Deadly Blessing Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
A gruesome secret, protected for generations, rises to give its...
Pray you're not blessed
A former Hittite (a member of an Amish-like sect) dies in a mysterious tractor "accident", and his widow is left to face the frightening Hittites who view her as "the incubus" and may have sinister designs on her.
| Maren Jensen | Martha Schmidt |
| Sharon Stone | Lana Marcus |
| Susan Buckner | Vicky Anderson |
| Jeff East | John Schmidt |
| Colleen Riley | Melissa |
| Douglas Barr | Jim Schmidt |
| Lisa Hartman | Faith Stohler |
| Lois Nettleton | Louisa Stohler |
| Ernest Borgnine | Isaiah Schmidt |
| Michael Berryman | William Gluntz |
| Kevin Cooney | Sheriff |
| Bobby Dark | Theatre Manager |
| Kevin Farr | Fat Boy |
| Neil Fletcher | Gravedigger |
| Jonathon Gulla | Tom Schmidt |
| Wes Craven |
5.00 out of 10 (689 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Ahhhh, those wild and crazy Amish!
posted on 28 Oct 2008"We are the kindred of god! We have no business with the serpents!" "You are a stench in the nostrils of god!"The above is just some of the exquisite dialogue that awaits you in 1981's "Deadly Blessing", an odd offering from Wes Craven, whose first (technically) mainstream production features some wholesome TV stars of the past, trapped in an unmitigated miasma of weirdness. Some of the actors are: Sweet, exotic/Hawaiian-looking girl next door, Maren Jensen from the 70's "Battlestar Galactica"; strapping boy next door Doug Barr, the sidekick from the "The Fall Guy" TV show; Lisa Hartman from her pre-"Knots Landing" days; Jeff East, the young Clark Kent from 1979's "Superman - The Movie"... And the list goes on....The basic story is (or so it seems): an Amish-like religious sect, called the Hitites, tries to harass and kill the widow of their recently departed kin (not to mention, her city slicker-girlfriends who are visiting) so they can reclaim the "consecrated" land "wrongly" bequeathed to her. Like all outsiders to this sect, she has been branded the "Incubus" (a demon that takes you in your sleep) ... and she must be destroyed!!! Many viewers find this movie to be wildly incongruent and confusing ... and, you know what, they're all right. Especially guilty is the ending, where the film's three contributing screenwriters must have had some sort of creative mental breakdown. Still, I must also defend the film by saying it has a certain uncanny SOMETHING! This is a horror flick that has a cozy leisurely quality, due, in no small part, to its pastoral setting and TV movie vibe. However, shamelessly applied to this tranquil canvas are a slasher film's prowling camera, leather gloved hands, peeping tom shots of naked women, the foreboding "Supernatural", primitive and ritualistic (almost pagan) motifs - spiders, snakes, and chickens ... etc.As for the quality of the film-making, it is quite good. Wes Craven creates a realistic intimacy between the young widow and her girlfriends, and is an elegant craftsman in creating suspense - he only flounders toward the film's climax, where he resorts to bombastic chaos, instead of genuine tension; the photography is, simply put, very atmospheric; and, finally, the score by James Horner (which features rich-sounding ceremonial GONGS) beautifully alternates between the idyllic and the sinister - his only misstep is to pepper the soundtrack with ridiculous chanting, taken straight from the "The Omen". Not good.Since many of the actors were borrowed from television, their performances come off as workmanlike. Not bad, though! Ernest Borgnine, however, shines as he earnestly hams it up as the fanatical leader of the Hitites. A young, slightly Rubenesque Sharon Stone also stands out - not particularly for her acting (it turns out she gives a pretty spacey performance) but for her otherworldly fashion model presence.As for the film's many twists, they are not satisfyingly calculated ... they are of the slapdash kind ... Almost as if the film's screen writing trio were sporadically taking drugs to heighten their creativity ... "making it up as they went along". Visually, however, the film always works. It's the type of movie that FEELS right, but whose plot motivations are sketchy.Some of the film's head-scratching moments are: 1. A virginal supporting character is SUDDENLY revealed to be a clairvoyant killer.2. The protagonist, played by Maren Jensen, discovers that her dead husband's body has been exhumed from its grave and strategically replaced with a horde of frisky chickens that leap out of the coffin and terrify our heroine.3. A cute, but dowdy, neighbor played by Lisa Hartman, clandestinely paints the Maren Jensen character from across a field while she's doing chores outside her house. She is obsessed with her. Toward the end of the film, the Jensen character discovers the paintings. It