Rachel Hurd-Wood stars in Afterdark Films’, An American Haunting, © 2006.

“The Bell Witch” haunting is factually, the only case in which a death has been declared to have been caused by a spirit. There are plenty of terrible movies about ghosts, filled with blood, gore, and other really clichéd acoustics that I personally am getting annoyed of seeing. Interestingly, An American Haunting uses no blood, gore, or too many clichés, but rather relies on loud sounds, whispering, and a series of dolly shots with occasional negative frames.

Poltergeist-n.-A ghost that manifests itself by noises, rappings, and the creation of disorder.

An American Haunting involves the specific taunting from one type of ghost, known as a Poltergeist. Many of us can recall, especially if you were alive during the 80s, is Tobe Hooper’s Poltergeist in which a house is built upon the former site of cemetary, but neglectfully, only the tombstones were moved. Steven Spielberg’s masterful screenplay had us thinking for days about the white noise of the TV and the ever chilling line: “They’re he-ere!”

Adams Station, Tennessee, 1817, is a wooded area, during the dawn and dusk the ground is shrouded in a thick fog. John Bell (Donald Sutherland) and his family live in a large wooden house. The members of the family include the softspoken mother, Lucy (Sissy Spacek),the teenage Betsy (Rachel Hurd-Wood), and the older brother, John Jr. (Thom Fell).

John Bell is currently in a dispute over land with a large, angry country woman named Kate Batts (Gaye Brown). The two take their troubles to the church and it is ended in John Bell’s favor. Minutes after the decision, Kate pronounces darkness upon their family especially on he and his daughter, Betsy. Days or perhaps weeks later, John and his son are hunting at dawn and when the two become seperated, he (John) hallucinates he is being attacked by a black wolf. As time goes on, more paranormal events grapple the family, and every night Betsy is tortured by an unknown force.

Looking back on the true story of the “Bell Witch”, the haunting did not at all start severely. In fact, it did not take place in a matter of months, but rather, within the course of a few years and things grew gradually worse. The ghost claimed to be the spirit of Kate Batts, chewed on bed posts, scratch and slapped members of the family and guests. It eventually began speaking and even singing songs on request, it even watched over Lucy Bell when she fell ill.

The film’s story, written by Director Courtney Soloman, is barely faithful to the actual happenings. It completely boggles facts of the ghost, who witnessed it, as well as many of the ghost’s tauntings. Betsy’s school teacher, Richard Powell (James D’Arcy) is quite skeptical about the spirit for a fairly large portion of the film. Though based on the book this film originated from, ‘The Belle Witch: An American Haunting’, Powell is quite well read and knows the devices of poltergeist from beggining to end.

His scares as well rely on nothing more than loud noises and expected unexpected surprises. Here’s a tip: If you want to scare people, stop hinting on it with the terrible violin player.

The story also is anxious to just get started, because we get little to not much of a background story of the town or the family itself. It felt very dull to watch and almost undeserving of the small amount of money they put into this film without a backstory of some sort. It also uses a modern character reading diaries of Lucy from the year 2006 and uses the story to foreshadow perhaps a future happening. This merely tells the audience that the film’s story is afraid to stand alone. Listen to yourself, a poltergeist in 1817, I’m already interested, where is your confidence?

The acting was where it needed to be, that except Rachel Hurd-Wood’s, though she is only fifteen years of age, her character did not appear all that scared after she is attacked by the spirit. She and the combination of the writing, probably made her seem to be the most unrealistic character in the film.

What particulary interested me in this film was both the subject matter, as well as the time period. The costumes are quite realistic, as well the houses, church, and the schoolhouse, I was very impressed.

Unfortunately, the budget for this film is estimated to be around fourteen million dollars, one can clearly see that it was all focused on the art direction and costume design.

Adrien Biddle’s cinematography, relies actually on too much camerawork, and whizzing around the room as the ghost is not at all thrilling, but more nausiating. A lot of fast paced shots over a country side remind me a lot of the original Superman film.

The film did have to rely on the uncrafty camerawork of Biddle because the special effects are increasingly desperate throughout the film. Betsy is obviously being thrown into the air, dragged around the room, and pulled up stairs via a harness of some sort. When the spirit is finally seen, a CGI cloud is whizzing around as well as computerized glowing figure.

The post-production rolls things down hill at an even faster pace. Negative frames flash on the screen and occassionally it goes into black and white, which had no dramatic effect if that was what is was attempting to do.

There’s not a lot that makes this film stick out, except what you are expecting to see, but in the end leave empty handed and with nothing to think or talk about afterward. In the end, you come to realize that the movie doesn’t use clichés as much as others, but itself is a cliché.

Rated PG-13 for intense terror sequences and thematic material.

Running time 91 minutes (that lasted forever).