User reviews

For the rest of you, though, this mammoth 250 minutes horror miniseries, is well worth the time. Stephen King has probably created one of his best screenplay-to-screen only works (not based on a novel) in "Rose Red", a chore usually not too successful ("Sleepwalkers", anyone?). This haunted house tale, about a creepy enormous mansion in Seatle, and the intrepid psychics that go there for a "field trip", boasts amazing production design and sets, fine acting, especially by Nancy Travis as the determined Joyce Reardon and Matt Ross as Emery ("Go and warn someone who isn't broke!), and decent special effects (especially considering this is made for TV). Although not everything is always clear, and although the middle part tends to sag a little, this is a high quality mini-series which amazingly manages to sustain interest through four hours of haunted house shenanigans, one of the most overused themes in horror. It's length also allows it to dedicate the first hour to character development and story buildup, so that when the characters walk for the first time into "Rose Red", we are almost as anxious as they are. this wouldn't have worked in a two hour film.

Though most people did not appreciate this movie due to lack of insight, I still found it interesting and mentally exercising. I do agree that some of the down time should have been used to go into depth on the characters but it also makes me use my mind to fill in the blanks which could make the movie even more fun and eccentric. Stephen King knows how to tap into peoples minds. This movie didn't scare me or make me jump at the time I was watching it. It was a few days later when I actually started to think about it and analyze it that it struck a cord. It makes you think about the possibilities and consequences. Well all in all I liked this mini series and though I do think they could have done better, it was still mentally captivating.

Rose Red is a great TV series based on the fictional events that took place inside the house, where a group of psychics plan to awake the spirits.

For practically three hours its entertaining which most TV series and films fail to do, but its missing a plot which is the only problem. There's a really built up story and background to the house but what actually happens in the film go's nowhere... Personally there's too much about the house and too little about the characters, it basically fits into one sub-genre. Horror.

Definitely not movie material, but a good watch for those who enjoy other Stephen King films.

Stephen King has really out done himself this time. Rose Red kept me on the edge of my seat. It was a very exciting movie with lots of special effects. At times it was rather spooky. It's a movie that should be shown without interruptions. I wished I had recorded it to watch again later. I hope it comes out on DVD. I would love to own a copy.

Someone said this was "too long" and made the comment that longer books don't translate well to screen. However, if they knew anything about Rose Red, they would know that it was never a book. It was written directly for the screen by Stephen King. As I watched the film, I kept thinking how much it was like a novel come to life! Then I was watching the featurette "The Making of Rose Red" on the DVD and Stephen King as well as the director said that it was really just a novel that was played out on screen. It is so true! I am an avid fan of King's work, and this film was a real treat, because it was just like reading one of his books. It it not SUPPOSED to be your typical 90 minute work (as King says, he feels like that is similar to stealing all the towels in the hotel room and then quickly packing them into your bag and sitting on it to try to force them to stay in). It is much more character driven and rich, and takes much more attention than a regular film does. That is WHY it was a 3 part series!

If you are willing to put forth the effort--and I mean this as a COMPLIMENT to the film, for it really is like reading a novel--then you will love it. 10/10 from me!

This movie is based on the Winchester mystery House of the woman who lived there continually built on the house after her husband died I think she went insane after losing her husband &because she became a widow. His guns became something Legendary And since the movie is so loosely based off of it I decided to watch it once since I had visited the Winchester mystery House And actually got lost and it scared the hell out of me. This movie is more along the lines of a house that's like the Winchester except it's not evil my visit to the Winchester mystery House was very boring except for when I got lost and it scared the hell out of me I was lucky my tour guide found me huddled in a corner in the meditation room the only way out I found was through a panel in the closet This wasn't found out until after her death I think if her maids went into the room which they were not allowed and they were caught they would be fired immediately I think this is why this movie haunts me so elaborately.

Have been waiting to find on a streaming channel.