is eventually revealed that Lisa Hartman is a hermaphrodite with a crush on Jensen. Also, we discover that Hartman's mother is psychotically overprotective about her half-and-half offspring and will do anything to shield her from heartbreak. The film even intimates that she (not the Hitites) may be the one stalking Jenson and her female houseguests. The final exhausting kicker is when the filmmakers reveal that the Hartman character is the messenger of the "Incubus" ... not the Jensen character, who was initially branded by the Hitites. Got all that? 4. Earlier in the film, the Jensen character eventually locates the missing body of her dead husband (good guy Doug Barr) in the barn/studio of Lisa Hartman. He is reverently propped up in his burial clothes like some embalmed maharajah. This does not make any sense since the Hartman character is obsessed with Jensen, not her husband.Still, despite all of the film's loopy loose ends, I rather watch something cheesily intriguing like "Deadly Blessing" over tedious Oscar prestige films like "The English Patient" or "The Hours". Any day!
Hampered by Studio Imposed Ending
posted on 26 Aug 2008Neglected 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.
Amish Paradise
posted on 06 Jun 2008A 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.
Rather worthless
posted on 14 Mar 2008The most interesting thing about „Deadly Blessing" is that it's an early movie of both, Wes Craven and Sharon Stone. You can already see a lot of Craven's director trademarks here: a brunette heroine, a shot in a bathtub almost identical to the one he used in "A Nightmare On Elm Street", a seemingly bright, happy ending before it all gets shocking again. But even though the story and the setting are quite original, the direction and the set up are not. The first hour or so couldn't be more boring until the third act finally delivers some thrills. The bath tub scene and the barn scene are the only real highlights. I watched this movie because I remembered seeing it as a kid and being freaked out by the surprising ending. Well, the ending is still pretty freaky, but today I can even make less sense of it. All in all, "Deadly Blessing" is not completely worthless but it's one of the many forgettable flicks Wes Craven has made in his career. For every classic this man gave us he produced three turkeys it seems. Go watch "A Nightmare On Elm Street" or "The Hills Have Eyes" instead.
Deeply Creepy And Intelligent Horror
posted on 02 Jan 2008***SPOILERS*** This early effort from director Wes Craven is a Deeply Creepy and Intelligent horror film. The plot concerns a young widow living on a farm community occupied principally by a devout religious cult known as the Hitties. Her deceased husband was an ex-Hittie who died in mysterious circumstances. Two of her friends arrive (one played by a young Sharon Stone) to keep her company. The three are menaced by the Hitties who claim they are with the "incubus". I am dismayed that most Horror fans say that this film is rubbish. I think that it is an excellent film. The plot is totally original and is open ended as to how you interpret it. I certainly preferred this film to Craven's effective yet sadly totally one dimensional earlier hits - LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and THE HILLS HAVE EYES and it is certainly a much better film than NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, SCREAM and all the other commercial crap that Craven went on to make. Characterisation is great, bolstered by phenomenal, convincing performances. The legendary Ernest Borgnine is great as the Hittie Leader Isaiah, Maren Jensen is great as the doomed heroine and Michael Berryman reprises his big baby act from THE HILLS HAVE EYES to good effect (a pity he dies after 20 minutes). The characters, Isaiah especially, seem to have very complex motivations and attitudes meaning the film is never quite what you expect it to be. The film is also careful not to be too wordy and throws in some good shock effects including a Snake In The Bath. Best of all though is the shock ending which rivals the ending of CARRIE. All the way through the film you think that Isaiah and the Hitties are insane so when at the end the Incubus really does appear to drag the heroine down to hell you truly do share the horror of the moment. If their is one thing that lets THE DEADLY BLESSING down it is the occasionally stupid dialogue, the best example has to be when Isaiah barks at a young blonde girl "We Are The Kindred Of God We Have No Dealings With The Serpents", why are there no memorable quotes listed for this film? Those who demand non stop gore will hate this, but I would recommend this to anyone who can use their imagination. Of all the films Wes Craven has directed only THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS is better. My rating - 8 out of 10.
