The Haunting in Connecticut

On March 27, 2009 the movie, The Haunting in Connecticut will open in theaters.

According to the official website, the movie is based on a true story:

Based on a chilling true story, Lionsgate's THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT charts one family's terrifying, real-life encounter with the dark forces of the supernatural. When the Campbell family moves to upstate Connecticut, they soon learn that their charming Victorian home has a disturbing history: not only was the house a transformed funeral parlor where inconceivable acts occurred, but the owner's clairvoyant son Jonah served as a demonic messenger, providing a gateway for spiritual entities to crossover.

In 1987, a particularly nightmarish haunting occurred in Southington, Connecticut, to a family that had just moved in to a long empty house on Meriden Avenue.

Soon after settling in, the family discovered a small graveyard in back, an embalming chamber in the basement, and drawers full of creepy corpse photographs: their new house had previously been a Funeral Home dating back to the 1920s.

Almost immediately, the family began to experience paranormal activity – strange sounds, changes in temperature, and the appearance of mysterious figures

As the family's lives and sanity were pushed to the edge, the mother contacted Ed and Lorraine Warren for help. Famous demonologists and paranormal investigators, the Warren's had investigated the famed Amityville Horror case, and were the founders of the New England Society for Psychic Research.


I have posted the Trailer and links to information about the story at the Worldview blog


Here is a link to another thread posted on ATS. In the thread there is a link to a documentry about the stroy:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I don't think that movie is based completely on the real haunting.

This happen with another movie if you can recall the Amityville Horror. The family that actually lived in the house was kind of upset that only about 3 scenes was based on fact and the rest of the movie was made up.

This could be the case with The Haunting in Connecticut. However, I could be wrong, but just a guess.

reply to post by Rocketgirl


Very good point and I will keep looking for information about the real story. Thanks for adding your comments.

Actually this new movie is based on the true story (it says it on the preview), which was a 2002 TV movie as listed here... www.imdb.com...

I believe there was a different documentary on this story besides the TV movie, but it was under a different name which eludes me at the moment.





[edit on 21-3-2009 by TwiTcHomatic]

reply to post by TwiTcHomatic


The same thing was said about Amityville Horror until the real family came out and exposed the truth.

Originally posted by tsrk30
Very good point and I will keep looking for information about the real story. Thanks for adding your comments.

You're quite welcome. When I first saw this thread I quickly remember the situation with Amityville Horror and was wondering if the same thing was happening again.

reply to post by Rocketgirl



Yes, I know about that one.

I am trying to find the title of the other docu I was talking about.. because in that one, it was either the father or an uncle who said they had been approached to make a movie about the story.

I'm from the area, and there was actually an article in the local paper about this a few days ago. There was a book written about the whole thing as well, where the people who lived there claimed the book was inaccurate and exaggerated, or taken out of context, so the movie will probably be some of the same. The original family moved out, and the current family that lives in the house have never reported anything out of the ordinary. If anyone wants I can try to find the article and post it on here...

Where they actually got this story from, If you guys are a vivid fan of the cable series "A haunting" I believe on the discovery channel. Anyways it was one of their plot episode, and I guess Hollywood was able to get a hold of it and make a script then a movie about it. The series A haunting is pretty awesome though, they do re-enactments of people who come to them about haunting and what not. Many of the stories revolve them bringing in paranormal investigators and psychic mediums, to do investigations. The show plays out sort of like the show "unsolved mysteries" if you guys remember that show, it's purely based off re-enactments of the event and interviews. Unlike other ghost shows, that basically have paranormal investigators come in and walk around the place and go wooo haaa i heard this or I feel this presences, Cough Cough T.A.P.S. Below is a wiki link about the show. I have yet to see the movie, maybe I will catch it on DVD.

en.wikipedia.org...

What also was interesting was that they brought in Ed and Lorraine Warren. They are a moms and pops operation who specialize in demonology and clairvoyance. They actually pretty famous for the work they done, check them out when you got time.

The only information I could find about this haunting is the past owners who claimed that the haunting/possession occured are:

Al and Carmen Snedeker the house is located on 208 Meriden Ave., Southington, CT

There are certainly similarities to the Amityville haunting.

1. Possession

2. the Warrens validated the haunting

3. Snedeker's moved out

4. Book was written

5. Movie produced

6. Money made

7. Controversey

8. New owners claim NO paranormal activity

Hmmmm....

Didn't Garton, the author of A Dark Place, actually say the book is a nonsense? He's on record as to saying it's all pretty much fiction as communication pretty much broke down with family as individual family members' stories were inconsistent - read into that as you will - and the 'demonologists' involved suggested he basically 'make it up'.

It seems the family's story is a dark one, but not necessarily the one on screen. or on page. The molestation of the daughters appears more down to the junkie son rather than spirits.

I read somewhere that Lorraine Warren wasn't happy with the hollywood production of what happened. That they didn't get it right. Same with Amnityville. The Warrens investigated that, declared it a true haunting, and hollywood screwed up what really happened.

Can't verify this .... I don't remember where I read it.

