Rating: D+
Dir: Gordon Hessler
Star: Karen Black, George Hamilton, Robert F. Lyons, Lucille Benson
I was definitely expecting better from this TV movie, given the pedigree of those involved here. Though perhaps I shouldn’t have, considering Hessler managed to waste the combined talents of Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Vincent Price, in Scream and Scream Again. Still, Black knows her way around a horror movie, and the script is by Richard Matheson, whose work includes Spielberg’s Duel, and multiple films for Hammer, including the glorious Fanatic. This, however, is not glorious. It feels like a Twilight Zone idea stretched to feature length, largely with footage of Black going shopping. Though it is arguable as to whether or not there would have been enough material, even for one of those episodes.
Black might be a bit old for the titular character here, who is supposed to be 26, a good decade younger than the actress was at the time. She plays Miriam Oliver, who is being kept in bubble-wrap by her lawyer husband, Greg (Hamilton), with the aim of starting a family. Except, that might not be what Miriam wants at all, and she’s increasingly unhappy at being cocooned off from the outside world. I wouldn’t worry much about this thread, as it doesn’t go anywhere much. Instead, of more import are Miriam’s dreams and visions, such as attending a funeral where, when she looks in the coffin, she sees herself. Or a developing taste for blonde wigs, mildly slutty clothes – TVM, after all – or hanging out and dancing in dodgy bars (below).
That’s pretty much it, with any tension over what’s happening, apparently given away by an impressively spoiler-heavy title. Because, guess what, folks! Mrs. Oliver is possessed. Betcha didn’t see that coming, huh? What’s conspicuous by its absence, for 95% of the film, is any particular reason as to why this is the case. It appears to be the spirit of some woman, killed in a suspicious fire some time previously, again, with no connection I could see to the Oliver family. It feels more like a delayed form of re-incarnation, suddenly kicking in, five years after the death in question. Where was the soul of the victim in the interim? Shopping for Miriam’s bad wig and push-up bra? All these questions totally distracted me from the supposed mystery of the possession.
I was more concerned about why this apparently causes Miriam to rent unexpected beach houses, or persist in taking her birth control pills. In the end, it requires the injection of an apparently psychically talented dog to point Miriam in the direction of the house where everything unfolded. And… oh, crap. None of the above turns out to be true, because very important points have been concealed from the audience. It still doesn’t make a lot of sense: it just doesn’t make a lot of sense in a completely different way. I will say, given the circumstances, Greg is remarkably chill with the situation. Maybe he’s a gentleman who prefers blondes.