Deadly Blessing

A nifty little thriller that involves three best friends consoling each other after the murder of one of their husbands. Out in the middle of rural USA the ladies are threatened by the local religious sect (the Hitites) for which the husband was once a part of. It seems one of the Hitites incubi is on the loose killing the yokels and not even the sheriff can stop it. A good cast of recognizable faces (Sharon Stone, Ernest Borgnine, Michael Berryman, etc) and an above average (but not very original) script into a sometimes thrilling film. Did anyone notice that the bathtub scene looks very familiar (think NOES). Suspiria10 says B-

This film is underrated as hell. I personally consider it Craven's best film aside from The Hills Have Eyes. Of course, I've always been interested in the Amish culture, so this film taking it a step further with the Hittites was something I was intrigued by before I'd even first watched it. The film is thematically interesting in it's juxtaposition of a strict, patriarchal culture with individuals who hold more modern values. Fertile ground for Craven given his stern religious upbringing. while the movie adheres more closely to the slasher formula, the setting and the implications of the supernatural both help to distinguish it.

The entire film is shrouded in an eerie atmosphere from the get-go. The country setting is beautiful, yet strangely menacing in the confines of the film. We also are treated to a few unnerving sequences, the snake in the bathtub and the spider dream sequence in particular. There's also a lengthy set-piece which takes place in the barn, exceptionally well-done.

Maren Jenson is a gorgeous woman (much more so than Stone), and she brings a grounded quality to her leading role. It's a pity she didn't do anymore films, TV or anything after this. This film marked Sharon Stone's first speaking role, and while she isn't great or even good, I did like her delivery when describing her dream early on. Ernest Borgnine and Michael Berryman are both favorites of mine, and they deliver two more solid characters to their resumés. The underrated Lois Nettleton is here too as Jensen's oddball neighbor.

I also have to admit that I loved the ending, which is often bashed. I thought if fit with everything that had come before, like the dog on the prowl, the spiders, Stone's dream sequences, etc. It felt like a malevolent force was influencing the surrounding area.

This film is a long-standing favorite of mine, and I for one think it deserves more respect. Of course, for that to happen, I suppose more people would need to see it first. Probably Craven's least seen film, which is most unfortunate.

After the mysterious death of her husband, soon after leaving a strict religious sect known as the Hittites. Martha is left as a lonely widow expecting a child, and inherits the country house. Soon two of her friends Vicky and Lana come to comfort her and hopefully bring her back with them, but she prefers to stay. The local Hittites headed by Isaiah see her as the blame for the death and including one of their own, and claim her to be the incubus. Soon strange things begin to happen, and she gets the feeling it might be the sect behind it, but far more sinister work seems to be abound.

Craven's lost treasure in his film collection just might be his curiously under-seen 1981 cult film "Deadly Blessing". Finally with its DVD release in Australia, I got the chance and really enjoyed this stylishly skin crawling and at times inspired psychological shocker. Everything about Wes Craven's well-mounted set pieces is genuinely haunting and visually striking with its spontaneously unexpected and innovative jolts. Tight, pressure-boiling suspense is atmospherically tailored to the dreamy, offbeat air and Craven's judgement is immensely on song. He paints the surreal mood with great use of tinted colouring, well-lit lighting and an eerily original and alienating rural location choice. Going a long way to making the whole set-up quite effective was James Horner's alarming music score, which ripples with ripe and tight thunderous cues. Glenn M. Benest and Mathew Barr's busily symbolic story builds upon the groundwork to only end up all over the shop with its supernatural and psychological elements that seem too uneven and illogical. Boy does it become out-of-control, and strange leading to the climax. It does throw one surprise after another! However the ambiguously outrageous and tacky shock ending, now that was a real eye opener that totally felt out-of-place within the subtle context. Listen to the amusing DVD commentary to understand the reasoning for its inclusion. Robert Jessup's elegantly scenic cinematography is well observed and swiftly handled. The three beautiful lead females were convincingly accessible; a headstrong Maren Jensen, joyful Susan Buckner and a drop dead gorgeous, but fragile-minded Sharon Stone. Ernest Borgnine's steadfast, godly turn as the sect leader is superbly prominent. Michael Berryman is unforgettable. Lisa Hartman and Lois Nettleton are enjoyably lively, and Jeff East and Kevin Cooney also appear. Also Craven manages to squeeze a neat little reference to his very good TV movie "Summer of Fear".

I have a soft spot for this movie since I saw it years ago. The plot goes haywire in all kinds of directions and nothing much actually happens (it is a little too slow-moving for it's own good). But it is imaginatively directed I think, with nice touches (the bath, the dream with the spider, the barnsequence) and an overall creepy atmosphere. Of course, the acting has it's weak spots with some overacting and some none-acting, but the women are all gorgeus and Maren Jensens husband isn't a badlooking fella' himself but he doesn't get much screentime. The ending, as so many have pointed out, is just a little bit silly/weak and I suspect that there was an alternative one (it seems so much like a tacked-on scene). But I don't understand that so many people really dislike this film. It's not the best from Mr Craven (he has done far worse. "Deadly Friend", "Swamp thing" and "The Hills have eyes 2" are truly embarassing). If it shows up as a late-night movie, give it a try!

Like great wines, Craven's Deadly Blessing improves with age. When looking over the spectrum of his cinema one can see how this films fits into that particular period in his career when he struggled to finance A Nightmare on Elm Street. Unfortunately that classic would not appear until after Swamp Thing and Hills Have Eyes 2. But here we have a story closer than usual to Wes Cravens's heart, repression, religious conflict and social devision, therefore it comes as quite a surprise that Craven does not regard this as one of his more accomplished efforts.