While the Children Sleep

This wasn't too bad a movie about a psychotic babysitter who moves in with a family to infiltrate herself with bad intentions. If you have seen other similar movies, you can probably figure out the plot and what will happen along the way, though the performances are good, especially the leads. It delivers some good laughs and shocks but overall wasn't too impressive.

** out of ****

Here's an amusingly derivative psycho-thriller that acts as if all the other psychological thrillers in this genre don't exist. The template for this one, surprise surprise, is THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, but it doesn't even manage to be the first film about a psychotic babysitter – THE SITTER was already made at the beginning of the sub-genre, back in 1991, and Alicia Silverstone had a stab as a babysitter/temptress later in that decade.

This turns out to be completely predictable and routine, although it is more watchable than some dogs the genre throws up. Russell Mulcahy, once one of Hollywood's hottest directors after HIGHLANDER, invests this with a little more style than the usual journeyman types and the pacing is pretty much spot on. Horror fans are advised to ignore the routine script and enjoy the silly murder sequences, which are quite strong for a television movie. Garden murders, bathtub murders, a staircase set-piece inspired by THE OMEN and a decent wheelchair stunt; it's all present here, as well as the over-the-top climax complete with pulled-out phone cords, duct-taped victims, carving knives and the like.

None of the characters elicit much sympathy, particularly in the case of Gail O'Grady who comes across as a bit of a bimbo as the mother. It's incredible how nobody ever suspects the angelic babysitter and becomes a bit irritating. William Moses, once the young upstanding hero of PERRY MASON, is bland as the nice-guy father. The sitter herself, Mariana Klaveno, is hopeless when she tries to do menacing, so the filmmakers wisely focus on her sexuality instead and I found her fairly effective as the teenage temptress. Still, this definitely falls into the so-bad-it's-good category, so only fans of bad movies need bother applying.

Sometimes you just know you can accurately predict what will happen in a film from start to finish, and you also know for a fact you've seen it a dozen times before and haven't liked it once. And yet, even in cases like that you sometimes continue to watch for a very banal reason. In my case, I simply watched "The Sitter" because I wanted to know whatever became of Russell Mulcahy; the once utterly cool Aussie director of 80's classics such as "Razorback" and "Highlander". Well, now I know … he directs politically correct and hugely derivative made-for-TV thrillers. The theme of "The Sitter" is very nineties. With its 'dangerously seductive (teenage) femme fatale' main formula, the film is similar to "Poison Ivy" (starring Drew Barrymore), "Wild Things" (starring Denise Richards), "Dearly Devoted" (starring Rose McGowan), "The Temp" (starring Lara Flynn Boyle) and of course "The Crush" starring the ultimate next generation's Lolita Alicia Silverstone. All these flicks revolve on seemingly sociable and alluring young girls that are, in fact, obsessive and deranged psychopaths who do not hesitate to kill if they don't get what they want. And what they want is one specific male, usually one that is already happily married and not at all looking for trouble. These males befriend their jailbait admirers and narrowly resist all the sexual allusions, but when they actually physically reject them down, both their private as professional lives turn into a living nightmare. Meanwhile, friends & neighbors of the male in question that are interfering too much begin to die in mysterious accidents. There you go, I just summarized all of the above films including "The Sitter". This particular TV-movie has nothing new to offer, except maybe the experienced directing skills of Russell Mulcahy and the attractive appearance of lead actress Mariana Klevano. She looks a bit like Liv Tyler and supposedly (according to people on her personal message board) like Selena Gomez, although I have no idea who that is. She carries her crazy wench role quite well, although she can't compete with the above mentioned ladies in the other films. The body count in "The Sitter" is quite low, but at least the murders are vile and nasty for a TV- production. Since "The Sitter", Russell Mulcahy directed a sequel to "Resident Evil" and a good old-fashioned gritty revenge thriller "Give 'em Hell, Malone". I'll just conclude that this was a side-project to be able to pay the necessary bills.

This version of a demented female who is out for the husband of another woman is so predictable from start to finish. In fact I selected the three people who would be sacrificed in the beginning. No surprise. I blame inept writing by Stephen Niver and bland performances for this. Sometimes it's so silly and stupid you wonder how some of the people in this ever made it out the door.

William Moses once more plays the bland husband who not only doesn't have a clue, but goes around denying all the accusations he's got a nut case watching his children. He was perfectly cast as I have yet to see this actor show any level of emotion in any of his work. Add Gail O'Grady as his wife who also hasn't a clue as to what is happening around her. She falls down the stairs fine and more than once. Duh. The kids played by Madison Davenport and Tristan Leabu don't do too much except call for mommy and daddy throughout the movie.

I did like Stacey Haiduk as the friend of the wife. She at least had some moments and showed a bit of emotion. Joanne Baron also I liked but for her stupidity at leaving her house wide open for anyone to enter, and they do - enough said. Her kid played by a vacant headed Thomas Curtis didn't do too much except ogle at the baby sitter. This is acting? Jon Lindstrom didn't have too much to do., but did what he could with a thankless role. Good to see him work in anything, even this loser.

Finally we come to the baby sitter psycho played very badly by a Mariana Klaveno who I've never heard of. She was just plain awful in this. One expression of always pouting and glaring at everyone. She's not a looker with a skinny body and flat chested and hard to believe anyone would even want to lust after her. The scene where she takes her top off for the kid next door to see was so funny as when she did, nothing was underneath to look at.

I give this a zero on all counts and good wishes to Lindstrom, Hiaduk and Baron in getting better scripts and parts. Sorry.

If you have plenty of time to waste ... it's OK. It moves at a good pace but to pull this movie off it would need to be a little longer with a little more background on the sitter.

The acting is OK. Mariana Klaveno as the sitter does the best job and is the most believable.

William R. Moses played a pretty good part as the husband.

Gail O'Grady, as the wife, had a weak part and the reasons for her going back to work were not developed.

The ending is sort of silly. Like most of these sitter movies ... there are parts that are interesting ... but overall it leaves you wondering why you spent the time.