My favorite Craven flick!
posted on 28 Sep 2007This was awesome fun! I totally loved it, from beginning to end. I don't see why this got such mixed and/or bad reviews! This was great. Yes, the script could've used another polish, but after I saw it once I figured out what was happening. Maren Jensen, Sharon Stone, and Susan Buckner are bodacious babes living in a farmhouse in the remote countryside, surrounded on all sides by a religious cult known as the Hittites. Soon weird things start happening and people begin to die. Who is responsible? Is it the Hittites? Or something else? This is great! Rent it! Buy it! Cherish it! There are such great scenes, such as the scene in the barn (I swear, this scene had me jumping out of my socks!), the bathtub sequence, the double murder in the car, the peeping tom sequence, and the finale which was awesome! See this one, you won't be disappointed!
Mediocre tale. Not one of Craven's best.
posted on 01 May 2007Wes Craven directed this at times creepy, but as a whole, mediocre horror film about an sect who is unhappy with the arrival of two girls, who are staying with their friend who lost her husband to a bizarre & violent accident. No sooner are they there, when another string of grisly murders are committed, as people are picked off with tractors, knives, snakes & spiders. The supposed villain that's doing all this is called "the incubus" by the sect, though it's really hard to find out if something supernatural is responsible, or if one of the members of the strict religious group has gone insane. Either way, the girls better find out soon, because they or it, is coming for them next! DEADLY BLESSING is highly praised by many horror fans, though after viewing the film after putting in a hunt for it for many years, I honestly can't see why. The film is well acted & directed & features a few creepy scenes, The best & scariest being the ending, which despite ripping off the ending of CARRIE is pretty effective, where the incubus grabs the lead heroine & drags her to hell. However most of the film just chugs along without much going on & the characters are to flat & uninteresting to hold our attention. MICHAEL BERRYMAN turns in another creepy performance & SHARON STONE is pretty sexy here, but all in all DEADLY BLESSING remains a mediocre horror item, it's not a terrible movie, but it's not anything to get excited about.** starsPROLOX TRIVIA:The films ending was imposed on the director who wanted a happier ending instead.The snake crawling in the bathtub scene to attack one of the girls was later re-shot in A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, with Freddy's glove replacing the serpent as he attempts to kill the heroine.
A pre-Nightmare on Elm Street work by Craven
posted on 24 Feb 2007I recently viewed this film while being on a Wes Craven kick, trying to watch all of his films. I was very confused by this film because I thought that the Hiites had more to do with the plot than they actually did. The movie actually could have done without them because....well, watch the ending and you will see for sure. I will give Kudos to Craven for the creepy snake in the bathtub scene and the casting of Michael Berryman (Pluto from The Hills Have Eyes). Watch if you absolutely love Wes Craven. Also recommend Last House on the Left.
6 out of 10
posted on 06 Feb 2007DEADLY BLESSINGA series of horrifying murders plague a small farming town and a religious sect headed by Ernest Borgine seems to be responsible. One of the scariest, most suspenseful films in recent memory features creative direction, nice cinematography, effective score and appealing performances from its three female leads, especially Sharon Stone in her first big role. Craven's next best film behind the Scream series. Mention a great script and the death stages are creative in ways. But of all, This is even good background and almost rips off "Deadly Friend". Because you know it says Deadly Blessing. Rent it or buy it. Your choice.Rated R for Extreme Violence and Sexual Situations.
