Starting the October Horror Challenge off right with a blast from my past, Peter Medak's The Changeling (1980). My cousin and I, barely teens, watched this movie when it was on TV in the middle of the afternoon one summer and we couldn't sleep for weeks afterwards. And to be honest, dear reader, I may sleep with the lights on tonight! It still has the power to speed up my heartrate and make me jump at creepy sounds.
Yes, The Changeling is Still Freaking Scary!
Not only is the soundtrack compelling after all these years, the quiet moments punctuated by strings don't feel as trope-y as in other films of this era. Early 80s, you may get super cheesy jump scares and truly awful pacing interspersed with meandering plotlines and close-ups that linger just a few beats too long to have any sort of meaning or effect. Not so with The Changeling.
Horror Bases Covered: Atmosphere, Location, Cast
What do you think are the most important elements of a horror film besides the plot arc? Yup, you've got it: atmosphere, location, and casting. If you can craft a decent story, put that story in the right setting, use those camera techniques and sound to evoke a creepy atmosphere, and get the right people casted, it will be hard for you to fail.
Atmosphere
First, yes, atmosphere is crucial to a horror film, especially those in the haunted house genre. The Changeling definitely ticks this box, people. The sound design uses a few dated techniques, but generally, Rick Wilkins gets it right. Rather than an experienced movie sound guy, they hired a dude who typically wrote jazz. And you know what? It worked! The sound, floating camera techniques, and jump scares certainly helped create a foreboding atmosphere.
Location
The film opens on a snowy road with a man, wife, and young child trying to push a broken-down vehicle to a phone booth so they can call a tow truck. I won't spoil what happens but you can certainly guess! Later, much of the film takes place in rainy, overcast Seattle. It proved to be the perfect moody setting for ghostly shenanigans. Geographical location plus an abandoned old manor house makes for the ideal place to set a classic ghost story. How many of your favorites have the same location?
Cast
There's been a bit of talk that George C. Scott was not the best choice for the lead but I absolutely disagree. Not only does he have the gravitas and sincerity needed to display a grieving man embroiled in a wacky supernatural predicament, he gives the film one of its big names. The Changeling needed an actor who was capable of playing it straight. Most of the film doesn't give way to camp but it certainly could have with the wrong casting. He understood the assignment and delivered!
Great way to start the #31DaysofHorror Challenge
We chose The Changeling for Week 1 because we thought what better way to kick off the #31daysofhorror #octoberhorrorchallenge than with this cult classic. Check our ultimate watchlist for the Halloween horror challenge. Share your list and let's enjoy some creepy movies this month!