User Reviews

I wanted to like this movie. I really, really did. I was so excited when I saw the preview, which scared the hell out of me. But when I saw the actual film, I was disappointed. The acting is stilted, and the attempts at comedy are woefully out of place and forced. And I'm sorry, but a boy being chased by a turd in a bedpan is not funny or scary, it's just stupid. I grew up on the Bell Witch legend, so I know quite a bit about it. A lot of facts in the movie are right on target, but this film should have been much better. The entire birthday party scene, for example, lasts about fifteen minutes, adds nothing to the plot or the story, and should have been left on the cutting room floor. A more heavy-handed editor might have been able to get a decent film out of this mess.

Please understand, I'm not in any way, shape or form involved with the other Bell Witch movie, and I'm not trying to "attack" this IMDb listing. I'm just telling it like it is.

This movie is supposed to be based on actual events that took place in the early 1800's. I know nothing about the case or how accurately the movie follows the records, but based on how it looks and sounds, I would say that this is not one of the more authentic depictions of colonial America.

The story is about a family who gets tormented by a "spirit." The ghost bothers them by making noises, moving things around, and eventually hurting the family physically. The spirit tells people straight out that it intends to kill a member of the family, and it eventually does. Except that we never learn why. It also prevents a young girl from marrying a boy that it disapproves of.

The spirit is represented by a girlish voice that speaks with a much-too-contemporary vernacular. The tone of the movie is broken several times with some slapstick humor that fits in about as well as a talking pig would in a Rambo movie. The movie is overlong, and the acting is amateurish by everyone involved. The sound editing is especially distracting. I thought that for the most part, the low-tech approach worked better for this story than a big budget ever could. However, this is not one of those movies, like Blair Witch or Paranormal Activity, that are so well done they overcome their limitations. Four out of ten.

I am not understanding why people are praising this movie. I didn't like it at all. I watch it with several people. None of them cared for it either. First of all. It is just plain that another low budget studio is trying to cash in on a big name story. The actual filming looks like a live TV interview. The makeup is bad. When you watch the movie along with the DVD extras. You will see there is a lot of enthusiasm from the people who participated in it. There is no talent. There are facts that do appear in the book. The facts are distorted by the invention of comedy and skits added to it. I have read several books and have watched several shows on this story. What I have always caught from all the material on this is that it was a serious horror story. I really wish someone could really do a good film on this one. It has always fascinated me. The bad acting really ruined the story. The little boys situation really hammed it up even more. When you watch this movie. The little boy and his problem is the thing you and your friends will remember and laugh about. It didn't make any sense why his brothers were laughing at what had happened to him. It was like the witch was supposed to be so threatening but it was OK to throw baby brother to her. It is a whopping tale with him and his little problem. I can't still get over the little girl saying "Mom said tobacco will rot your teeth." Frank Fox's statement and facial expression is so bad. The scene out in the yard with him getting food is pretty stupid to. The sound from parts of it seems to be from the movie psycho. Also, The girl hovering over the bed and her little "Bladder control problem" are from The Exorcist. This movie is lacking from the talent of creativity. We put the movie in for a couple of minutes and knew right away it was a bummer. I also noticed that their was defects in the film quality. Parts of it looked like what a person might film on a Home video camera. I noticed a lot of the people in the credits had many multiple jobs. This is probably how this movie was put together. Someone said I like this story. I will get all my friends and make a movie about with a video camera and a computer. Doesn't matter if we don't know how to act. As long as we get it on film and say it is good. We got the family together and prepared food. Then sat down and watched this failed attempt to make a movie.