An underrated Craven gem?!?
posted on 07 Nov 2005Wes Craven is pretty much the most overrated director in the horror industry, so it's actually quite astonishing that there's still a movie of his out there that is good AND criminally underrated! "Deadly Blessing" easily ranks in the director's top three of best movies, simply because it relies on old-fashioned suspense and originality in its story lines, rather than on gross make-up effects and moneymaking gimmicks. If you see his latest efforts, like the dreadful "Cursed" and the sequels to "Scream", this film seems to be accomplished by an entirely different director. Especially the setting of "Deadly Blessing" is fairly unique, as it plays in an uncanny Amish community where the elderly leader (Ernest Borgnine) frightens the hell out of his underpinnings by constantly raving about the "Incubus". That's supposed to be a wicked devil that punishes every not strictly following the living rules of hard labor and physical pureness. Then the nearby living widow, her late husband once banished from the Hittites community, becomes the target of all their fear and hate when father Isaiah proclaims the Incubus to be homing in her barn. Courageous Martha decides not to leave and she's soon joined by two of former college friends to help her around the farm and for some company. "Deadly Blessing" sadly contains many dull moments and a highly implausible climax, yet the first hour is a strong showing of atmospheric terror. Borgnine is downright fantastic and creepy as Isaiah and all three female leads (among them a young and breathtakingly beautiful Sharon Stone) are convincing as well. Just to increase the fright-factor, Michael Berryman also briefly appears as a mentally unstable Amish boy. I guess he had fond memories of his previous collaboration with Wes Craven on "The Hills Have Eyes". Recommended!
It's a Bi+ch of a Blessing.
posted on 01 Nov 2005You know what? I almost like this film more than "Last House On The Left", because of the fact that it carries itself in such a manner. I am almost sure that it has been tossed in the gutter in the past few years. it shouldn't be. You know what? If I were Sharon Stone, I'd be proud of this film, because it is not as bad as people say, or as bad as she thinks. I bet a LOT of people prefer it to that Basic Instinct sequel. I liked BI2, but c'mon, This film is better than that, everybody knows it. This movie is just fine. It has some pretty good sequences, and a nice cast of three outstandingly beautiful women, and a low key, but creepy score by a then unknown James Horner. I actually prefer it to other supernatural horror films, and you know what? I'm not the only one, and thank goodness for that. I like this film, in all it's freaky glory, and the shrieks and scares! Were I to be "blessed", I'd say it were one bi+ch of a blessing. Thank god I am not around the lovely Maren Jensen at the end of this chiller.
Good early Wes Craven movie about a strange religious sect
posted on 10 Jul 2005Fairly good Wes Craven movie about a religious sect, the Hittites, who's leaders two sons go far from the flock in this strange but interesting movie about murder and mayhem in the heartland of America.The plot revolves around a number of killings of the Hittite religious sect that it's leader Isaiah Schmidt, Ernest Borgnine, blames on a Incubus, a Sexual Demon, whom he identifies as Martha Schmidt, Maren Jensen, and outsider form the sect. Martha married Isaiah's older son Jim, Douglas Barr, who was mysteriously killed or murdered in a tractor accident early in the film.Isaiah wants Martha to sell him the land that once belonged to the Hittite community that she inherited from her husband but is turned down. That made Isaiah resent Martha more then when she made his son go astray from him by marrying her. A number of gruesome murders of the Hittite clan takes place with the police being baffled by who's responsible for committing them. Whoever is the murder begins to zero in on Martha and her two friends who came to visit her from LA Lana and Vicky, Sharon Stone and Susan Buckner, which makes the killings seem more then some inter-religious rivalry.The movies surprise ending did take a bit too long and thus took away some of the punch that it had but it still was very effective and shocking. "Deadly Blessing" never lets the audience down throughout the whole movie and does deliver the goods in the end with Maren Jensen very effective and feisty as Martha who refuses to be driven from her home by the Hittites as well as the killer on the loose. Martha is more believable then most of the heroines that you see now in the movies today or back then, 1981, when "Deadly Blessing" was released. Martha is also very convincing in the action as well as the emotional scenes where she's fighting for her, and her friends, lives. Jeff East as John Schmidt is both sensitive and tragic as Isaiah's younger son who can't seem to live up to the expectations that his father has for him. There's a very powerful scene between John and his father towards the end of the movie that leads to his being ousted from the Hittite sect. There's a fine performances in the movie by Craven regular Michael Berryman giving his usual frightening performance as the child-like but weird William. Martha's two neighbors Louisa and her daughter Faith, Lois Nettleton and Lisa Hartman, who at times seem to be almost as weird as William is. With a good all around cast and good musical score and filmed on location outside of Dallas Texas "Deadly Blessing" is better then most horror/mystery movies that you'll see on VHS or DVD or in the theaters today.
