The movie is based on a book of the same name by Frank M. Robinson. Robinson is probably most famous for his movie script "The Towering Inferno", but he was (is?) a solid thriller writer (and apparently a very nice guy). The book on which this movie is based is quite good; however, he made it more up-to-date at one point, and I think it hurt the feel of the book -- I found the original version, which is apparently out of print, to have a more consistent tone. In any event, the book is interesting and rather creepy, and the ending is quite good, and none of those things can be said about the movie. The movie is just awful, especially the casting, and despite that I really enjoy it. But I like movies like "Where the Boys Are", and "A Summer Place" for their exquisite ickiness, and I think that I like this movie for some of the same reasons.
Perhaps it would have been even better with Troy Donahue as the lead?
Perhaps it would have been even better with Troy Donahue as the lead?