12:00 AM, 02-MAY-06
U.S. To See Altered Haunting
Courtney Solomon, director of of the upcoming supernatural film An American Haunting, told SCI FI Wire that the movie that will open in the United States will differ markedly from the version of the film now showing in Great Britain. "Lionsgate had the dates set for an international release, so they have a different version," Solomon said in an interview. "The version that will be coming out here is literally wet. I've just finished it."
The studio released An American Haunting in England in April. In the United States, Solomon's After Dark Films is distributing the movie and will release it on May 5. Not only is the tone of the U.S. version less of a scare film, it also offers a different explanation for the story of the Bell Witch, a real-life legend from 1818 Tennessee, which has been documented in more than 20 books.
Solomon shopped the original version of the film around at film festivals, listened to what audiences told him and revamped the movie. "It was a unique opportunity that very few filmmakers have," said Solomon (Dungeons & Dragons). "I asked you guys, critics, and got feedback on the festival circuit and had a chance to re-do the music, color design and story. I recommend that every filmmaker take two months off and get away from it for a while and then come back and re-edit."
The new version of the film takes the narration away from a skeptical professor, played by James D'Arcy, and gives it to the family matriarch, played by Sissy Spacek. "Sissy came back to the editing room and did some additional voice-over work and helped with a few ideas that gave some great added touches to the movie," Solomon said.
For his part, D'Arcy, whose part was substantially cut in the second version of the film, said that he saw both versions and personally prefers the one that U.S. audiences will see. "I think the version in Britain is more deliberately trying to be a horror film," he said in a separate interview. "This [version in the U.S.] is more delving into the haunting. ... I've seen four different cuts of this movie. I prefer this version. It makes much more sense. ... I'm in the film less, but I like the film more." ?Mike Szymanski
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