This film was made in the late 1980's--basically at the nadir of the horror genre when most alleged "horror" films being made were either half-ass comedies with some wise-cracking Freddy Krueger knock-off, or softcore sextranvaganzas with a bunch of no-talent "scream queens" running around half-naked in some "haunted" house in the San Fernando Valley. This, however, is a genuinely spooky film. It kind reminded of a couple underrated slasher flicks from the early 1980's, "Silent Scream" and "Funeral Home". Like those films it's fairly bloodless, but atmospheric and creepy. But it also has a nice little sting in its tail with some surprising revelations in the final reel.
The plot involves a recently orphaned brother and sister who go to live in their maternal grandparent's house after the death of their father. The grandfather is played by Les Lesser, an actor best known as "uncle Leo" in "Seinfeld", but who was actually quite an accomplished drive-in horror actor, also appearing as a brutal murderous handyman in the lost 70's minor classic "Blood and Lace". He's equally effective here. Strange things begin to happen in the house--the boy thinks he sees his grandparents disposing of a body. Even more disturbing a weird young women seems to be stalking the children. The woman is played by Brinke Stevens, one of the most famous 80's scream queens. Like the rest of her ilk, Stevens was not much of actress, but she did have at least one talent beyond displaying her incredible naked body, and that was playing a mute psycho like she does here and in Fred Olen Ray's "The Haunting Fear". It might not be saying much, but this is easily Steven's best role--she is genuinely scary. The two kids are kind of weak link, but it's good to see Kim Valentine, a strikingly beautiful teenage girl, actually play a strikingly beautiful teenage girl instead of being typecast as a sub-Molly Ringwald type in a sub-John Hughes movie like she was in all her other roles (although I am sad to report that neither she nor Stevens has any nude scenes in this movie).
The best part though is the end, which I REALLY don't want to spoil in any way. Let's just say the film does a really good job keeping you guessing who the real villain(s) is/are. This movie ranks with "the Stepfather", "Parents", "Pin" and "The Reflecting Skin" as one of the best and creepiest films of its (admittedly pretty sorry) era.
The plot involves a recently orphaned brother and sister who go to live in their maternal grandparent's house after the death of their father. The grandfather is played by Les Lesser, an actor best known as "uncle Leo" in "Seinfeld", but who was actually quite an accomplished drive-in horror actor, also appearing as a brutal murderous handyman in the lost 70's minor classic "Blood and Lace". He's equally effective here. Strange things begin to happen in the house--the boy thinks he sees his grandparents disposing of a body. Even more disturbing a weird young women seems to be stalking the children. The woman is played by Brinke Stevens, one of the most famous 80's scream queens. Like the rest of her ilk, Stevens was not much of actress, but she did have at least one talent beyond displaying her incredible naked body, and that was playing a mute psycho like she does here and in Fred Olen Ray's "The Haunting Fear". It might not be saying much, but this is easily Steven's best role--she is genuinely scary. The two kids are kind of weak link, but it's good to see Kim Valentine, a strikingly beautiful teenage girl, actually play a strikingly beautiful teenage girl instead of being typecast as a sub-Molly Ringwald type in a sub-John Hughes movie like she was in all her other roles (although I am sad to report that neither she nor Stevens has any nude scenes in this movie).
The best part though is the end, which I REALLY don't want to spoil in any way. Let's just say the film does a really good job keeping you guessing who the real villain(s) is/are. This movie ranks with "the Stepfather", "Parents", "Pin" and "The Reflecting Skin" as one of the best and creepiest films of its (admittedly pretty sorry) era.