Stranger in Our House

Linda Blair is this film's main draw today, but Lee Purcell is the real star of the show: at first I wasn't too sure about her, but she has the mysteriously seductive presence that her role calls for, and her performance literally gets better by the minute. This may be a Wes Craven movie, but it is also a TV movie, so it is rather tame in terms of sexuality and violence; there are few real surprises and few real thrills until the last 15 minutes and the (long awaited) catfight between Blair and Purcell. With its "evil stranger is disrupting the life of a normal happy family" plot, you could say that this film was ahead of its time; thrillers of this type didn't become popular until the early 90's, with "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" and others like it. But one look at Linda's hair will convince you that it was NOT ahead of its time in other areas. In short, rent it but don't buy it. (**)

SUMMER OF FEAR started out as a 1978 made-for-TV movie, directed by LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT's Wes Craven and starring THE EXORCIST actress Linda Blair. Noting that it had performed surprisingly well in the schedules, the producers repackaged it as a theatrical movie, retitled it SUMMER OF FEAR, and released it in Europe.

How much you enjoy this one depends on your preference for American TV movies of the 1970s. I consider myself a huge fan, so I enjoyed this one, although the histrionic acting and cheesily dated nature of the production may be offputting to some; they were positives for me. The storyline is a straightforward 'cuckoo in the nest' type one, in which spoilt rich girl Linda Blair is put out of joint when her cousin joins the family after her parents are killed in a car accident.

It soon transpires that said cousin has been dabbling in witchcraft, something confirmed by a put-upon college professor (a welcome role for SHADOW OF A DOUBT's Macdonald Carey). It's one of those films where nobody believes Blair's character, forcing her to take matters into her own hands. You can hardly blame them: dressing in the frumpiest clothes imaginable and saddled with an appalling 'Afro' haircut, the Blair looks like an eyesore here and her character's a real whiner.

The supernatural elements of the narrative are limited, but there's some good stuff with spooked horses and an action-packed climax that involves car chases and cat-fights, all well handled on a low budget. The twist ending was inevitable after the release of CARRIE. Watch out for some SALEM'S LOT-style effects involving cool contact lenses. SUMMER OF FEAR may not be a great film but it sure is a fun one.

This 1978 TV movie, Wes Craven's third horror, was based on a novel by Lois Duncan ("I Know What You Did Last Summer"). Although it's predictable, Linda Blair is a charm and the whole atmosphere quite cozy, making it worth watching.

SUMMER OF FEAR opens with a literal bang, as an out of control car crashes and burns! Rachel Bryant (Linda Blair) has just lost her aunt and uncle in that explosion. When her mum and dad return from the funeral, they bring Rachel's country cousin, Julia (Lee Purcell) back with them. At first, it all goes swimmingly.

However, things take a bizarre turn when Julia and Rachel's friend, Carolyn (Fran Drescher) are attacked by Rachel's horse! Perhaps he was set off by Julia's new vest and hot pants ensemble with matching, mod hairdo! In no time, Julia has ingratiated herself with the family, and only Rachel seems to suspect that something might be amiss with their houseguest.

Oh no!

The "big dance" is imminent, and Rachel's face breaks out in what look like pepperonis! This allows Julia to go to the dance with Rachel's 12' tall boyfriend. In addition, Rachel's horse takes a terminal tumble!

Coincidence? Hmmm.

Now, with her towering boyfriend in the arms of Julia, and her horse reduced to dog chow, Julia is convinced that some genuine, Ozark mountain hoodoo might be going on. Luckily, an expert on the occult lives next door.

What are the odds? Hmmm.

Said expert helps Rachel prepare for a final showdown, when everything hits the fan! Can she possibly defeat her wretched relative?

This slab of made-for-TV cheddar is your basic supernatural yarn (cheeeze yarn?). Blair is great -as always- at being the wronged innocent, as is Purcell in her wicked role. Director Wes Craven did his best to make things suspenseful within the constraints of 1970's network television. Vintage fun for fans of tele-terror...

A teenage girl (Linda Blair)'s life is turned upside down after her cousin (Lee Purcell) moves into her house, and as time goes by, she begins to suspect that she may be a practitioner of witchcraft.

One has to go into this film with the right mindset. The idea of Linda Blair being directed by Wes Craven is enticing, but do not put your hopes too high. This is the brainchild of Max A. Keller, who wrote the script, produced it, and put his daughter Nicole in the cast. Being made for TV, Craven was shackled by producers, the network and a very limited budget.

That being said, this is actually a rather decent story. Some plot elements are a tad confusing. As revelations come out in the second half, not all of them make complete sense. And even the idea of a professor who specializes in witchcraft is strange, not to mention his living across the street.

But overall this is alright for what it is. Definitely worth checking out, especially for Craven completists. It may not be his best work, but I can safely say it is not his worst.