I think it's one of the best , Ghost, old mansion, horror shows.

Reading through, a l0ot of the hate is for Stephen King and not so much for the series itself. Mind, they are hati8ng on him for being a popular writer in the literary version of the hipster nothing mainstream ethos.

And while they are doing it, they are forgetting the same hatred for the same reasons were targeted at Poe, Lovecraft, Dumas, and Sabatini...so King is in pretty good company for the haters.

His problem is...he doesn't know how to end things. At least most of the time with King the pay off is the build up and that build up is really fun to read...or in this case watch.

But it ends like The Stand, with a solid "meh." And the plot is very Drive-in B-Horror movie, which is fun, because, you know, they aren't trying to do Shakespeare who was also a--gasp--pop writer in his day.

It's King, he does horror and some of it is EPIC, like The Shinning, The Stand, you know the names...

...but most of it is B-Movie fun and enjoyable on a whole different level.

Rose Red is a B-Movie from the haunted house vein and it works, it makes for an enjoyable show with an enjoyable cast.

The is until it tapers out in the last act, but it's long enough where that doesn't matter, we had the build-up and it was worth it.

Okay, when I first heard of this film I was quite skeptical. Although I had enjoyed other SK miniseries' I did not believe that anything could make the haunted house horror films good again. I, however, was totally wrong. This film is great, it had action and horror and the acting was surperb. Julian Sands was excellent as he always is and the others were good too. The only thing that I did not like was the little girl who "woke up" the house. I do not like child actors if only for the simple fact that very little of them can actually act, this girl was no exception. Other than that it was a great film.

^_^ Have Fun!! Amanda

Great movie!! As for the length, it was perfect for me...yeah, I know that sounds crazy to most of you...but I wish lots of movies were longer, with more of a story line and this one has it!!! I love movies with creepy old houses and ghosts! I give it a 10! So far, it's my favorite horror movie! The characters in the movie were very good! A bit of sarcasm and humor...fun parts, scary parts...!! I bought the DVD and watch it over again from time to time and it never gets boring to me! I can't compare the book to the movie, as I don't read Stephen King's books...I rather wait for the movies :-) !!! And like always, he plays a small part in the movie ;-) Stephen King gets a 10 also, such a wild imagination that doesn't let his fans down!!!

This movie was excellent! I always likes His books and movies. This one is about a haunted house. And a special group is invited by a crazy teacher. She wants the group to make an old house "Rose Red" to be alive again. The house is alive at the first second. Well how alive is it going to be and the end. See this movie ! Roses means remember !

If you like haunted house stories, this Stephen King tale is for you.

ROSE RED is a high quality horror tale from the master of the genre, his ability to spin a creepy tale never seeming to diminish.

The real star of the film is the mansion itself, as terrifyingly real as possible despite the use of miniatures for many of the shots, all of its corridors and rooms magnificently photographed and obviously sparing no expense for a TV film that was part of a mini-series.

The story tends to drag once in awhile but the horror is gripping enough to sustain interest throughout the lengthy tale. NANCY TRAVIS is excellent as the off-kilter psychology professor willing to undertake an experiment with other psychics at Rose Red, a haunted mansion known for devouring its occupants. MATT ROSS, as Emery, a spineless mama's boy who pays dearly for entering the premises, is another who stands out among the largely unfamiliar names in the cast.

Especially good are David DUKES as Professor Miller, MATT KEESLAR as Steve, JULIAN SANDS as Nick and LAURA KENNY, a screaming delight as the possessive Mrs. Waterman.

But again, it's the atmospheric house itself and the many special effects that have it reaching out to get its hooks on unlucky victims, both in and outside the mansion, that keeps the story spinning in a very compelling sort of way. The photography captures every menacing moment in the sometimes opulent interiors, as well as the rotting decay when the spirits of the undead make their presence known.

Very intense at certain moments, it may well have been even more effective if the opening scenes did not seem so padded before the events switch to the house itself. Once Rose Red is entered, the fun begins.