If anyone tells you this picture is just terrific they probably have something to do with either making it or profiting from it. This film is a real loser and it copies situations from big budget horror movies and not to mention soundtracks to. I wouldn't recommend this one to my worst enemy. It is a low budget movie with amateur actors. It looks like it was filmed for a film contest. The acting is terrible and it wouldn't surprise me if the script was written by a Hee Haw script writer. My family laughed at it. A Grade ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ all the way. You won't be scared by this one. Here is one little taste of the terrible elements of this film. When the guy gets his toe stomped by Ric White's stupid portrayal of the Reverend James Johnston walking cane. The guys reactions are like if he had an amputation with no pain killer. Watch the DVD extras after you watch the movie. When you see Ric White and others talk so seriously about the movie you will laugh till your stomach hurts. How people will stretch the truth and what they will do to earn a dishonest buck. Don't get fooled like we did and buy this failure.

My husband picked up this copy by mistake. We had been hearing about the production Bell Witch: The Movie 2004 directed by Shane Marr starring Betsy Palmer who played Jason Voorhees mother in Friday the 13th and who has a good background in films. He came home and gave it to me. When I looked at it I knew it wasn't the right one because of the credits. Well, being a fan of the Bell Witch legend I watched it anyway. It was terrible. I wouldn't tell anyone to watch it. I looked on the listing Bell Witch: The Movie 2004 comments on Internet Movie Data Base Directed by Shane Marr to see if anyone had left any info on that film. When I got there I saw no comments. I seen several messages on the message board. To tell you how terrible this movie is. The people who are proclaiming it's greatness on this listing Bell Witch Haunting 2004 are promoting it on the other movie site the version directed by Shane Marr. And leaving phone numbers to sell it. Look at the message board and it's contents see for yourself. My opinion is this movie doesn't have a leg to stand on. I haven't been able to find the Shane Marr copy to see it. I hope it is better than this one.

I saw this movie with my girlfriend. It was a total disaster. You can really see it was cheaply made. Badly scripted and with very bad acting. I have read several versions of the book by different authors and also listened to one version on audio book. We couldn't take the movie seriously because of the lacking elements it should have contained. The experience of watching this was like The Blair Witch visits Green Acres. Then there were parts that were vulgar. They show this little boy using a bed pan and they actually show the contents of it. The witch throws the contents of it on the boy and the whole family laughs. I thought it was nasty and very strange. I really can't understand why someone would think that would be entertaining. It shows another scene where Dr. Mize arrives and Betsy Bell is urinating in her dress on the steps of their house in front of her mother and brothers. Instead of the mother leading her off it is the brother. How sick? The little boy in the first scene of the many scenes dealing with how your body disposes of wastes begs for toilet paper and goes to the out house and makes these sickening faces of joy with sound effects. I think they should have left all of that out. The makeup on the Reverend James Johnston as a older man didn't really make you assume he was older. It made you think he was dipped in fish batter. The blood on Joshua Gardner when he falls from the ladder is even worse. The John Bell death scene looks like they got out flour and tried to do something with it to make him look as a serious sick man. To me to much sickening comedy with bathroom problems and inexperienced people involved was the downfall of this picture. These people would do better if they film commercials for local TV Stations for bathroom products. They chose a good subject and were unable to produce it in a correct manner. I rate this film Capital F minus.

I walked into a book store in Brentwood, Tennessee. I am not going to say the name because I am a dedicated customer. I have been satisfied with every item I purchased there before this one. On display in the front of the store was The Bell Witch Haunting. (Might I mention this is the only store I have seen it for sale in.) I had heard about the story somewhere and remembered it was supposed to have really happened for real. I was very excited and couldn't wait to watch it. I had great expectations for it. I couldn't believe what I seen when I viewed it. It didn't look like a real movie. It looked like a home video. I was under the impression it was suppose to be a horror movie. I mean the movie was suppose to be about a witch haunting you know. This is no horror movie. You will not jump out of your seat watching this movie. I gave the movie all the chances in the world to get better as it went along. I swear I did. It never did get any better. There were several scenes of this little kid getting poop and pee thrown on him. I didn't find that entertaining at all. I watched the whole movie with disbelief that the store would actually sell this to me. I guess that is how bad this economy has got. I have this to say to the cast and crew. Do not show this film as material to get other film jobs. Don't do it. I mean that sincerely. I commend you for trying. For people who have bought this. I say this. Don't sell your copy to someone. They could get very upset. Have a nice day everyone.

