Audrey Rose

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Audrey Rose is a "thinking man's" horror film, which in a way is unfortunate, since it tended to be ignored amidst the many spell-it-all-out scarefests of the late '70s. Marsha Mason and John Beck play Janice and Bill Templeton, a happily married couple, the parents of well-adjusted preteen Ivy (Susan Swift). Their family security is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious stranger, Elliot Hoover (Anthony Hopkins). At first mistaken for a potential child molester, Hoover explains that his obsessive interest in young Ivy is actually paternal. It is Hoover's contention that their daughter is the reincarnation of his own child, who died in a horrible accident. This information is dismissed out of hand-and then strange things begin happening. Directed by Robert Wise (who had previously helmed the psychological thriller The Haunting), Audrey Rose was adapted by co-producer Frank de Felitta from his own novel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Audio: 5.1, PCM Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: French, Spanish
• Features:
  • • Original theatrical trailer
    • English: mono
    • French: mono
    • Spanish: mono
    • French & Spanish-language subtitles

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Robert Wise

• Producer:

  Frank de Felitta, Robert Wise, Joe Wizan

• Screenwriter:

  Frank de Felitta

• Book Author:

  Frank de Felitta

• Cinematographer:

  Victor J. Kemper

• Composer (Music Score):

  Michael Small

• Editor:

  Carl Kress

• Production Designer:

  Harry Horner

• Set Designer:

  Jerry Wunderlich

• Costume Designer:

  Dorothy Jeakins, Sheldon Levine, Shirley Strahm

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Tom Overton, Michael J. Kohut, Wiliam L. McCaughey, Aaron Rochin

• First Assistant Director:

  Art Levinson

REVIEW:

• Part of the 1970s horror cycle caused by the enormous success of The Exorcist, Audrey Rose is a more intelligent, nuanced example of the genre, which is both its blessing and its curse. Robert Wise has directed in a relatively understated manner, yet still provides a fair share of chilling moments. Working from a script that is far too wordy -- and, to its credit, tries to rationally discuss the concept of reincarnation while maintaining a horror framework -- Wise shrewdly makes the wordiness an advantage. He keeps the focus on the dialogue -- or, often, monologue -- while subtly overemphasizing ordinary movements onscreen to create tension or suspense. Wise also gives the film a visual style, and the snowman scene at the school is particularly well done. He is helped by Anthony Hopkins' intense, sorrowful performance, as well as Susan Swift's impressive turn in the title role. Ultimately, the script's pretensions and its stuffiness keep it from being the first-class thriller it could have been, but it's still a decent alternative to better-known thrillers. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi