VICTIM OF THE HAUNT

US, 1996, 90 minutes, Colour.
Beau Bridges, Sharon Howard, Shirley Knight, Lawrence Pressman, Alex Linz.
Directed by Larry Shaw.

Victim of the Haunt is a telemovie, haunted house variety. It shows a crime committed in 1915 and moves forward 75 years to show the aftermath of a murderous father wanting to take the child of the new residents. There are special effects - as well as reasonable performances from the stars which give the film a suburban credibility. Beau Bridges is the father, Sharon Howard the wife. Alex Linz (One Fine Day, Home Alone 3) is the victim boy.

1. Entertaining telemovie? Suburbia? Haunted houses?

2. The title? The prologue and the wife, the father killing the child? The basis for the haunting? The plausibility of this kind of plot?

3. The suburbs, houses, streets, hospitals? Audiences identifying with the ordinary setting? Musical score, especially for the horror sequences?

4. The Johnson family and their going to their new house, Charlie driving the truck, Patricia with the children? The house, perfectly ordinary, the silence, the yard, the lemon trees? The American dream? Charlie and Patricia, their relationship, love for their children? Setting up the house? The aftermath of the death of the baby?

5. The manifestations of the child, the glow, the friendly haunting? Jonathan's response? The horror manifestations, especially for Patricia? The bath, the blood? The noises, the hammering? The effect on Patricia, on Jonathan, on Molly? Charlie and his absence, disbelief? The discussions with the psychiatrist?

6. The neighbours, their friendliness, talking about situations, Delia and the accusations? Delia and her warnings? Patricia's fear, return to Delia, believing her, her help?

7. Visiting the old lady, the daughter of the murderer, her memories, the true story? Her visiting the house with Delia and Patricia? The confrontation with the ghost? The seeming peace? The young child able to rest?

8. The ghost of the father, the attack? The violence? Patricia in hospital, going to her children? Charlie and his return, trying to batter down the door, exhausted? Delia and her advice of a fight with energies? Patricia and her confrontation of the ghost, Jonathan in the water, the final rescue? Their leaving the house? Her final nightmare?

9. Audiences enjoying stories of haunted houses? Their plausibility and implausibility? Ways of coping? The desire for life after death? Belief in the paranormal?