Don't worry, west182, you're certainly not the only one. The Innocents simply isn't interesting or in the least compelling to me, not "bad" but much overrated. I do like The Haunting much better but I think you're right, some of the casting is a bit off. Now in my case, I've never been a fan of Julie Harris, which is a personal reaction I shouldn't hold against the movie, and I probably have to say she's appropriate for the role. Russ Tamblyn doesn't really work for me there. But the main thing about that film is that it takes place in New England but was entirely filmed in the "real" England and looks and feels it; it's not the slightest bit convincingly American, and that doesn't help it.
I know what you mean when you hold a belief about a movie that most people rate highly but you don't particularly like. Other examples for me include The Searchers and Vertigo, both of which I find vastly overrated, especially the latter. I also tend to shy away from "mass" opinions and look to my own views more. But at some point you come to realize that such things are always just a matter of opinion: it's not like there's some grand cosmic "correct" opinion that permits no deviation. We don't have to feel guilty about or defend contrary positions, and as long as you can argue your reasons cogently and intelligently then you have nothing to worry about. (Try saying something critical about Stanley Kubrick if you really want to be ganged up on!)
Besides which, there's a flip side that's not negative: I like boosting movies people overlook or don't think much of and pointing out their qualities. Here too there's something about going against the tide that's satisfying.
Of course, usually films most people think are good really are good, and the ones they think are bad really are bad -- it's not a matter of just being contrary for its own sake. But never worry about standing apart from the crowd...especially about movies!
Luckily, with The Uninvited, we're on the same page as most people -- it's an excellent film!
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