American Haunting

     One of middle Tennessee’s most famous legends goes nationwide today as the movie, “American Haunting” opens in theaters around the country.

     It’s based on the legend of the Bell Witch, a ghostly spirit which began tormenting John Bell and his family in the early part of the 19^th century.  However the apparition’s fame has been largely confined to the area around Adams, Tennessee, in Robertson County, where the events allegedly took place.

     “American Haunting,” which stars Donald Sutherland as John Bell and Sissy Spacek as his wife, had its debut at the recent Nashville Film Festival.

     Reviews of the movie have been mixed – some critics are calling it “genuinely frightening” while others are less enthusiastic.  Jim Ridley, film critic for the Nashville Scene, is among the latter…

It’s such a terrific story.  It has all these elements of folklore and history and whether the legend is gospel truth or not, I think it’s more compelling than the movie makes it out to be.  There’s so many things that could have been done with the story that the movie just doesn’t do.

                  

     “American Haunting” opens today in 22-hundred theaters.