The most compelling reason to buy The Haunting is for the sound. The sound design and reproduction on this DVD is some of the best I've heard on DVD. If you have a system that supports Dolby Digital 5.1, you'll be amazed at the positional audio in this film. Sounds seem to come from off to the side, far behind and sometimes almost from up above. It's hard not to rave on and on about the sound on this DVD, which is reason enough to buy the DVD and watch again and again.

Dreamworks also did a great job with the picture of the DVD. The images were rich, bright and clean which shows off the rich effects in the film well. Combined with the sound, this DVD gives a genuine theater like experience.

In terms of extras the DVD is a little light for a "signature series", with only a few trailers and a behind the scenes feature. I would have been most interested in an audio commentary from the sound designer on his approach to the movie. The making of feature does touch on this briefly, but not enough for my taste.

The Haunting was a real surprise in my book, I didn't have high expectations for the film, and was truly blown away by the excellent sound. If you're looking for a great story, acting or characters - The Haunting may not be the best choice. But if you're looking for a chilling thrill ride, I can think of none better than The Haunting DVD.