Product Details

• Actors: Uta Hagen, Diana Muldaur, Chris Udvarnoky, Martin Udvarnoky, Norma Connolly
• Directors: Robert Mulligan
• Writers: Tom Tryon
• Producers: Robert Mulligan, Don Kranze, Tom Tryon
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
• VHS Release Date: May 18, 1989
• Run Time: 108 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301300548
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #143,249 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

70 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Slow-Building Chiller, August 7, 2004

By 

Westley (Stuck in my head) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Other [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"The Other" portrays young twin brothers (Niles & Holland) in depression-era, rural Connecticut. The boys live with and are being raised by their large extended family (including a very young John Ritter) after the death of their father. Their mother (Diana Muldaur of "LA Law") is unstable and has become a near recluse in her attic bedroom. The boys are thus free to run wild and wreak havoc on their family and neighbors.

Released in 1972, "The Other" is rather eerie with supernatural overtones, including a magic ring and a strange "game" the boys like to play with the help of their grandmother (the talented stage actress Uta Hagen). The tone is helped immensely by the controlled direction of Robert Mulligan ("To Kill a Mockingbird") as well as uniformly good acting; the twins are played skillfully by Chris and Martin Udvarnoky - this movie was their only one.

On the negative side, the story builds very slowly, and some viewers may be put off by the languid first half. However, the movie definitely pays off: the last 20 minutes are tense and chilling. There are a number of twists -- mostly obvious but very effective nevertheless. Overall, "The Other" is a solid suspense film that will entertain viewers who enjoy atmospheric chillers. Hopefully, it will be released soon on DVD, as the cinematography is really quite beautiful.

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Underrated Psychological Thriller, August 17, 2003

By 

"gjung27" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Other [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I watched this film late at night after having seen "Freddy Vs. Jason" and I don't need to tell you that "The Other" freaked me out more. I would say this is more on the line of M. Night Shamylam's films like "The Sixth Sense" than a slasher/supernatural devil child movie. The film has a beautiful bucolic, rustic setting and takes place in the 1930s and involves the story of twin brothers, Niles and Holland, one who is good and the other, evil. Elements of "To Kill a Mockingbird" with the dark side of humanity as portrayed in Shirley Jackson's stories. There are some surprises and plot twists in this film that I will not spoil but it does set up things nicely and you will find yourself thinking back and having it all make sense. As beautiful as the setting was, there is a sense of dread underlying the film and I found myself caring enough about the characters and what was going to happen to them to worry about what their fate would be. The child actors portraying the twins are very natural and believable and the realationship between good twin, Niles and the Nanny played by Uta Hagen is very believable and well acted. Good chemistry. I have heard of this movie but usually listed for late night TV but always saw that it had 4 stars which differs from most late night movies. Well made and acted movie which was scary, chilling and tragic. Sadly, I have to agree with some of the other reviewers that this type of movie wouldn't be shown at your neighborhood multi-plex these days. A lost gem that you should definitely check out to remind you of what a real thriller is. You will not regret it.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Movie--and a WARNING!, August 2, 2004

By 

Tom - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Other [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a great and creepy film with some really clever twists that'll give you chills. The author (Tom Tryon) and cast did a wonderful job relating a very thoughtful, spooky, and edgy tale.

WARNING: A few of the reviews here at Amazon give away key surprises and plot twists. I therefore strongly recommend, if you haven't seen this film, to see it before reading any of these tell-all, giveaway reviews.