The Changeling (1980)

2 March 2020

The Changeling is a haunted house horror film from 1980 primarily set in Seattle, Washington (though some scenes were located in British Columbia). It stars George C. Scott as John Russell, a composer that moves away from New York after the death of his wife and daughter. Once he moves into this other home, he finds that his tragedy is acting as a catalyst for a ghostly presence to reach out to him.
Reading some information about Girl on the Third Floor (2000), they directly referenced this film, and mentioned how the moving ball idea was borrowed from this 1980 film, but that in the newer movie's case they didn't understand why it was scary. Reading a little bit about this film, I also learned it starred George C. Scott, an actor I appreciate from such classics as Dr. Strangelove or Patton, and who's had depth for other films like The Hustler or The Rescuers Down Under. I thought the execution of this was really good, though classifying it as horror may be a slight injustice: the theme is dark and it will definitely spook you out, but it's more of a paranormal mystery more than something terrorizing.

It goes on a little long for its content, in my opinion, and it could've aged better. The story itself is solid (and the minimalistic special effects are simple but actually age quite well), but I think the things around it are particularly dated. You want to see blasts from the past? There's a phone booth, microfiche, physical maps, giant audio recording equipment, and a rotary phone in this film! Personally I think if Hollywood was looking for a film with good remake potential, this would be a good one. 9/10