The Making of 'The Haunting'

# Ring-around-the-rosy #

Now, I'm trying to tell you...

that we can't afford

to keep you here any more.

You already owe two months

worth of back rent.

It's mine,

and you're not taking it away.

Read the will, Nell.

It states, in plain language:

"The executor shall have

the right to dispose of...

any and all personal property

as he shall see fit."

- He's not even real family.

- Yeah, well, maybe not.

But clearly, Mother thought Lou

would be much better equipped...

to deal with these

unpleasant details than you.

"Unpleasant details" ?

What have I been dealing with

for the past 11 years ?

I've cooked, cleaned, mopped up

her urine ! You call that

an "unpleasant detail" ?

- Hey, your sister

didn't write the will.

- We all know what you've done.

- We're trying to help.

- Do not help me !

Oh, Ritchie.

Just go sit on the couch, okay ?

Oh.

Anyway, once probate closes,

we can put this apartment

on the market,

and we all might be able

to make a few bucks.

Also, we know how much you love

Mom's car, so we're giving it to you.

You're taking away my home

and giving me a 20-year-old car ?

Absolutely. We'll deduct the value

from the proceeds of the apartment.

Who are you ?

Do you understand

that I have nowhere to go ?

We've been talking,

and Lou and I are very busy.

We could use someone to help us

with the cleaning and the cooking,

looking after Ritchie ?

Eleanor, help me. I gotta pee.

Ritchie, not now!

Get outta my home.

Well, suit yourself.

We'll let the courts handle it.

Get out of my home.

Honey, let go. That's right.

Oops. Sorry. Okay.

Here you go, honey.

Follow Daddy.

Come live with us, Nell.

You have no idea

how hard it is out there.

No,Jane. You have no idea

how hard it was in here.

Hello.

Yes, this is Eleanor.

Where ?

I see it.

"Research subjects.

Nine hundred a week."

Here's how they're organized. The groups

have very different personalities.

Scored all over the Kiersey Temperament

Sorter, just like you asked for,

and they all score very high

on the insomnia charts.

Oh, what a beautiful profile.

A classic dependent

personality disorder.

However, we were looking

for "suggestible."

Her mother died

two months ago.

She really wants to do this.

And what are your feelings,

Mary ?

Tell me what

your intuitions say.

I put my favourites

on top.

Mm-hmm.

What else have we got here ?

"Low self-esteem,

high narcissism,

chronic feeling of emptiness,

identity disturbance. "

Good, good. Very good.

Is this where we're going ?

That's Hill House.

That's perfect, isn't it ?

- The Hill House Project--

- Is absolutely essential

to my research, Malcom.

No, just listen.

I grant you,

fear and performance

is a big, sexy idea.

- But as chairman

of this department, I cannot--

- I know you clinical guys...

don't like to ask these questions,

but think about it.

What is fear, anyway ? It's a series of

automatic responses to a given stimulus,

characterized by increased

heart rate, respiratory activity

and adrenaline function.

The only problem with fear

is that it has largely become

inappropriate and nonadaptive.

Do sweaty palms

help to talk to your boss ?

Does a racing pulse help

some kid's score on an SAT ?

And yet we carry with us

these primordial fear responses...

that do the opposite of what

they were intended to do.

- So why is that ?

- David, David, no one is saying...

that these aren't

provocative questions.

But you can't conduct this research

ethically or responsibly.

And on top of that,

you're bringing your insomniacs...

to this house

under false pretences.

Because the experiment needs

a credible cover story.

Calling it an insomnia study...

allows me to create a highly

suggestive environment...

to investigate

the dynamics of fear.

You don't tell the rats they're

actually in a maze, Malcom. Come on.

What do you want ?

Are-- Are you Mr Dudley,

the caretaker ?

Yeah. I'm Mr Dudley, the caretaker.

What are you doing here ?

I'm with Dr Marrow's group.

I'm supposed to see Mrs Dudley.

Is she here ?

What do you think ?

Why do you need

so many chains ?

That's a good question.

What is it about fences ?

Sometimes the people on either side

of the fence see a locked chain,

they feel

a little more comfortable.

Why do you suppose that is ?

Mrs Dudley ?

Hello ?

Mrs Dudley ?

Hello ?

Hello ? Mrs Dudley ?

Oh, my--

I'm-- I'm, uh--

I'm Eleanor Vance.

- I'm here with the--

- Dr Marrow's group.

You're the first.

Yeah, I'd-- I'd heard a sound,

and that's--

It's make the dinner or answer the door.

Can't do both.

- Are you Mrs Dudley ?

- So far.

I'll show you your room.

This way.

The Red Room.

You're going to be the first visitors

Hill House has had...

- since Mr Crain died.

- Really ?

These are beautiful.

I know. I've seen 'em.

It's a lot to dust.

I've never seen

this kind of beauty.

You must love working here.

I set dinner on

the dining room sideboard at six.

You can serve yourselves.

Breakfast is ready at nine.

I don't wait on people.

I don't stay after dinner,

not after it begins

to get dark.

I leave...

before dark comes.

We live in town--

nine miles--

so there won't be anyone around

if you need help.

We couldn't even hear you...

in the night.

Why would we ?

No one could.

No one lives

any nearer than town.

No one will come

any nearer than that...

in the night,

in the dark.

You'll be staying in the north wing.

Hi. Don't worry.

I'm not an obsessive packer.

It's just asking people to help me

schlepp this stuff is a cheap...

and exploitative way

of making new friends.

- Here. I'm Theo.

- Hi.

Eleanor,

but everyone calls me Nell.

Well, Everyone Calls Me Nell,

don't you love it here ?

I love it. Sort of Charles Foster Kane

meets the Munsters or something.

- I like your boots.

- You do ? Aren't they great ?

Prada. Milan, not New York.

But they're killing me.

Hey, small price to pay

for such savage kicks.

Wow. Oh, my God.

Oh, this is so twisted.

Seriously twisted.

I set dinner

on the dining room sideboard at six.

Breakfast is at nine.

I don't stay after dinner,

not after it begins to get dark.

I leave before dark comes,

so there won't be anyone here

if you need help.

- We couldn't even hear you.

- No one could.

No one lives

any nearer than town.

No one will come

any nearer than that.

In the night.

- In the dark.

- In the dark.

My bedroom's

right next door to yours.

I think we share

the same bathroom.

Oh, don't worry.

I probably won't be in here much.

- Light sleeper.

- That's why we're here.

- What do you do, Eleanor ?

- I'm between jobs right now.

The last person I was workin' for,

it ended. Over, so-- And you ?

Well, that depends.

I'm supposed

to be an artist,

but I've been distracted

from work by love.

- You know what I mean ?

- Mmm, not really.

Hey, don't tell me Boston's

different from New York.

Oh, you mean you have trouble

with commitment.

Well, my boyfriend thinks so,

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