Virginia Madsen is one of those actresses that I always appreciate. She’s been a steady, working actress for more than two decades, and for most of her career she’s played supporting parts in utterly forgettable films. But she’s a great character actress, and she shows up when I least expect it. Her latest film is The Haunting in Connecticut, which is based on the true story of Sara Campbell and her family, who move into a funeral home and, according to CNN, “the family begins witnessing strange, supernatural activities”.

Madsen gave an interview to CNN, and she talks about ghosts. I have a pretty low threshold for creepy, supernatural stuff, so this interview freaked me out a little bit. While filming, Madsen and the cast stayed in a big, spooky hotel. And even though she says she doesn’t know if she believes in ghosts, she still had a talk with any spirits that might be in her hotel room:

The Haunting in Connecticut, which earned $23 million to finish No. 2 at the box office, emphasizes psychological horror over slasher film blood ‘n’ gore, which its audience apparently appreciated.

But Virginia Madsen, who plays Sara Campbell in the film, confessed that, while filming, fear was not just reserved for the screen.

“We all stayed in this big, old hotel which was kind of like the one in ‘The Shining,’ one of those turn-of-the- century big, old hotels,” Madsen told CNN.

“I had a little chat with my room. I said, ‘Just out of respect, if there are any entities around, I need to stay here, I have a lot of work to do, I have to sleep at night, so please leave me alone.’ ”

Yet, Madsen admitted, her belief in ghosts is not very strong.

“I do have an attraction to paranormal investigation and all those kinds of shows but I’m not sure if I really believe in ghosts,” she said.

“The Haunting in Connecticut” is based on the true story of Sara Campbell, a mother who moves her family into an old house in Connecticut in order to be closer to the hospital where her son, Matt (Kyle Gallner), receives cancer treatment. The house was once a funeral home and, shortly after their move, the family begins witnessing strange, supernatural activities.

“Something very powerful and very real happened to this family. Whether or not you believe it was some sort of demon or, you know, they’re manifesting it — whatever it is — it changed their lives,” Madsen said.

Madsen said the film, complete with ghosts, séances and creaking floorboards, is successful because it has all the elements of a good horror flick.

“The movie works … because it plays on our most basic childhood fears. ‘Something’s under the bed, something’s in the closet, something’s in the mirror.’ And all of us still have those same childhood terrors,” she said.

The desire to experience those same terrors and to forget about everyday life, Madsen added, draws people to the theaters at an older age.

“I like things that go bump in the night, and scary things that are fun,” she said. “That’s really what this movie really is. I think horror movies are so popular because times are especially hard and I think a horror movie more than any other kind of movie is a true escape … You’re forgetting about your life because you’re like, ‘Oh my God!’ “

[From CNN]

I totally agree that the creaky floorboards and some unknown entity’s heavy breathing in an empty room would scare the hell out of me, much more than any inane bloodfest. One of the most terrifying scenes in any movie – especially when I was a kid – was that scene in Poltergeist, where Robbie’s clown disappears from the rocker and all you hear is the rustle of fabric. The Haunting in Connecticut sounds pretty good – but I will not be watching it alone. I wouldn’t be able to sleep for a week.

Here’s Virginia Madsen at the Academy Awards on February 22nd. Images thanks to Fame Pictures .

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