Swift take: It was years ago, when I first heard about The Winchester Mystery House, a monstrosity designed to trap vengeful spirits. It’s supposedly the most haunted house in history, and it has been alluded to in countless movies and specials. Hell, an entire TV series by Stephen King, “Rose Red” was based on the place. If you are familiar with the spirit community, this mansion is no stranger to you. While it doesn’t present an entirely eerie facade the way the Amityville House does, the bizarre manner in which it was constructed has led to new hidden treasures as late as last year!
The story is that the widow Winchester was told by a medium, who supposedly channeled her dead husband, that she needed to build a house in which to trap all the vengeful spirits murdered by her husband’s rifle. If you aren’t aware, Winchester developed and sold the Winchester Rifle, a weapon that was used in just about every conflict while he was alive.
This film looks to be billed as a horror film, where I am assuming the presence of ghosts will be very real. I am thrilled to see that and am praying it won’t be one of those films that focuses more on the struggle of proving her sanity. I am reminded of The Exorcism of Emily Rose, which was a decent courtroom drama, but they sold it as a horror flick . . . which it wasn’t. If CBS Films decides to turn this film into a preachy mess and skimps on the spirits, it will irk me to no end. If they manage to balance all the different elements, it could be a real winner with cinephiles like me.
