Elias Koteas (ZODIAC), Martin Donovan (INSOMNIA), and Kyle Gallner have joined the cast of THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT.

THE HAUNTING stars Virginia Madsen as a mother who must confront the supernatural while caring for her son dying of cancer. And while this sounds like a Lifetime movie, distributor Lionsgate compared it to THE EXORCIST.

Man, I can think of about 5 reasons not to be interested in this film. They choose a title that sounds like a million other “haunting” movies. They use a plot device that has been used several times before and most likely will not be executed as well. They compare it to THE EXORCIST, which is begging for trouble. Lionsgate used to be the cat’s meow, but has since lost some of my interest with some bad DTV releases. And every time an A-lister (especially Oscar winners) makes a horror film, it stinks. It didn’t work well for expanding the careers of John Cusack (1408), Hilary Swank (REAPING), and Kate Beckinsale (VACANCY) who starred in unengaging PG-13 type fare, or for Halle Berry (GOTHIKA) who starred in an ‘R’ flick where she should have known better. Virginia Madsen must be hurting for attention or money, although I have a feeling she will say she “really likes the story.”

And here is her personal quote from IMDB (I’m not even making this up): “When you say No a lot as an actor, you’re going to go broke, and that’s been the hardest thing to go through in the last 10 years.”

Molly Celaschi