The Haunting of Hill House is one of my favourite books of all time, I finished it and I couldn't stop thinking about Eleanor for weeks truly one of those characters that has a huge impact on you
Me too -- well, it's one of my favorite horror books. I don't think of it as scary (it has scary moments don't get me wrong) as much as creepy, or dare I use the word, haunting. I also really loved the original 1963 movie, while despising the remake. Started to watch the series, but got distracted and may return to it.
The Netflix series is absolutely incredible, it was genuinely scary, beautifully shot, such sad moments that made me cry, not to mention the plot twists! I've been obsessed with Mike Flanagan since watching and solidly believe he's the best horror film maker out there right now.
The actor playing Luke in the 1963 movie is Russ Tamblyn, who played Dr. Jacoby in Twin Peaks. The novel has the best opening paragraph (also the final paragraph) of any paranormal book I've read.
Shirley jackson is amazing! Her writing style feels so honest! She had some great aesthetic sensibilities that pour from every page. My favourite instance in “the haunting” is the reference to the mug with stars at the bottom. She creates horror through empathy and I think that’s neat. Now I’m reading “we have always lived in the castle” and its some kind of twisted cottage-core fever dream and I just adore it.
In the beginning of Hill House when Nell is daydreaming while driving I thought it was like a fever dream. The writing flowed the way thoughts do. I’m going to have to check out we have always loved in the castle.
@@juliasky6149 In Eli Roth's History of Horror season 1, they did a big piece on The Shining, and the TV mini-series wasn't mentioned once, even by the guy who directed it, who did feature in the discussion.
Hey Sarah just wanted to tell you to keep doing what you’re doing , and I know you don’t need that advice , but you’re really make me happy when i see a notification after a long day of hard schoolwork , I can’t wait for you’re last night in soho and Halloween kills reviews and yeah just thanks I guess 😁
I’m having an absolute mental freak out right now! I was 11 when “The Haunting” came out and watched it a year later. It was my absolute favorite horror movie. When Mike Flanagan’s Netflix series was released I instantly fell in love. I never made the connection! The names, the plot, everything!!
I love the book and all film renditions. My favorite part is Mrs. Dudley's quote, “We couldn't even hear you, in the night.... No one could. No one lives any nearer than town. No one else will come any nearer than that." "I know," Eleanor said tiredly. "In the night," Mrs. Dudley said, and smiled outright. "In the dark," she said..” ― Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this pops up in the House on Haunted Hill movies as well, pulling them into the same universe in my head - which is all I really need from this life.
Are you putting any Stephen King breakdowns in here? I think IT would be a good one from the book v original mini series v the latest 2 movies. Loving these videos! Thanks!
I think you're the first person I've seen mention Rose Red in reference to Hill House. I saw Rose Red before I read Hill House and I always kind of wondered if King was inspired by the book.
I love The Haunting, I completely agree its a great film to introduce young people to horror. I just remembered that Scary Movie 2 referenced the 1999 adaptation hehe 😂😂
Wow, I still remember being genuinely terrified watching rose red as a kid, and then again after watching the haunting. But absolutely loving both movies and watched them over and over. It’s really cool to know they’re related to the Netflix series, which genuinely scared me now in my 30s!
Shirley Jackson is one of my favorite writers of all time, she's had such a huge influence on the horror genre, from King to newer writers. Too bad she passed away really young. Love the book and love the show, even tho they're really different.
I’d love to see a comparison of The Exorcist! Such a close and perfect adaptation, but the details they do leave out are really interesting and horrifying,
*possible spoiler ahead* When I was a kid, I remember the fireplace skull scene from the 1999 movie scared the hell out of me, to the point of never wanting to watch the movie again. I rewatched it this year and my reaction to the scene was "Is that it?". The movie has aged soooo bad in terms of scares and effects. On the other hand, I watched the 1963 one for the first time this year and it was a great experience. Definitely better.
Wait! Is this the scene with all the faces in the wall moving?! This was my favorite scene as a kid! I haven’t watched it in over 10 years so I don’t remember much of this movie other than that scene
@@brittany-nicol3 Actually the scene I mentioned is when Nell finds out a hidden clue in a book that points to the fireplace. And then when she looks there, a skull jumps to the camera LMFAO that freaked me out as a kid.
I remember seeing The Haunting when it came out. I think I knew it was a remake, but I didn’t know it was adapted from this story. I need to rewatch it; I was too young when I first saw it and a lot of it went over my head
*Me hearing the synopsis of the story* "This is sounding a lot like Stephen King's Rose Red." *Sarah mentions Rose Red* "HAHAHAHAHA!!!!" Legit, I have this habit of saying things out of the blue, only for it to seem people read my mind and mention that said thing, hahaha. I did see Rose Red when it aired on TV and even though I am not a fan of horror, I did like the supernatural elements of it and it wasn't all that scary to me, although it did make me cry when one of my fav chars died. I was still going through my creative spree at that age (I was in college) and had a tone of story ideas, so I came up with my own 'haunted house' story idea. I think the reason why I don't like horror is because of 2 things- I don't like to be scared and I don't like sad endings.