Eeeeeyuck
posted on 20 Apr 2005What an embarrassing waste of time this movie is. I could have had more fun sorting out my sock drawer or scraping the greasy gunk off of the oven dials.Deadly Blessing is the story of how Amish people are weird and if you look like Sharon Stone, you will go far in life even if you can't act worth a damn. A brand new widow is under attack by someone...or something. Her husband, a former member of the rural religious sect whose property borders theirs, is brutally murdered one night. When her friends from the Wicked Big City come to visit, they find themselves under attack as well. There's phallic snakes in the bath tub, spiders descending towards open mouths and Ernest Borgnine looking like the guy on the Quaker Oats Box. And if that's not enough for ya, there's also religious drivel up the yin-yang, hot Amish passion followed by weird, bug eyed, sweaty Amish punishments and a lame reveal of the killer, which will leave you feeling cheated even if nothing else in this movie irritates up until that point. There's also an unbelievably cruddy denouement during which I briefly considered ramming my foot through the television screen.Don't bother. Go clean the hair out of your sink drain, instead.
The Film They Want To Bury
posted on 30 Dec 2004This is the film Sharon Stone, Lisa Hartman and a whole bunch of others want to bury. And yet it's really nice and creepy for a horror film. It's got a scary timelessness about it. The story is very good and the ending is a shocker. If you've seen Sleepaway Camp, you'll appreciate the ending. This movie is worth a look at Wes Craven's earlier work.
Cool little Craven tale.
posted on 07 Sep 2004A 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-
Bless this movie with a DVD release
posted on 04 Feb 2004It was about time I caught up with this old (and almost forgotten) Wes Craven movie. A fairly original plot with healthy outdoors life as a backdrop and surprisingly decent tension, scares and atmosphere. An Amish community is in constant conflict with a woman (Martha) and her husband (a former member of the community). When the husband dies in a questionable accident, two (girl)friends come to stay with Martha. Tension with the Amish people rises, people start dying and a mysterious legend about an incubus rears its ugly head.The film even packs a few (weird) surprise-twists in the plot department (love it or hate it, but the ending is a killer!), but still takes its time to unfold the events and have you learn a bit about the characters. Clearly, movies like THE OMEN (soundtrack) and Carpenter's HALLOWEEN (subjective camera creeping in the house and up the stairs) served as an influence, but you can without a doubt feel that it's a true Wes Craven product from the (early) 80's. Starring none less than Ernest Borgnine, Michael Berryman and Sharon Stone.This film needs to be delved out of obscurity.
The last minute of this movie before the credits is well done and scarier than anything else seen within.
posted on 12 Nov 2003This movie has elements of other horror movies because at times it resembles your typical slasher movie, at other times something supernatural seems to be afoot, and still at other times it is like a mystery. For the most part though it is highly forgettable, with the exception of the dream sequences and the end which for a movie I rank as rather weak is as good as it gets in the horror genre. Of course, what makes the ending so good is that it sort of comes out of nowhere yet it does not. There are things that are said and things that happen that let one know what has happened, the person is basically warned, but it is still nice and creepy when it does occur. The rest of the movie is more the typical slasher, someone is killing the local Amish like clan and others. This clan starts by trying to get rid of three gals who move into a farm house, most notably a young Sharon Stone. Some gore here and there, the deaths are not to gruesome though which for me is a shame, however there is a scene involving a spider that is rather good, for me I say add more supernatural elements to the film, but then if they did that the ending would have been less of a surprise I guess.