(Oh .. I met the Warrens in Connecticut ~ 20 years ago. They gave a talk about their investigations. Very interesting)

OK, folks, heres what realy happened. How do I know? I lived next door to that old house which was one of the very first funeral parlors in Southington Ct. Before the Warrens got ivolved many of the previous tennents left the house because of terrible smells and loud noises with no explanations. The problems had been there for nearly 30 years before the Snedekers moved into the lower half of the house. At that time there was two other two room apartments in the upper floor but no one lived in them for nearly a year. The incident did happen but the sensationalisation of the actual events are blown up in typical hollywood fasion. The family was definatly traumatized and there where actual injuries. The cops where there at least a half dozen times because neighbors had heard blood curdling screams comming from the house late at night. On at least two of these occasions I witnessed that no one was home or anywhere near the house at the time. Before Mr. Warrens death I got to talk to him and he remembered me. We reminised for nearly an hour about the events and he was very candid about it. The Catholic Church washed their hands of the problem and the Warrens ended up having to walk away because of the problems the family was dealing with. They thought it best to not keep putting presure or futher investigation for the good of the family. That's my story and I'm sticken' with it. From the trailer I've seen some of the events I've heard about look to be fairly well done!

Zindo

If you can find the original Warren account of this, its worth the read. Its a real timeaccount of what happened. It might be out of print but since the movie it might be available again!

[edit on 3/23/2009 by ZindoDoone]

Originally posted by ZindoDoone
OK, folks, heres what realy happened. How do I know? I lived next door to that old house which was one of the very first funeral parlors in Southington Ct. Before the Warrens got ivolved many of the previous tennents left the house because of terrible smells and loud noises with no explanations. The problems had been there for nearly 30 years before the Snedekers moved into the lower half of the house. At that time there was two other two room apartments in the upper floor but no one lived in them for nearly a year. The incident did happen but the sensationalisation of the actual events are blown up in typical hollywood fasion. The family was definatly traumatized and there where actual injuries. The cops where there at least a half dozen times because neighbors had heard blood curdling screams comming from the house late at night. On at least two of these occasions I witnessed that no one was home or anywhere near the house at the time. Before Mr. Warrens death I got to talk to him and he remembered me. We reminised for nearly an hour about the events and he was very candid about it. The Catholic Church washed their hands of the problem and the Warrens ended up having to walk away because of the problems the family was dealing with. They thought it best to not keep putting presure or futher investigation for the good of the family. That's my story and I'm sticken' with it. From the trailer I've seen some of the events I've heard about look to be fairly well done!

Zindo

If you can find the original Warren account of this, its worth the read. Its a real timeaccount of what happened. It might be out of print but since the movie it might be available again!

[edit on 3/23/2009 by ZindoDoone]

Wow, that's pretty awesome. My question to you is, what do you think really happen in that house? Over exaggerated Hollywood hype? or was there something really strange going on in that house, you mention you actually heard screams when no one was home at the time yourself? does anyone live in the home now? do you still live next door to them?

This movie is based upon Ray Gorton's book "In a Dark Place". Read here what he really thinks of the family and of the Warrens:

groups.google.com...

And a little bit more of his side of the story here (about half way down the page):

www.horrorbound.com...


Basically the family couldn't keep their stories straight and he believes the Warrens are frauds.

The Discovery Channel's production of "A Haunting in Connecticut" was pretty well made though. Makes for good late night fright I suppose. Too bad it was almost all made up.

Originally posted by Gavatar
This movie is based upon Ray Gorton's book "In a Dark Place". Read here what he really thinks of the family and of the Warrens:

groups.google.com...

And a little bit more of his side of the story here (about half way down the page):

www.horrorbound.com...

Basically the family couldn't keep their stories straight and he believes the Warrens are frauds.

I mention pretty much the same thing further in a earlier post in this thread. Now it could be argued that Garton may have some 'sour grapes' issues, however his contempt for the Warrens and the Snedeker goes back at least a decade before the recent film as your links point out.

I think it was in Fortean Times a few years ago where this and the Amityville haunting got pulled apart and picked over and various roles in the story left a lot to be desired.

Most people think the Warrens where frauds because they didn't cure the problems involved. In truth, thats NOT wht they where doing. They where investigators and if you read their orginal acount, you'll see that they only offered to help by putting the victims in touch with others that knew something of the problems they encountered after first investigating the haunting. Ms. Warren believed she could channel spirits but Mr. Warren was a realist.

Merriman,
Yes I heard the screams and I was one who called Southington Police one time. What was happening in that house or exactly who was telling true stories, I have no real idea. I only know that something was going on and it was not of the families doing. The personal attacks among the family because of the stress of not wanting to believe was wearing thin after 6 months and I believe also that this caused alot of tension between the family and the Warrens who where called by others to investigate. I have never been haunted by spirits and I don;t wish to be, but I can understand the many misconceptions of what happened so long ago and how little people understood at that time of the paranormal!
Zindo

edit for spelling and lousey grammer!!LOL

[edit on 3/24/2009 by ZindoDoone]