Our daughter (taking after her mother, thank you very much😁) played a ghost in our local theatre adaptation of Shirley Jackson's Haunting of Hill House last Halloween. It was creepy and effective on stage, probably because it was live and brought you in, so to speak, as if you were in Hill House as well just because you were in the audience.
I saw the 1963 adaptation of The Haunting on television when I was around eight and it terrified me. I didn't see it again until I was an adult and bought it on VHS. I still thought it was brilliant and it remains my favorite adaptation to this day. I could appreciate Mike Flanagan's adaptation after viewing it a second time. Great job, Sarah!
This was really fascinating. I haven't read the book or seen the 60s movie, I've only watched Hill House and the 90s Haunting. Which is cheesy but I'll always have a special place in my heart for it. ALSO! I had no idea about Rose Red. I can see the similarities. I love that one too. I finally got it on dvd this year. Have you heard that Flannigan is doing Poe for Netflix?
Can you do the exorcist? I read the book several years after the first time I watched the movie and it was the movie that scared me the most as a child. From my understanding the movie was written a couple years after the book came out as well. The book is incredible as well.
I really enjoyed your take on all of the different adaptations of hill house. This is one of my favorite horror stories and peices of horror content since I was a very small child.
I just discovered your channel after rewatching The Haunting of Hill House. And first reading the book and watching the movies again. I love your in depth comparison! One thing: when they move in in episode 10, the kids yell that Theo took the green room 😊
I can probably think of a few book vs Movie vs TV series ideas. However there is one that most likely wouldn't work considering that the comparison would be comparing a book series vs a Movie vs a three season netflix series which the latter two have interesting connecting history. The book series is a children's novel series that incorporates elements of comedy, whimsy, and tad bit of horror. The book series I'm of course talking about is a Series of Unfortunate Events, a series of 13 books that follows the lives of the Baudelaire Orphans Violet, Klaus, and Sunny as they being chased down by Count Olaf. The reason I say this wouldn't work for a book vs Movie vs TV Series is mainly because at the time the 2004 movie was being developed the book series was halfway through. Another reason this wouldn't work is because this would only be the first three books (Bad Beginning, Reptile Room, and The Wide Window) vs the Movie (which only adapts those first three books) vs the first 6 episodes of season one of the show. After that its mainly a book series vs tv series comparison.
The room colors are mentioned in the original movie when Nell first arrives. The children's nursery that is locked in the first movie became the Red Room.
I think there’s a difference between the scary that we know now and a scary that disruptive, makes you think and on the edge of your seat not because you’re “scared” but because it’s just disruptive
If you liked this book you should give a try to Hell House by Richard Matheson. It’s like the explicit and explained version of Hill House and it also has a couple of adaptations
Fun fact! The "Bulging Door" scene at 08:11 was a big inspiration for Disney's The Haunted Mansion attraction. This movie was a big inspiration on many of the effects on the "creepy half" of the ride and the source of some of my favorite effects.
What I love about the netflix adaptation is whenever you see a ghost it´s not so much the question IF there IS a ghost, but much more WHY you SEE a ghost. I have watched the series multiple times, each time from another angle or approach and I love how much it can offer you if you just open up your mind. it could be a story with genuine ghosts or a one with literally zero in it.
I totally appreciated you covering the book and the filmed adaptations of story. The book is great and I loved the original film. The camera work is amazing. I can't say that I had much interest in the '99 version. I'll say that the mental health aspect of the book and '63 version is a valid one. All the victims who were driven to kill themselves in the house were driven mad by the house. I think Eleanor was attracted to this place due to her own life experience before hand.
The bulging door scene!! That genuinely scared the crap out of me as a very sensitive 13 year old... Still holds up as great creepy effects! Love that movie so much.
Thank you! I love this kind of content. I'm fairly new to your channel. I never disliked horror, but stopped watching it entirely after two movies (Saw 2 and Drag Me to Hell) Recently, with movies like The Quiet Place and shows like The Haunting of Hill House, I've realized I'm missing out on some great content. I have enjoyed a TON of horror novels though and so, for me, this is amazing content. Please give us more of this.
There's another book and movie adaptation of that book which is a clear tribute to the Shirley Jackson - "Hell House", by Richard Matheson, a big name in fantasy/science fiction/horror. He wrote many scripts for the original "Twilight Zone", for example. The book was published in 1971; the movie, called "The Legend of Hell House", came out in 1973 and was scripted by Matheson. My friend and I saw this movie when it first came out, and I was especially excited because it featured Roddy McDowall, one of my many favorite actors. Both book and movie are far more graphic and suggestive than the Jackson movie, I like them all.
Love the series and the 90s film is a ton of fun. Have yet to read the book or watch the film from the 60s. A book vs movie i'd like to see you cover is The Exorcist or No One Gets Out Alive
Excellent examination of the story in all four versions! I’d love to see a book to movie comparison of Henry James’ “The Turn of the Screw” (1898) to Jack Clayton’s THE INNOCENTS (1961) to Mike Flanagan’s THE HAUNTING OF BLY MANOR. In BLY MANOR, Flanagan kept the core plot… a governess/au pair coming to an English estate to look after a man’s orphaned nephew and niece.