Wes Craven's first slasher movie...
posted on 14 Mar 2003Contains spoilersAt first glance, one could be forgiven for believing it was fairly paradoxical that it should be Wes Craven that ended up directing Kevin Williamson's tribute to the slasher films of the early-eighties. The polished offerings that garnered his respect up until that point had not actually been the traditional stalk and slash flicks that Scream so lovingly references. Despite what a lot of people constantly presume, A Nightmare on Elm Street was far too supernatural to be classed in the category. That isn't meant as any kind of criticism, because a little originality goes a very long way in horror flicks. But at the end of the day, Freddy Krueger was by no means a slasher movie bogeyman and neither was Horace Pinker from Shocker, which too is often wrongly confused as a formulaic Halloween spin-off. His abilities to merge with electricity and assume the form of other humans completely spoilt his chances of joining the brand that Mr. Myers and his knife-wielding accomplices frequent with their own stringent guidelines. Nevertheless, the fact of the matter is - that Craven did create a little-seen offering that can neatly slot itself alongside its counterparts and was indeed good enough to rub shoulders with a few of the genre giants. His 1981 opus - Deadly Blessing, makes good use of the clichés that hadn't been so severely overused at the time of its release and he also includes a few authentic ingredients of his own, which mark an intriguing addition to the formula. The net result is a fairly decent offering with a few exquisite moments that act as solid examples of the talent that would later manifest itself almost annually over the following decades. Surprisingly enough and adding further evidence to the cult possibilities, this was not only notable for marking the debut into slasher territory for one of the most accomplished and prolific Horror filmmakers of our time. It was also an early movie role for the woman who would later become one of the late eighties' sexiest leading ladies. She was famously responsible for the most memorable leg-crossing scene in movie history and she also managed a credible Clint Eastwood role-reversal in The Quick and the Dead. You guessed it; one of the scrumptious females terrorised by the mystery killer is an extremely young and barely recognisable Sharon Stone!It takes place on a small farming community deep in the Texan countryside. The narrator informs us that the town has remained untouched by time, which is an evidently honest description. Horse and carts replace automobiles and the way of life looks to have remained unchanged since the days of the Lawman and Ranchers. We're soon introduced to a happily married couple, Martha and Harry, who own a beautiful piece of land and an impressive home. We also bump into Faith, a young artist that's busy painting a picture in the middle of one of the fields. The plausibly deranged looking William - whom doesn't seem to like the young lassie very much - approaches and spoils her tranquil pastime by snapping the artwork and calling her the 'incubus'. He then begins to chase the youngster across the spacious grassland, continually repeating the satanic words whilst in pursuit. Thankfully Harry, who warns the assailant that he could get into trouble if Isaiah catches him, calms things down, before there's any chance of bloodshed. Isaiah is the preacher of a local religious cult called the Hittites, which William and most of the locals are all strict members of. They're an old-fashioned god-fearing clan that follows the bible's teachings faithfully, without any lapses. Strangely, they're so stuck in the days of old - that they only speak in the nearest possible language to Old-English. So cue plenty of amusing usage of words like 'thine' and 'thee', or 'thou'! (If thine right eye offends thee, pluck it out - etc.) They allow no forgiveness for sinners and a swift canning and probably the possibility of being sent to bed without any dinner, punishes any wrongdoing that's reported to their master!Tonight is a very special night for the young lovebirds. It's their first wedding anniversary and they proceed to celebrate the occasion the way that anyone who's deep in angst usually does! While they're otherwise engaged in their 'celebrations', a heavy breathed intruder enters the abode in impressive steadi-cam and takes a suspicious look around the house before exiting through an open window. Later that night, Harry decides to go outside and repair his tractor. Why he didn't wait until the following morning for such a chore is rather questionable, but off he heads to the barn, presumably to get the job out of the way. Upon arrival, he notices that someone (or something) has mysteriously turned on the machine and left it running. Whilst