Unter Mordverdacht

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is the story of the Morgan family, and their Christmas reunion. Patriarch, Benjamin Morgan (Walter Brennan) is near death, which is the only reason his daughters, Frederica (Jessica Walter), Joanna (Jill Haworth), Christine (Sally Field), and Alex (Eleanor Parker) have reunited.

The siblings have reason to believe that their father's current wife, Elizabeth (Julie Harris) just might be trying to speed up his departure. They already suspect that Elizabeth had something to do with their mother's untimely death, and are now asked to commit their own unspeakable act in order to save their father's life.

Stranded by a severe storm, with the phone line dead, what unfolds is a story of family dysfunction, bitterness, and insanity. Not surprisingly, nothing is quite as it appears, and no one is above suspicion! Oh, and there are murders as well! Several murders in fact.

Sort of an updated "old dark house" suspense / thriller, this made-for-TV movie is a wonderful example of the above average quality of such movies of the period. It also has a fairly menacing killer, straight out of a giallo! Annnnd, the final twist is perfectly... executed!...

This Christmas thriller is unique for a bunch of reasons. In addition to a solid cast and good acting, this TV movie creates a surprisingly early slasher atmosphere, replete with a mysterious hooded killer, wet rain, and woodsy setting. Julie Harris, Sally Field, Jessica Walter, and Eleanor Parker are all superb.

For those who like their Yuletide cheer mingled from time to time with a good thriller or slasher flick, try this kissing cousin to Bob Clark's "Black Christmas." It's sure to bring a smile to your face around the warm, Christmas fire!

Well-done made for TV thriller is a little known but worth wild movie.

Sisters are summoned home by their bed-ridden father because he believes his new wife is trying to murder him. Now it seems that the whole family just may be on the murderer's hit list.

Thanks to its great cast, this becomes a surprising good thriller, especially considering it was made for TV in 1972. A well-mounted mystery with some good suspense and set-ups. Aided along by a fairly moody atmosphere; this Christmas there's no snow, just heavy rainstorms.

Sally Field, Jessica Walters, and the great Julie Harris turn in the best performances for this one. The subtle music score is nicely done, as is the whole movie. In fact, my only real complaint about this movie is the camera operator's apparent obsession with 'zoom' shots!

All around, this is a pretty decent little thriller that's worth a rainy night watch.

*** out of ****

Written by Psycho's Joseph Stefano, Home For the Holidays involves a bunch of sisters reuniting at their ill father's home while someone's out there in a raincoat and pitchfork killing anyone in sight. Could it be their stepmother who might also be poisoning their father?

An early attempt at a slasher movie with an all star cast and network TV standards. Don't expect a lot of blood, because they weren't allowed to go very far on TV back when this was made, but it's nice to see the likes of Sally Field, Julie Harris, Jessica Walter, and Eleanor Parker in a film of this sort.

A really entertaining proto-slasher with an all star cast that tells the story of a dying man who summons his daughters back home for Christmas when he thinks his new wife might be poisoning him. Someone in a yellow raincoat and carrying a pitchfork doesn't want that secret getting out and, one by one, the daughters are terrorized and murdered. Acting is better than most films like this thanks to the great cast and the rainy atmosphere helps a lot in keeping things creepy. The only downside is that, given its TV movie origins, it can't embrace the slasher aspects as much as if it had been a theatrical release so all the horror scenes are kept in PG territory.