The Haunting of Barney Palmer • A WonderWorks Production

"Scary, charming, humorous & superbly well done. Great special effects, crisp performances." The Chicago Tribune

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Actors: Alexis Banas, Ned Beatty, Eleanor Gibson, Meredith Braun, Michelle Leuthart.

The New Zealand film, “The Haunting of Barney Palmer” is based on the novel, "The Haunting," by Margaret Mahy. Young Barney Palmer fears he has inherited his family curse when he is haunted by the spirit of his dead great-uncle.

Review: "Barnaby is dead! I'm going to be very lonely." When a ghost appears to young Barney and speaks these words he's terrified. Barney's always been a little different, but what can the eerie voice that haunts him want? It's up to Barney and his big sister, Tabitha to find out what's happening. Something, or someone is coming to fetch Barney--and it's getting closer each day. Tabitha is about to discover that her ordinary family . . . is not so ordinary after all.”

“Mahy has a way of weaving supernatural elements into the ordinary everyday world and allowing the reader to experience both in a fascinating tapestry. The subtle, but powerful magic that takes over the story. The mysterious past of a long-lost relative become intriguing elements as the plot unwinds. But what gives this book its power is the element of family and the varied and often challenging relationships that exist.”

“Various family members act and interact with each other in different ways, with surprising undercurrents and support structures. It's interesting to see how these pieces all fit together--Mahy doesn't present readers with a perfect family, but a family with its ordinary flaws . . . and one very extraordinary, tantalizing secret.”

61 minutes VHS cc

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