the 1963 version of the haunting have be one of my favorite horror film for year and so i anticipate the release of this 1999 remake with a good deal of trepidation . it hardly seem that any follow up could exceed or even equal the original masterpiece . unfortunately my worry be well found represent this movie stink . i do not know what the people involve in this film be think . jan de bont and who seem to have have a fluke when he direct the excellent speed and do a poorly here ( or perhaps even bad ) a he do with the much hype duds twister and speed 2 represent cruise control . hey jan and stick to cinematography and would ya . liam neeson be adequate in his role a the doctor pretending to be a sleep psychologist i do not think he be capable of turn in a truly bad performance but even he can not save a lame script and weak story . catherine zeta jones prove once again ( a she do in entrapment ) that she lack the act ability to rise above the material that be hand to her . the female lead and who do great in an episode of the x file and look lose here a eleanor and an insomniac hovering on the edge of sanity . and that blond guy and whoever he be and be more wooden than the laughably strange statuette of child carve into the woodwork around the house . i do not think he change expression once during the entire film . ( spoiler ahead ) the reason the first movie work so well be because we be never sure whether the house be truly haunt or whether the manifestation be a result of eleanor precarious mental state . no spirit be actually see in the original and leave much up to the imagination a hallmark of other great horror film like the changeling and the blair witch project . in this updated version and we of course get ton of cgi ghost and which basically ( in the face of the weak script or plot ) make the movie totally unscary . the f or x aren not even that great and consider they be do by ilm . the frozen breath look particularly fake . the effect in the underrated peter jackson film the frighteners and which i saw just before this one and be a lot well . the wooden carving of the child and which be suppose to look creepy and just look silly ( especially when they scream ) and and the cgi monster be nothing to write home about . rather than provide a relief from the bad acting and bad direction and and bad writing and the effect only add to this mess of a film . some particularly dumb scene represent when the three other character break into eleanor bedroom and and none of them seem at all surprised to find a huge scowling demon hovering over the bed . the scene where eleanor see the former lady of the house hang from the rafter . the acting here be particularly bad . and last and but not least and the unintentionally hilarious bit where wooden blond guy utters an uninspired shout of what be suppose to be anguish and leap up on a piece of furniture and and start slash away at the painting of the old and evil guy who build the house . we actually get some satisfaction in this scene and a second after his attack and blond guy be drag over to the fireplace by the ghost of the old guy and promptly get his head cut off by the flue . it be the only part of the movie i enjoy . in sum and stick to the original 1963 the haunting . negative star .