There are so many of King's books that didn't go over well as movies. And this one, which was never even a book, did really well. If you have a Friday night and a lot of popcorn to kill, this is a decent one to settle down with. A lot of the actors are unknown, but pull this off well. I like how it's not just a group of people going to spend the night in a haunted house and win money and fame shtick. (i.e. the new House on Haunted Hill) I also liked how all the people who went had a unique specialty in the paranormal/supernatural. Also, it has the regular blend of characters you love to hate, ones who are suspicious, and the adorable ones that you hope don't make the mistake of investigating unknown noises in the middle of the night alone.

Saw it when it first came out and always tried to catch when it returns. One of Stephen Kings best. Along with the Shining. one of my favorites. Solid story line and the special effects do not overwhelm the movie.

Tremendous screenplay and story but damaged by some poor casting (especially Nancy Travis as 'Joyce Reardon'). In Travis' case the character should be obsessed, not obviously acting as obsessed. As a leading character this failure took away a lot of the enjoyment of the mini-series. Great sets, photography and excellent special effects. Well worth watching, especially if you enjoy a very good Haunted House story and the cameo by King was most enjoyable.

It's bad enough making yourself finish a normal length movie that starts out bad, but when it is a 4 & 1/2 hr. miniseries, You just want to punch yourself stupid thinking of the EXTENDED amount of time you've wasted that you'll never get back.

I'll just say that I watched this movie by myself, in my house, with no lights on and after it was over, I turned off the TV, turned over and slept like a baby. That's how terrified I was of this pathetic attempt. The movie was beautiful, it just wasn't scary AT ALL. The whole idea of voices being heard is scary for like the first 10 seconds of hearing it, then it just becomes annoying when it is happening throughout the entire film. The sets were awesome but once again, not used to scare the crap out of people. The puppets of dead people were OK, but not scary. There were so many points where I was predicting the old bait and switch trick, where they open the fridge and close it and there's a dead person screaming at you (which scares the crap out of me every time) and they never took advantage of it. I was to the point of being pi$$ed off because I wasn't getting scared.

The only redeeming factor in this movie was the performance of Matt Ross. He seems to be the only one on set who really knew his character, Emery, and played it to the hilt with no indecision. Very unique and effective choices.

This is to Stephen King. If you are going to put your time into writing a movie that is supposed to be scary, why not take it the whole nine yards and actually get a director who knows how to put together a scary movie? Sam Raimi, Gore Verbinski, David Fincher even Wes Craven. You can always take a trip to Japan and get one of the bright new directors who are making ground-breaking horror flicks that we Americans are always taking advantage of by re-making all their previous works.

Rose Red is basically an uncredited remake of The Haunting, based on Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel, The Haunting of Hill House. The novel was first made into a film by Robert Wise in 1963. Jan de Bont did a much-loathed remake, which I prefer to the Wise film, in 1999. Novelist Stephen King, who wrote the script for Rose Red, has long said that Jackson's book is one of his favorites, and he's a fan of the Wise film. The Jackson book has greatly influenced his work. I don't recall ever hearing King's opinion of the de Bont remake, but I could imagine that he might not have cared for it very much.

Thus, it was only natural that when Steven Spielberg contacted King about doing a haunted house film shortly after the release of the de Bont remake, King thought it would be a great opportunity to give the world an updated filmic version of The Haunting of Hill House, but done "right". Probably because of the negative public reaction to the de Bont film, and the temporal proximity (and possibly because of rights/licensing issues), it was decided to do something "original" instead of marketing another remake. But make no mistake, there are far too many similarities in the story, the structure and the visuals for this to not be a Haunting remake. Enough was changed that no one could be sued for copyright infringement, of course, and in making the changes and lengthening the film to a mini-series, King and director Craig R. Baxley have topped both previous versions of The Haunting. Rose Red is very nearly a 10. Only a couple slight missteps bring the score down to a 9.

