Blessed

Cool Rumanian thriller that mixes "Rosemary's Baby" with "The Omen." It's about time we had one of these good, psychological creepers! Real sad to hear about David Hemming's death during the filming; they had to use a body double and some facial CGs for the important party scene. Miss Stevens ("Betty") is spiritual and sassy as the real tor/godmother who shows the couple a house by the lake that they cannot resist. We don't see her as much these years as we did with "Girls, Girls, Girls!" and "The Poseidon Adventure," but Stella still works it on the silver screen. Heather Graham pulls her own as the so-so mother-to-be-to-be...

To say anymore would involve spoilers, so I pause for now! Recommended at the very, very least for your autographed DVDs library. This is a spooooooooky flick with some class and a bluish cast. I give it 4 out of 10.

What should have been a good story ends up poorly executed by the director. That was my feeling after watching what could have been a real scary thriller. I continued to watch because I wanted to see just how uninteresting most of the actors performances were and playing the 'spot the best actor' game. Well into the movie I thought I was watching 24 except that this one was going to take nine months to get to the point. If you have ever watched those good directors comments that accompany DVD's and listened where they discuss deleted scenes and pace and so on, well 'Blessed' is and example of what happens when none of that occurs. Scenes and characters that lead nowhere, leaving you to wonder just where the story is leading. You get a vague idea except that the movie digresses many times before eventually arriving to the final scene where thankfully the really scary stuff takes place. Then the movie ends too soon.

The plot: A couple visit a fertility clinic, not knowing that they also do research into human cloning... and devil worship. And book publishing.

This is an outright, brazen ripoff of Rosemary's Baby, though it's also somewhat influenced by other supernatural thrillers, such as The Omen. If you've seen Rosemary's Baby, you really don't need to see this. It's got a pretty decent cast, but that's about the best I can say for it.

There were some half-decent ideas here, and I think that they could have worked in the hands of a better director. I'm not saying that they were good ideas, but a skilled exploitation director could have turned this into an enjoyable, derivative waste of time. Instead, we get a somewhat inept attempt to plagiarize one of my favorite horror movies.

Despite all its faults, it's still watchable. I can't recommend it, though.

Simon Fellows could not have made a worse movie. This movie is at the bottom of the pool - however not as bad as "Fear X" or "Pumpkin", however this movie is a disturbing wanna be of Rosmarys Baby. So many un-finished scenes, so many retarded 'F-ed' up scenes, and so many scenes that just make you want to tear out your eyeballs just so you can have something to throw at the television. This movie frankly disturbed me, the ending not being quite there but still being enough to make you want to jump out of your skin. I first had my rating a 3 but now I change it too a 2, this movie sucks. I wouldn't think Simon Fellows would make such an awefull disappointment, but alas........it is that bad.

the good intentions are basic virtue of this strange film. strange not for idea but for its use. and for the not inspired manner to be more than poor exercise to remember a classic. the cast is OK and this is far to be a virtue. because the presence of Heather Graham and James Purefoy as a sweet couple, Fionnula Flanagan in skin of an interesting character and, the sad piece - Andy Serkis as pearl before swine in a movie who is only mixture between different ingredients, with large slices of Rosemary Baby and a lot of clichés. it is difficult to comment a film who is only exercise for a director ambition. or, only, a not inspired homage to Polansky and horror universe.