Haunted

"Haunted" (1995) is a spooky old fashioned haunted house horror film starring Aidan Quinn, Kate Beckinsale, Anthony Andrews and John Gielgud based on James Herbert's novel.

Professor David Ash (Quinn) is an American living and teaching in post World War I England.  He has written a book debunking ghosts and the supernatural. He receives a letter from elderly Nanny Tess who lives at Edbrook estate with the Mariell family- siblings Christina, Robert and Simon, begging him to visit to help her figure out what is haunting her at the estate.

David goes to Edbrook and discovers that the three Mariell siblings have a rather peculiar relationship.  They seem a little too close.  David takes a liking to the highly flirtatious Christina much to the dismay of overbearing older brother Robert.  None of the family believes what Nanny is seeing is real.  David doesn't at first but little by little he starts to also see and encounter unexplained phenomena on the estate.  He also starts to see sightings of his twin sister who died when he was young.  Is he haunted by something at the house or just haunted by events in his past?

This is a great haunted house movie.  Lots of roaming around the large mansion and estate.  There is a good scary atmosphere throughout and it will keep you in suspense until the unexpected end.

Sweet, Sweet Rachel

"Sweet, Sweet Rachel" (1971) is an ABC Movie of the Week horror / thriller starring  Alex Dreier, Pat Hingle, Louise Latham and Stefanie Powers.

Rachel Stanton (Powers) returns home to her palatial seaside mansion one evening to watch in horror her husband, seemingly in a trance, run toward and through the window to die on the seaside rocks below.  She then receives a phone call from a mysterious female voice reciting all the cards that are spread out on the table.

Filled with grief, Rachel seeks the help of ESP expert, Dr. Lucas Darrow (Dreier) to help her solve the mystery.  In the meantime, she starts seeing visions of things and feeling a power that is making her do things she doesn't want to do.  The Dr. and Rachel both believe someone used ESP to kill her husband and to go after her.

Out of the blue, Rachel's aunt and uncle Arthur and Lillian Piper show up at Rachel's house and insist on staying so they can take care of her during her time of need.  Their daughter Nora, who was in love with Rachel's husband, also keeps popping up.  Lillian has psychic powers of her own and Dr. Darrow is immediately suspicious of the aunt, especially after they start keeping her in the house for her own good and keep the doctor away from her.

This is a good made for TV thriller.  Stephanie Powers does a great job as a woman being assaulted from psychic forces.  There are lots of shadows and a wonderfully mysterious setting and atmosphere that permeates the movie.  Plus, it keeps you guessing until the end!