Robert Wise had a career in Hollywood spanning more than 40 years. He was best known for helming films like The Andromeda Strain (1971), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), West Side Story (1961), and The Sound of Music (1965). He began his career with horror classics like The Curse of the Cat People (1944) and The Body Snatcher (1945) and returned to his roots with Audrey Rose (1977).
While the film itself doesn’t quite hold up, it’s still notable for various reasons. Arrow Video stepped up to the plate to release it on Blu-ray, giving it a superior treatment that fans of the film will certainly appreciate.
Janice Templeton (Marsha Mason) and her husband, Bill (John Beck), live in New York City with their 11-year-old daughter, Ivy (Susan Swift). Their life is picturesque until the family finds themselves being stalked by a mysterious stranger. They’re soon confronted by the man and learn his name is Elliot Hoover (Anthony Hopkins), and he believes his deceased daughter has been reincarnated as Ivy.
They immediately think he’s insane, but as Ivy begins to suffer from nightmares, Elliot is the only one who can comfort her, so maybe there’s some truth to what he’s saying, and this family has their entire lives turned upside down.
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This film’s greatest accomplishment is the fact that it has so many terrific performances. I think my main issue with the film (I know I’m not the only one) was my own expectations. I expected more of a horror film or, at the very least, a supernatural thriller. Those elements are there, but the film quickly shifts gears to a courtroom drama, and that’s when I sort of found myself struggling. It’s a good movie; it just doesn’t flow or unfold how one would expect.
I was only sent a promo disc for review, so I can’t really comment on the overall package, but it’s pretty stacked from the info I had been sent. There’s a fully-illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by critics Kimberly Lindbergs and Johnny Mains, which will only be available on the first pressing.
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It also has an inside look at the score, an archive interview with the author and scriptwriter Frank De Felitta, an archive interview with Marsha Mason, an archival interview with Lee Gambin taking a look at reincarnation cinema, a new commentary with film critic Jon Towlson, a new 2K restoration from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative, the trailer, and much more.
It was an interesting film with great performances, but it wasn’t for me. Fans of the film will certainly appreciate Arrow’s release, possibly even more than the one previously available from Twilight Time and Imprint Films.