Ghost Stories

 

Haunted (1995)

A professor (Aidan Quinn) who suffered the tragic loss of his twin sister when a child, is called to an out of the way manor to investigate a haunting.  The house is home to a mentally troubled old woman and three siblings: a beautiful woman (Kate Beckinsale), a controlling older brother (Anthony Andrews), and a wild younger one (Alex Lowe).  It is also home to a secret.

Quick Review: If you like the haunted house sub-genre of horror, then you'll want to see this; it is a good example of the type.  It follows the standard storyline closely.  Our hero hears bumps and cries in the night, but finds nothing at first.  Slowly, the ghostly activity gets more and more obvious until it becomes deadly.  Then he must figure out what happened years before.  It's the basic story of all the haunted house films and there is little new here.  There are also better representatives.  Still, it is fun in its predictable way.  Aidan Quinn is stiff and unbelievable as the professor, but the supporting cast is better.  The best of those is Kate Beckinsale.  She sparkles as the free spirited Christina who is attracted to the professor.  She is also beautiful and shows that off in several nude scenes.  Art is about beauty as well as meaning, and Beckinsale's naked form greatly enhances the beauty of the film.  Add an extra if you are a fan of Ms. Beckinsale's seductive charms.

Kate Beckinsale has gone on to become the mistress of the horror-action movement, starring in Underworld, Underworld: Evolution and Vanhelsing.

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