October 15 HMAD: The Changeling

What scares
Andrew Goodridge?

He’s giving us a month to find out.

Follow along with Andrew as he plans to get into the spirit of his favorite holiday by watching a different horror movie every day in the month of October.

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October 15

“Ch-ch-ch-ch-changeling!”

The Changeling (1980)
Directed by: Peter Medak
Screenplay by: Russell Hunter, William Gray, Diana Maddox

     When people say things like “they don’t make ’em like they used to,” it seems like they’re always referring to cars or washing machines or vacuum cleaners. But film fans can borrow the phrase and reuse it when describing “The Changeling” (1980), a ghost story that was ahead of its time but also existed long after its era.

     Though “The Changeling” was released in 1980, it has the deliberate, methodical pace and psychological focus of movies from the late-60s or early-70s. “The Changeling” was one of the last horror films of its time period not to feel the effects of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” or “Halloween.” There’s no gore or sex or teenagers doing drugs. There are no faceless, plodding, masked killers. There are no clever, self-referrential jokes or campy homage. It’s just a good story — told exceedingly well — that has, unfortunately, over time been lost in the shuffle of 80s kitsch.

     But “The Changeling” does still show its influences today. “The Ring,” in particular, seems to borrow heavily (though I’m sure “Ringu,” the original “The Ring,” is more responsible for borrowing a number of plot points). “The Others” (again, a remake) has a similar tone, atmosphere and pace.

     George C. Scott, who is probably best known for playing the title role in “Patton” stars as a man who moves into a historic house that’s occupied by a not-so-welcoming ghost. The movie turns into a mystery as Scott tries to figure out what the ghost wants, and he uncovers a possible murder and coverup involving a prominent politician.

     At the top of this column every day, readers are promised to find out “what scares Andrew Goodridge” I’ll be honest. Everything scares me. Crazy people, dying, terminal diseases, going to prison, change, Pumpkinheads, sentient machines. I don’t like my 3rd floor balcony because I’m afraid of heights and it used to be home to a bunch of hornets. It also faces a tree that looks gnarled and creepy, and that scares me too.

     But what really scares me on screen are ghost stories (and aliens — but we’ll get to that next week with two of the best scary alien movies ever made). Jump scares are just cheap gimmicks that get your adrenaline going for a second, but nothing more. The scariest thing to me is the feeling that you’re not alone in the room. The feeling that something else is there with you, watching you, taunting you, and screwing with you.

     Seeing something out of place and knowing that whatever moved it is right there next to you is the creepiest thing I can imagine. I’ll probably always associate this movie with the look on George C. Scott’s face as he watches a ball roll across the room without any explanation, or when he sees a wheelchair somehow appear at the top of the stairs. These are the kinds of scares that can turn movies into classics, but most directors today won’t bother with (notable exceptions include “Poltergeist” and “Paranormal Activity” — maybe two more movies influenced by “The Changeling”).

     I’ve read that “The Changeling” is based on a true story experienced by one of the film’s screenwriters. I want to believe that’s true. I also want to believe “A Haunting in Connecticut” or “The Amityville Horror” are true too. I’m not afraid to admit that I very much believe in ghosts and hauntings, though I’m sure by saying that a few eyes will roll. But I’m still fascinated by these ideas. And I think to some extent we’re all fascinated by things we don’t understand. And I’m glad, at least around this time of year, that our fascinations can so easily be exploited to scare us.

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Andrew Goodridge likes movies so much that he married one. He teaches Audio/Video production, Filmmaking, and Film & Television History in Fort Worth, Texas. He would one day like to have a Pug, or maybe a Bulldog.

Andrew Goodridge can be reached at goodridge@everythingnac.com