“An evil old house, the kind some people call haunted, is like an undiscovered country waiting to be explored. Hill House had stood for 90 years and might stand for 90 more. Silence lay steadily against the wood and stone of Hill House, and whatever walked there... walked alone.”

I can’t believe director Robert Wise, the same guy who brought you West Side Story and The Sound of Music. I always like it when directors break away from their usual formula and do the unexpected when they succeed, it is glorious.

I loved the eerie music in this, with its simple notes, thuds of piano, and stretched-out instruments benefiting the spooky atmosphere. The black-and-white cinematography, with the darkness, shadows, and camera angles, made everything so unsettling. At the very beginning, we learn about the sinister history of the building. The building is described as pure evil and haunted by its past.

The movie may feel outdated and boring to some, but it’s the things that you don’t see, the dread of anticipation that something horrific will appear out of the shadows, the darkness that surrounds the land for many years, and the lives that were lost are yet to find peace. It’s horror movies like this that stays with you much longer.

Happy Halloween everyone!