Haunted house movies have been a cinema staple for well over a century. Lorimer Johnston, Buster Keaton, D. W. Griffith, and Elliott Nugent all knocked on the creaky doors of the subgenre well before film married even sound. It’s a familiar trope, one that has permeated our culture for a very long time. Naturally, as timeless tropes are wont to do, countless filmmakers and writers have added their own signature, and The Changeling is one such example.
Perhaps the greatest? That’s what the Halloweenies debate in their exhaustive breakdown of Peter Medak‘s 1980 masterpiece. Starring George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere, and Melvyn Douglas, the “true story” follows a renown composer, who moves to Seattle from New York City following the deaths of his wife and daughter. The historic society gives him the keys to a dusty mansion, and he soon discovers there’s more than his music floating within its halls.
Grab a flashlight and join co-hosts Michael Roffman and Dan Caffrey, in addition to special guests Jenn Adams of The Losers’ Club Podcast and world renown artist Ghoulish Gary, aka Gary Pullin as they examine every room to this haunted house classic. Together, they discuss the eerie history that inspired the screenplay, Scott’s outstanding performance, John Coquillon’s mesmerizing score, and why the scares here will always work.
It should be noted that this episode was recorded in March of 2022 and is being released today ahead of the Halloweenies and Bloody Disgusting‘s special screening of The Changeling. The show takes place tonight — Monday, October 2nd at 8:00 p.m. — at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theatre. In addition to this rare screening, the night will also include an exclusive live show recording of the Halloweenies, who will list out the top 10 greatest haunted house movies of all time. Tickets are available here.
Stream the episode below or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, RadioPublic, Acast, Google Podcasts, and RSS. New to the Halloweenies? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as Halloween, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, Scream, and The Evil Dead. This year? It’s Chucky!
You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind, for hilariously irreverent commentaries (e.g. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Gremlins, Darkman), one-off deep dives on your favorite rentals (e.g. Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Manhunter), and even spinoffs like their recent run Fortune & Glory: An Indiana Jones Podcast.
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The post ‘The Changeling’ Is Possibly the Greatest Haunted House Movie of All Time [Halloweenies Podcast] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.