Nothing haunting here

The most frightening thing about "An American Haunting" is that it was written and produced by Courtney Solomon, the same man who directed "Dungeons & Dragons" in 2000. There is a vacuous six- year gap punctuating Solomon's career résumé between his first movie and this one -- meaning no big projects to cut his teeth on and no opportunity to hone his craft. Though "An American Haunting" wasn't the genre-crippling embarrassment that his last flick was, it may well ensure another six years of directorial idleness for Solomon.\nThere is a magical rapport that can exist between actor and director, one that brings out the best in even subpar entertainers. Conversely, there are movies like this one. Donald Sutherland and Sissy Spacek receive poor direction, and the result is cardboard at best. The same thing happened under Solomon's watch in "Dungeons & Dragons" when Jeremy Irons stepped into frame and proceeded to ham it up like a high school drama instructor. When it comes to acting like that, you can't hate the playa, you gotta hate the game.\nThe plot centers on the Bell family. Its patriarch, John Bell (Sutherland), angers the local witch, who unleashes a slap-happy, hair-pulling, blanket-wielding spirit on him and his daughter. As the movie unfolds, it turns out that the witch might not be at fault. Maybe John Bell cursed himself or maybe he molested his daughter and her own ghostly self is attacking her still-living body as a result. This feeble storyline just barely manages to unfold between the dream sequences, horrendous editing and a disappointing surprise ending. \nThe movie claims to be inspired by substantiated, true events, which is a Hollywood way of saying that the film is based on a fictional novel, The Bell Witch: An American Haunting by Brent Monahan. True, there is a dubious legend of the Bell Witch, on which both the movie and 1995 book are based. However, Solomon's telling leaves out the folkloric antics about the spirit-rescuing children, engaging in theology lectures and cracking walnuts for an ailing wife in favor of supernatural angst with a 19th century backdrop. \nAs a horror movie, "An American Haunting" is passable. The film won't leave you psychologically traumatized, but you might jump in your seat if you are frightened by sudden movement and loud noises -- really loud noises. In fact, its scares are charted in decibel levels. Though mediocre, the movie avoids the damning hallmark of Uwe Boll cinematography and manages to stay a step ahead of many recent horror remakes. Still, not being unwatchable doesn't necessarily make "An American Haunting" worth the price of admission.