Not growing up in Tennessee, I feel I was more fit to review this movie on its own merits as opposed to the local legend that has been embraced by most of the Middle Tennessee community. I had little to no knowledge of this story until the movie came out.

The story itself is fascinating. The Bell Witch appeared out of nowhere. It then attaches itself to a family for several years, making them grimace in horror for years to come. The only peace they would find would be in death. The poltergeist tale of the 1800's does not have a happy ending. The truth of the story has been validated by both scholars and camp fire tales. The movie would embrace both of these things.

The movie was surprisingly better than I anticipated. It had many of the major pitfalls to over come right from the start. A period piece, with several child actors, working on a low budget...these things were set aside to make a wonderful debut film from director Ric White. The story follows reporters looking for confirmation of the book written by John Bell's son.

They come across an old hermit named James Johnston (played by director Ric White) His performance is subtle, you can see a built in madness much different from the younger Johnston you will meet in the flashbacks. White seemed to know how to play a man before and after he had seen things to change his outlook on life.

The story is told mostly in retrospect from this point on. We meet John Bell (played by Doug Moore) whose performance is straight on. A God fearing man who lets the haunting persist until he fears harm may come to his family. There is a beautiful shot of open Tennessee fields to start this picture off, at this point I knew we weren't going to be dealing with a low-fi ghost story. You are given your first hint at the haunting when a shot hits but doesn't bring down the ghost of a large animal.

As the story unfolds James Johnston and several associates come to the aid of the Bell family with little help for their well being. The ghost attacks on physical and mental tirades. It appears only briefly and the movie never lets you see enough of the ghost to get a good feeling what it is. They leave that to your imagination.

The Bell Witch haunting takes another route not usually associated with low budget horror movie making. It is surprisingly clean. The blood and gore is kept to a minimum, and the profanity is non existent. It refuses to hide behind the same old marketing tool of the sexy hack and slash ghost story. It holds your interest through storytelling, always wondering what's next gets you through the two hours.

The witch is confusing and irritable, such as the legend proclaims. You can't be sure of who it was and what brought it to the Bell family. The movie embraces this and leaves you with no explanation of its menacing hauntings. They also end the witches story with the Bell family, and leave the rest of the stories to be told with marshmallows and hot dogs.

All in all the film is a must see for fans of the local legend. It has many great merits and few pitfalls along the way. The story of the Haunting has survived almost 200 years, and this film is just another chapter in a long complex legend that gets better with age.

I saw the new movie "The Bell Witch Haunting," which I can best describe as being a carefully researched, enlightening, and entertaining rendition of the legend. Moreover, I came away with a greater understanding and appreciation of the legend. The only other production that left me feeling that way was "The Bell Witch Story," a play that was directed and produced by the team of Ric White and Linda Thornton, the same people who have now brought "The Bell Witch Haunting" to the "big screen." Was this a mere coincidence? I don't think so. They "grew up" on the Bell Witch and have researched the legend extensively. Now, add the fact that they are accomplished actors and directors. This is precisely the "history meets drama" concept that I have been writing about for years, where a good Bell Witch movie comes about when historians and movie people pool their abilities and work together - WHAT A CONCEPT!.

"The Bell Witch Haunting" relates many of the original Ingram stories, as well as a few first-time accounts that are most likely rooted in the writer's perception of what might have happened but was not related in early accounts – which is fine. The Ingram stories are portrayed as they were originally told, with dimension occasionally being added for color and depth, but not changed or embellished in any way. The stories added by the writer are seamlessly interwoven with the original story, which makes for an enhanced and more entertaining account. Writing in such a manner that the audience is presented with a cohesive, hybrid account of the legend, is a work of art – in my opinion.

