Deadly Blessing

Neglected and overlooked Wes Craven film that falls between his best (Hills Have Eyes{1978}) and his worst (Vampire in Brookyn{1995}). The acting is ok and direction is not anything special but competent. Stars Sharon Stone before she became known for her infamous role in Basic Instinct(1992). The film seems to have suffered some cuts that were not the director's choice. I would love to see someone unearth a director's cut of Deadly Blessing(1981) with an alternate ending if such exists. Ernest Borgine replays the kind of person he played in The Devil's Rain(1975). A hard to find Craven pic that is in need of a DVD release by someone who cares about good horror pics. Deadly Blessing(1981) is a good feature film that has its share of flaws and could have used a better lead actress than the one used in the film. Has some daring aspects that were typical of Wes Craven during this stage of his career. The best and my favorite scene of the film involves a snake in a bathtub while a woman takes a bath.

A solid shocker, ruined by a botched story and a ridicolous finale, but already demonstrating the greatness of his director, Wes Craven. A couple of scenes in the movie (like the dream spider sequence with a young and pretty Sharon Stone, and the almost heartstopping snake in the bath scene) are really good and even the movie is good for more than half is length. Alas, the botched explanation of the resolution of the story (really stupid and very similar to another movie of those years - Sleepaway Camp) and the really ridicolous demon apparition at the end of the movie soften the total impact of this otherwise more than watchable thriller with mildly supernatural tones.

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-

When a farmer is killed in his barn, his wife, Martha (Maren Jensen) finds herself up against a local Amish-like group, known as the Hittites. When Martha's friends, Lana and Vicky (Sharon Stone and Susan Buckner) arrive for a visit, horror ensues. It seems that someone is bumping off believers and non-believers alike, making an already bad situation much worse!

Ernest Borgnine is perfectly glum as the stolid Isaiah, leader of the Hittites. This is easily his best role since THE DEVIL'S RAIN.

Director Wes Craven pulls out all the stops here, using spiders, snakes, chickens, religious madness, Sharon Stone in awesome nightwear, and Ernest Borgnine in a beard to incite terror! Sort of a wacky giallo, complete with black-gloved killer, there's much enjoyment to be had!

P.S.- The final conflict in the farmhouse, and the hellish epilogue must be witnessed to be believed!...

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.