealed attic room. The boy had been killed and replaced with another boy who is now Sen. Joseph Carmichael (Melvyn Douglas). There is something cold and desolate about the style of this horror. It's old fashion. There are some funhouse stuff especially with the wheelchair. There isn't much blood and gore. It's a solid ghost story. The mystery is a little bit obscure. The movie needs an extra scene where Russell explains the entire story to Claire or somebody. George C. Scott holds it all together with a solid performance.