he searches for a reason behind the occurrence, an unseen assailant climbs into the driver's seat and runs him down with the vehicle's giant wheels. When her husband doesn't return, Martha heads out to investigate his disappearance, and finds him squished against the wall, - covered in blood. Judging by the later lack of any lawful involvement, the killing is put down to an unfortunate accident. That's always a neat way of helpfully underlining the fact that there's definitely going to be a few more murders before the end-credits roll.Clearly un-wanting to be left alone with her grief, Martha invites up two of her friends from the city to offer her some support. Vicky and Lana turn up, all beaming with innocence and looking a little too content with life to live long and unthreatened existences. That night, William pays them a visit with the unlikely motive of trying to find his missing shoe. He comes across the frankly not looking too devastated widow, stripping to get changed by an open window (as you do), and so he stops to take a perve (err, as you do!). Maybe one-day we'll find out the cause of that mysterious phenomenon that prevents slasher females from hanging curtains in their bedrooms/bathrooms? It's a strange old plague that they all seem to catch, which also makes them perform other equally senseless acts, like: Never calling the Police in times of peril or not escaping danger-laden areas when offered the perfect chances! Once she has finally covered her modesty, the peeping Tom becomes re-aware of his surroundings and notices a hunting-knife holster on the window ledge. Before he has the chance to realise that he could be heading for a slashing if he hangs around that particular spot any longer; a black gloved assailant grabs him around the throat and stabs him in the back. Could it have been punishment for his perverseness? Or is there something far more sinister unravelling around this creepy old farmland? The next day, to help take her friend's mind off the loss of her hubby, Lana goes out to give her a hand with some of the work in the fields. The tractor has problems again while they're grafting, so Lana heads to the barn to find a replacement spark plug. Once she's inside, the door and windows slam shut, as if by a supernatural force. Then the mysterious assailant stalks her in one of the tightest and most skilfully crafted sequences of the slasher era. After a successful jump-scare, she finally sees a way out of the claustrophobic nightmare and heads for the exit. Just as she's about to leave, William's corpse - which was strung up by rope - drops down in front of her, marking the perfect finish to a superb scene. I was certainly starting to believe that the tractor must have some involvement in all the mayhem. Both times something horrific has happened; it's been because someone has tried repairing that foreboding hunk of metal. Attack of the killer tractor; now that sounds intriguing!The Sheriff decides to turn up this time and he warns the girls that they definitely shouldn't hang around any longer if they don't want to suffer a similar fate to poor old Will. He helpfully tells them, `If someone did do it, it wasn't someone that you'd wanna tangle with, believe me.' He then goes on to say, `If something happens, I aint gonna be here in time for nothing but clean up'! Now lets be honest, if you were facing a threat that sinister and you had a place to disappear to for a while, no one would blame you for hitting the roads - sharpish. But that would make a pretty short and boring movie, wouldn't it? So the three luckless ladies decide that a little thing like a mutilated corpse isn't going to spoil their gathering and they unwisely choose to stay put. This must annoy our resident psychopath, who's probably feeling a little disappointed that his reign of terror hasn't been taken a little more seriously. He pops by later that night (he has a habit of doing that) and dumps a poisonous snake in Martha's bathtub. (Another great piece of work from Craven.) Shockingly enough, it's Lana that the killer's taken a real disliking too (perhaps because of the quality of her performance?). She has a pretty tough time throughout the whole movie. When not being stalked by the nut-nut (who seems to like wearing black, I mean, what's wrong with blue or green psycho garb?), she's having pretty nasty nightmares about some guy dropping a big spider in her mouth and whispering her name, '- like a lover'. After a couple more decent killings, - including that popular old 'two lovers making-out in a car' chestnut, which has become a slasher necessity over the years - the culprit finally reveals himself and a suspense-filled battle for survival ensues...Wes Craven hadn't unearthed the visual trademarks that would set him apart from the rest of the horror-helmers when he made