Rather than Hill House, the name of the home is Rose Red. And rather than being in the countryside in New England, King has moved it to a hilltop in Seattle, Washington. This was a great idea, in that it gives the home an eerier feeling because of its incongruity with its surroundings, and it emphasizes the fact that the home is in its own world, with an ability to keep visitors captive, regardless of how close civilization may seem.

Dr. John Montague/Dr. John Markway/Dr. David Morrow has been changed to Dr. Joyce Reardon (Nancy Travis). The gender is different, but the aim is the same--to research the big, supposedly haunted house on the hill using the aid of some psychically inclined folks. Eleanor Vance/Eleanor Lance has been changed to Annie Wheaton (Kimberly J. Brown), now a teen, but just as "key" to bringing the house alive. Luke Sanderson has been changed to Steve Rimbauer (Matt Keeslar). He's similarly the heir looking to make some quick cash. King also gives his "hill house" a similar history, with a more typical turn-of-the-century source of fortune for John Rimbauer, who takes the place of Hugh Crain, and King lets Rimbauer's bride, Ellen, live much longer than Crain's. This all serves the story remarkably well--it gives a lot more depth to the home, and gives a good 50 years or so before the home was finally abandoned, after countless tragedies. Increasing Rose Red's active history also enabled strengthening the parallels to Sarah Winchester's "Mystery House", which had been alluded to in previous instantiations of The Haunting.

Similarly, increasing the running time of the film enabled King to go into great depth with characterization, exposition and backstory. Early material establishing Joyce as something of a quack at her university works extremely well and sets up a great subplot with a warring department head, Professor Carl Miller (David Dukes), and a student flunky, Kevin Bollinger (Jimmi Simpson). Annie works 100% better as a character than Eleanor, and King gives us a psychological intensity in her familial situation that easily trumps Eleanor. The increased running time also enables a large cast of characters for Rose Red to play with--that was always one of the problems with the other films. There just weren't enough people around to work with or make the experimental situation believable. The larger cast enables a typical King Ten Little Indians-styled gradual character knock-off, which for me helps the story work better as horror. It's notable that the deaths and the appearance of otherworldly antagonists in Rose Red are more graphic and brutal than the other versions of The Haunting, despite the fact that Rose Red was made to initially air on ABC television in the U.S. King and Baxley do a great job of pacing the build-up to violent chaos over the film's 4-hour running time.

Although de Bont's film is well known and deservedly respected at least for its eye-popping, opulent sets, Baxley also trumps that aspect conceptually. Rose Red isn't nearly as grandiose, baroque or decorative as de Bont's Hill House, but it's even more bizarre and surreal, and Baxley better keeps it in the realm of spookiness.

Also far better than any other version of The Haunting, King and Baxley expertly develop complex subtexts and motivations for characters. These are too numerous to mention here, but the most interesting and important one may be Joyce's gradual transformation from lovable kook to manipulative, obsessive maniac. There are increasing suggestions in later scenes that Joyce may be possessed by some spirit, but smartly, Baxley and King keep this ambiguous--it's just as believable that her own monstrous side is finally emerging.

Unfortunately for all of its brilliance there are a couple minor flaws with Rose Red. There is a muddled section during the crew's first night in the home, when some members go wandering around and unintentionally shed their mortal coils. There are also a couple later sections with characters wandering around the house in a panic that are just a bit too stretched out--it can begin to feel more like padding to meet running time requirements than plot necessity. However, these flaws are minor, especially given the breadth of the film. Rose Red is a must-see for any haunted house film fan.

As far as haunted house movies go, I thought it wasn't bad. Not too corny (except for the ghosty 'creepshow' representations of grandma). I even got home in time to watch all three episodes.

Lots of psychic phenomenon, (fire starter kind of stuff) would have liked certain people to have died (Emery!)...

Looks like they left it open for a sequel!