‘The Haunting of Julia’ 4K Review: Mia Farrow’s Horror Comes ‘Full Circle’
Anthony Arrigo
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For an actor, being typecast must be both a curse and a blessing. On the one hand, work is never guaranteed in this business—regardless of past successes—and if producers are willing to pay you for doing the same kind of role over and over… well, that isn’t the worst way to make a living. Conversely, getting put into that pigeonhole means the odds of showcasing any sort of range or alternate abilities are fleeting.
After Rosemary’s Baby turned into a phenomenon for Paramount, actress Mia Farrow wasn’t interested in replicating her work in similar films, turning down most offers. But then, as luck would have it, producer Peter Fetterman, who must possess some amazing charm, found Farrow performing in a London play, approached her backstage, and got her to agree to star in Full Circle (1977), later retitled The Haunting of Julia. Based on the novel, Julia, by Peter Straub, the story has elements within the same wheelhouse as Rosemary’s Baby but this time around Farrow isn’t with child. Instead, she’s already had it, and then she loses her daughter under distressing circumstances. Director Richard Loncraine guides her character through a grief-stricken process whereby she uncovers a link to the other side and a malevolent spirit that lives between worlds.
Farrow stars as the titular Julia, a housewife and mother, married to Magnus (Keir Dullea), a stiff, distant businessman. One morning their daughter, Kate (Sophie Ward), begins to choke on her breakfast, and despite Magnus calling the nearby paramedics her life is slipping away. Panicked, Julia performs a tracheotomy… and her daughter dies. After spending a few days in a local hospital for her grief, Julia is discharged and immediately she finds a new residence and separates from Magnus. But her new home isn’t entirely empty; there is a presence she feels and thinks she sees.
Visions of Kate haunt her daily life. And Magnus, working with his sister, Lily (Jill Bennett), tries not only gaslighting Julia but suggesting she see a doctor of his choosing so he can have her drugged and docile. Julia refuses, but she does agree to let Lilly hold a gathering of friends at her new home. The gathering turns out to be for a séance and when the medium, Mrs. Flood (Anna Wing), sees something that frightens her half to death, Julia is more determined than ever to find out the mystery behind these apparitions.
The quality of work across the board here is evident, with only the screenplay coming up a bit short. The tale isn’t exactly novel, and there are story points that cry out for additional context. For example, a character is said to have had a “power” over others, able to impose her will on them, but we don’t learn anything more past that admission. Nuances such as that could have tightened up the tale. But the direction and cinematography are outstanding, no question. Director of Photography Peter Hanna not only perfectly captures the dreary, foggy atmosphere of London but he imbues the entire film with a gauze-y, dreamlike aesthetic that is positively hypnotic. Shots are thoughtfully composed and tension is appreciably built without relying on weak jump scares or tricks.
Loncraine’s direction is assured, taking us through Julia’s pain and never allowing it to fall to the wayside even when she seems to be tasked with solving a similar child’s fate. Farrow is no doe-eyed housewife either, acting with purpose and resolve, never allowing anyone to get in her way. I admire her fierce independence.
Another highlight for film score aficionados is Colin Towns’ soundtrack. Most tracks are led by serene, soft piano motifs but then the keyboards kick in and we’re suddenly on a psychedelic ride. Strangely enough, Towns wrote the entire score based solely upon the screenplay, before the film was ever made. His cues fit in so well you’d never know, though.
The title card on this new 4K release bears the original name, Full Circle. Despite being completed and screened in 1977 it only played in Europe and didn’t make it to American shores until four years later, when it was retitled The Haunting of Julia. Given Farrow’s leading role, and the fact Full Circle doesn’t suggest anything horror-related, the change makes sense even if it sounds fairly stock.
Scream Factory presents The Haunting of Julia in 4K Ultra HD, making its stateside disc debut here with a gorgeous 2.35:1 2160p image. The disc is equipped with Dolby Vision and is HDR10 compatible. I can find no fault with this picture, which seems to perfectly replicate the original soft, dreamy look of the film. Scream Factory went back to the original camera negative for this release and it has allowed them to wring every last bit of detail and depth from the image. Nighttime scenes look fantastic, with rich, stable black levels and strong shadow delineation. The color palette is earthen and drab, but the hues appear natural and nicely saturated.
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo track is perfectly fine, although there are some sibilance issues especially whenever someone says a word ending in “s”. That aside, the real treat is hearing Towns’ score in such clarity. Subtitles are available in English SDH.
The 4K contains one extra: an audio commentary with The Haunting of Julia director Richard Loncraine and film historian/author Simon Fitzjohn.
The audio commentary is also included on the Blu-ray disc. It also includes a handful of featurettes. “Park Life – Simon Fitzjohn Revisits the Locations of Full Circle: The Haunting of Julia” (HD, 15:32) shows the film’s locations as they appear today. “Coming Full Circle – Tom Conti Recalls His Humble Horror Beginnings” (HD, 11:00) is an interview with the actor who plays Julia’s friend, Mark. “The Fear of Growing Up – Samantha Gates on Her Childhood Chills” (HD, 10:24) is an interview with the actress who plays the mysterious Olivia. “A Haunting Retrospective – Critic Kim Newman on an Underrated Ghost Story” (HD, 24:47) is a fine, informative piece detailing the film’s history and release.
Special Features:
DISC ONE (4K UHD):
- NEW 4K Restoration By Scream Factory From The Original Camera Negative
- In Dolby Vision
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
- NEW Audio Commentary By Director Richard Loncraine And Film Historian Simon Fitzjohn
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):
- NEW 4K Restoration By Scream Factory From The Original Camera Negative
- Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
- NEW Audio Commentary By Director Richard Loncraine And Film Historian Simon Fitzjohn
- NEW Introduction To The Film By Director Richard Loncraine
- NEW Park Life – Simon Fitzjohn Revisits The Locations From The Film
- NEW Coming Full Circle – An Interview With Actor Tom Conti
- NEW The Fear Of Growing Up – An Interview With Actress Samantha Gates
- NEW A Haunting Retrospective – Film Critic/Author Kim Newman Looks At This Underrated Ghost Story
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The Haunting of Julia
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Special Features
Summary
Dripping with atmosphere and anchored by a solid leading performance from Farrow, this is the kind of little-seen horror gem fans of the genre should be eager to see. Scream Factory goes all-out for its disc debut, with an incredible 4K transfer and a good collection of extras.