Deadly Blessing. He still managed some superb set pieces however, which proves he was learning his lessons very quickly and striding up the ladder to success with the pace of a cheetah on speed. The barn-scene has already made a place for itself amongst horror aficionados as one of the classiest of its kind, but that isn't the only moment that shines with the incandescent brim of professionalism. The nightmare-sequence was equally as spellbinding and because it's a Craven flick, his own prior successes have allowed him not to strictly follow the suit of the films that this shares its genre with. Although at heart, it's a slasher film with all the necessary ingredients that keep it in the category. The constant use of snakes and spiders as a skin-crawling alternative to masks and kitchen knifes, is very inviting; and of course there's the satanic sheen and the supernatural twist at the end. The IMDB states that the UK version omits the final scene so as to avoid confusing viewers. Not True! The copy I watched ends exactly the same way, although I must admit that I'm also aware that there are two separate prints floating about somewhere. Yes, it does add a bit of an unnecessary puzzle to the plot when the Incubus crashes through the floorboards at the end. You're left wondering just who exactly was the killer? Was it the Human or the Incubus?There are a couple of chinks in the otherwise gleaming armour. The murder scenes are sparse and spaced too infrequently and the cast are less than competent; especially Sharon Stone who delivers a comically amateur performance. It's worth noting that Lana is probably the most approachable and sympathetic character that she's ever played. She's certainly a lot different from the ice-cold personas that Stone would later become famous for. If I had to pick an early-eighties slasher that I was sure would've acquired a DVD release by now, then it would be Deadly Blessing. But no, despite Craven and Stone's popularity, it remains locked in a vault somewhere un-restored. It's also become pretty hard to find on VHS, which makes me wonder whether the director would rather just forget its existence? If that is the case then it's hard to understand why. Boasting a terrific score, polished production and adept direction, it's everything a slasher movie needs to be. If you can find Deadly Blessing, then it's definitely worth checking out.
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A blessing for Wes Craven.
posted on 14 Jan 2009'Nightmare on Elm Street', 'The hills have eyes', they are all horror movies directed by some would say the king of horror. This man is Wes Craven. He dreams by night, writes his nightmares on paper, and finally makes movies out of them. I don't know if he dreamed up 'Deadly Blessing' but it sure as hell gave me nightmares! When I saw this aged 10, it frightened me to death. Not just because of the horror, but because of the hittite people in the movie and their God fearing ways. According to Sharon Stone 'They make the amish look like swingers!' The story involves Maren jensen who goes to stay with her boyfriend John on a farm. A family of locals next door are fearing a devil called the incubus. While John is asleep he hears his tractors motor running. He goes to investigate only to find someone or something has painted 'Incubus' on the wall. The tractor then runs him over squishing his face. Soon, more murders occur and more people go missing. Who or what is it? Is it Will Gluntz (Played by Michael Berryman)? Isaiah Smicht (Played well by Ernest Borgnine)? Or is it something more sinister? The movie can get credit for being very scary and thoroughly suspenseful. Wes Craven directs with strange sounds and prowlers eye view. It is dark and we are always focused on the characters. The best scenes are the spider scene, the barn scene and if you can see it, the extended ending. Normally it ends with Maren Jensen saying goodbye to her friends and waving them off. In the extended ending she goes back inside her house and at a very jumpy moment, a scary and very realistic looking incubus rises from the ground and drags Maren Jensen to hell screaming. According to the writers, the ending would be spoiling the movie. I just thought it was great. The barn scene is also great. Sharon Stone gets locked in a barn by an unknown figure and she tries to find a way out. Its dark and full of cobwebs. Something is in the barn with her waiting to strike. The camera just focuses on Sharon Stone and the cobweb details. It makes Stone seem vulnerable and exposed to the killer. It's all masterful stuff and I'm sure Craven fans will love it. As for the enjoyment factor, I wouldn't recommend it to the very religious and people with a short attention span will get bored quickly. It isn't very gory either. I say watch it though! 8 out of 10.