No actor stood out as being better – or worse – than the others. All did an excellent job, and I applaud them relentlessly. Scenes, such as the look on James Johnston's face when he first encountered the "Spirit," and the agony experienced by John Bell as he lay on his deathbed, give the legend a dimension that no printed work - bar none - can effectively convey. Sure, we can spend pages upon pages describing the fear and agony experienced by the characters, but a single portrayal by good actors paints a more vivid picture than written works that employ "a thousand words to paint a picture" of the agony.

The scene where Betsy Bell tried to greet visitors while in a trance was downright frightening. The pale and downtrodden look on her face -- in many scenes, actually -- serves as a vivid reminder of the abuse she endured at the hands of "Kate." I was equally impressed by the way in which the "tree lady" was alluded to in multiple scenes. It is one of the most frightening parts of the legend, and deserves more than just one scene. Job well done.

I was particularly impressed with the careful attention paid to the chronology of events, something that few published works have done. It was nice to be able to watch the events unfold in the right order; and, the carefully planned transitions made for a pleasant and sometimes comical experience.

Historical accuracy was seamlessly embedded into the movie. A case in point is the scene depicting Betsy Bell's outdoor birthday party, where you can see breath vapor as people speak, if you look closely. How does this relate to historical accuracy? Betsy's real birthday is in January, the coldest month of the year. "But why would anyone be so crazy as to have an outdoor party in January?" you might ask. The answer is, "the original legend says they did." But why? Ask Ingram, not the movie director - he is only trying to keep the movie accurate per the original legend.

Another example of historical accuracy is the characters themselves. In terms of age and physical appearance, they closely resemble the people being portrayed, as per historical descriptions. I was also impressed by the candlelit scenes, which help the viewer understand the household environment back in the day of John Bell.

Interweaving historical accuracy in such a manner allows the ghost story to flow freely while giving the audience a history lesson in the process.

I was pleasantly surprised by the set and camera work, and especially the director's choice not to go overboard with special effects. The movie was filmed in middle Tennessee, not too far from where the legend took place. The only downside, which lasted only a few seconds, was the lighting in one of the outdoor scenes. It was too bright, but did not materially detract from the movie. The choice of land gives the viewer what I feel is a good picture of what the actual Bell farm might have looked like. The house on the set is not made of logs, but resembles the real one, per historical descriptions, in every other regard.

The music served its purpose well; however, if had been mixing it, I would have incorporated some spooky, wind-like sounds - or something along those lines - into the transitions between scenes. But notwithstanding, the transitions and music are fine like they are.

Whether you are a Bell Witch expert, novice, or armchair historian, I think you will enjoy and learn from "The Bell Witch Haunting." I highly recommend that you go see it and get the DVD as well – you will probably want to watch it again and again.

Thank you, Ric and Linda, for a wonderful movie!

• Pat Fitzhugh, Author / Historian The Bell Witch Web Site

I have always loved ghost stories and have been fascinated with the Bell Witch for a long time, having read one of the books as a teenager. It is impossible to find a more amazing true ghost story. When I saw the great review in Haunted Times magazine, I was very excited to order the movie. I was not disappointed. You could tell immediately this was not a Hollywood film. The picture looks a little grainy in places and it seems a little dark in others. But this works for the film, because it gives it more of a realistic look in the dark candle scenes and makes it creepier. This, with some of the camera shots, makes it feel more at times like a documentary. It feels real, like you are watching a part of these peoples lives, and that drew me in. I thought for the most part the acting was very well done and the costumes and locations looked authentic. After watching the film, it rekindled my interest, so I checked out a book on the Bell Witch from the library. I was surprised how close the movie was to the original story. I especially liked the way they showed the different personalities of the spirit, showing it's kindness for Lucy, it's enjoyment for church, and it's sense of humor that is discussed so much it the book. If Hollywood had made this film, they would have made the ghost one note (just scary) and you would not have had such in-depth and realistic view of the haunting. But there is plenty of scary parts too! It is an amazing story and would be of great interest to anyone who enjoys the paranormal. The "Behind the Scenes" was very fascinating as well. This is as true and real as it gets!