I saw the 1961 movie before I read the book, and that movie scared the pewp out of me! That's the first time I was ever scared from watching a movie, and few have scared me in the same way since. I really appreciate the way scares are handled, I'm of the opinion that what you don't see is much scarier than what you do. I love the book and re-read it often. HATE the 90s movie, it's an abomination in every way, imo. I liked the Netflix Series, it's more referential to the story, but in a fun way for people who know and love it.
Selling this show to my mom, to make her watch it.. i described it as a family drama, similar to This Is Us, (she really liked This Is Us), but with some ghosts sometimes
Sarah!!! I had no idea Rose Red had anything to do with Hill House! I haven’t seen that in years but I remember loving it and watching it multiple times.
I saw the original film as a kid and really enjoyed it. I never saw the remake, but I heard for years how bad it was in comparison. I finally saw it a year or two ago and spent most of the first hour thinking, "Why does everyone bash this one? It's a pretty faithful adaptation." Then the second hour happened, with all the subtlety of the first film chucked out the window in favor of every single thing in the house coming to life via very dated computer effects. I was pretty flabbergasted that they actually used digital effects to make it look like a kid crawled under a sheet, instead of getting a kid and a sheet and, like, filming it. Flanagan's version did the moving statues bit too, but oh so much better.
This video is so cool! When you said rose red I got so excited because it was my favorite horror thing to watch besides the Freddy Krueger movies when I was younger so I was 11 when Rose red came out and I would go crazy to watch this mini series. Every time they re-showed it I would watch it again. I had no idea that it was a hill house adoption I thought that it was more about the Winchester mansion. That’s so cool thank you so much for the information!
I loved the book. In 6th or 7th grade we had to read the short story "The Lottery" for school, I loved it, so I went to the school library and got every Shirley Jackson book they had. "We Have Always Lived in the Castle" was my favorite and I feel like it's never had a really good movie made from that book. So much of that book is Merricat's interior monologue, it just doesn't translate well to film.
i actually saw a play rendition of the book and haven't watched the films so this was fun for me to watch! Loved hearing the differences and light reviews of each
the original movie played on the theory that not peaking is scarier than peaking. Meaning it built up and built up but never peaked. it just kept building and stopping building and stopping. since we are used to building and peaking and then slowly coming down, it messes with us. leaving us afraid and not knowing why. that is the theory anyway. that you could be jumpier after watching it because it never got to the jump.
Liked the book and both movies. Yes, I'm one of the few people who actually enjoyed the 1999 version. Just finished watching the series for the first time and I gotta say it's the best adaptation of this story hands down. It's amazing and I think Shirley Jackson would be proud of it. Very character driven, scary, heartbreaking. Just a fantastic show.
One thing you mentioned was that people deem this as "the scariest ever" and you dont agree, but that might be due to lens of watching it after watching modern horror. Glad you mention that. That is one thing i see a lot from the younger generation that useally gets brushed aside. If you watched a movie for the first time when it came out, context is different. You have never seen anything like before and it does hit differently. And it sticks with you. Verses coming from watching the genre already played out. Things becoming more and more overt. The line being raised and crossed. You have higher expectations and needs for what is scary when you have already seen blood and guts, ect. And many older(even referring to ones from the 90's) movies dont get respected by the younger generations because of this. It really is sad that the genius of older movies is lost because of viewing it with the modern lens.
I would like to see you review one of my favorite movies from the 80s ,. Ghost Story . I love this movie , along with Hill House, and The Legion of Hell House . Ghost stories are my favorite kinds of movies . Love your blog !!
As much as I think that black and white works well with film noir, I remember thinking how great it would have been had the 1963 film been filmed in color so we could see the various colored rooms.
I loved the show so much that I go back and watch it. Of course nothing beats Shirley Jackson's work. My favorite character is Theo. 😉 Can you please 🙏 do a video on House On Hunted Hill? I know it's different from Hill House and has nothing to do with that universe but still a throwback late 90's favorite.
I’m reading this book right now, and I think is my best read of the year so far. It’s a fantastic book, slow, but so atmospheric. I saw the 1999 film and is awful, but the Netflix series is very good. Now, the book by Richard Matheson, Hell House - this one is petrifying.
The censors, UK BBFC and USA Production Code, had no objection to the original script or the final film (from research of the original documentation) - the 'no touching' story seems to have originated from a recent interview with Claire Bloom.
IMO the Netflix version is a complete betrayal of Shirley Jackson’s legacy. Jackson was very deliberate when she closed the novel with “those of us who walk here walk alone.” It was a commentary on the growing isolation felt by Eleanor as the plot develops. Bleak, yes; but very effective. That wasn’t good enough for the Netflix show runner, so he mutilated the novel’s premise while keeping the name for marketing purposes. Absolute bilge.
