Crawlspace

Like the reviewer above me, I saw this when I was young and it returns to my thoughts often...it has a certain haunting quality to it that is hard to define. Powerful and evocative and yet very understated. There is an air of reconciliation for the generations here, after the turbulent and impassioned separation of the 1960s, just passed.

No performances stand out in my mind...Matthew Cowles is believable as the small-town heavy, and Arthur Kennedy turns in a memorable performance in the twilight of his career.

It's the eerie and unexplained presence of the young man...almost like a lost child, how the old couple summons him up from the crawlspace and just accept him as their surrogate child, that's always stuck with me and made this movie return to my thoughts again and again, after all of these years.

One of my sci-fi/horror/fantasy reviews written 50 years ago: Directed by John Newland; Produced by Robert Berger; Executive Producer: Herbert Brodkin, for Titus Productions. Telecast by CBS-TV. Screenplay by Ernest Kinoy, from Herbert Lieberman's novel; Photography by Urs Furrer; Edited by Carl Lerner; Music by Jerry Goldsmith. Starring: Arthur Kennedy, Teresa Wright, Tom Happer and Eugene Roche.

Very fine contemporary horror telefilm which handles a limited-space abstract situation (a boy gone primitive holed up inside a protective childless couple's house) with finesse. Unfortunately watered-down to fit broadcast television standards, this clearly post-"Straw Dogs" and "Willard" tale has an obsessional thematic directness which is unusual for television.

Ernest Kinoy adapted this bizarre story from a novel by Herbert Lieberman, concerning a young, unemployed electrician in a small town who returns to the last house he worked at--that of a friendly, elderly couple--and lives in seclusion in the basement. The couple, who have no children of their own, are initially disturbed to learn the kid has been sleeping in a damp, cramped crawlspace under their house...but soon they find themselves welcoming his appearances, fixing him dinner, buying him clothes, and giving him things to do. The local sheriff, and apparently some of the town residents, quickly find out about this unspoken arrangement between the wayward youth and his benefactors, causing all hell to break loose. For a TV-movie, this is pretty strong stuff, commendably given a matter-of-fact treatment which helps the plot unfold naturally (even if the material itself is unconventional). Unfortunately, Kinoy's teleplay goes awry in the third act, changing the personalities of its key players without warning and concluding on an absurdly melodramatic note. Otherwise, two-thirds of a good picture, and the performances are excellent all around.

It's been awhile since I've seen this one, but I remember what it was about. A different young man is taunted by the so-called "normal" kids until he's finally driven to kill violently. This movie may be almost 30 years old, but (unfortunately) its message is still timely. Time to dust this one off and show it again. Good to watch as a family with discussion afterwards.

Screen veterans Arthur Kennedy ("The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue") and Teresa Wright ("Shadow of a Doubt") play Albert and Alice Graves, a childless middle-aged couple living outside a small town, on the edge of the woods. They discover that Richard Roy Atlee (Tom Happer), a young man who's recently left his job, is now squatting in a crawlspace underneath their kitchen. Initially disturbed, they come to welcome his presence, and although somewhat sullen and withdrawn, he does appreciate the kindness that they show towards him. He never does, however, take them up on their offer to move into one of their actual rooms; he prefers the crawlspace.

There is a feeling of grim inevitability to this engaging made for TV combination of character study and psychological horror. Unfortunately, it comes as no surprise when Richard displays a dark side to his personality. Yet, one can't really hate him; you do feel some sympathy towards him, and realize that he is mentally imbalanced and needs family ties & a sense of belonging.

Of course, this being a TV movie, it's disturbing without being graphic in any way, even when people are felled by bullets or an axe. It's all directed with efficiency by John Newland, who went on to make 'Don't Be Afraid of the Dark', one of the most famous TV horror movies of the 1970s. It gets by largely due to convincing performances by the main trio of actors, and capable work by character actors Eugene Roche ("Slaughterhouse-Five"), as the concerned local police chief, and Matthew Cowles ('All My Children') as a young troublemaker. Kudos, also, to Jerry Goldsmith for his affecting music score and the filmmakers for creating a sombre atmosphere.

Good, if not great, material was scripted by Ernest Kinoy, a TV veteran who worked on things such as 'The Defenders' and 'Roots', from the novel by Herbert Lieberman. It doesn't conclude as strongly as it starts, but it keeps its grip for a decently paced 75 minutes.

Seven out of 10.