Customer Reviews

Summer of Fear [VHS]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

To be truely correct: Wes Craven's "Summer of Fear". Actually, "Wes Craven Presents Lois Duncan's Summer of Fear".

18 year old Rachel Bryant is getting used to the fact that her aunt and uncle have died in a car crash. But mostly, her cousin Julia who was at boarding school at the time. It's summer, and Rachel thinks she can deal with her cousin Julia. But there is something funny about Julia....

Rachel finds strange artifacts in her room that she is sharing with Julia such as a picture of herself with red splotches all over it. Wait a minute....Rachel suddenly suffered from hives a few days ago. And Rachel's horse has acted strangely around Julia until it suddenly had to be put down. And there is a strange figure with her horses hair on it....What is going on with Julia?!

I enjoyed "Summer Of Fear" since I first saw it on TV several years ago under the title "Stranger in Our House". It's creepy and some good plot twists help make this a winning horror flick for the ages.

RECCOMENDED TO FANS OF:
Witchcraft (1988)
Burnt Offerings (1976)
The Craft (1996)

CAST
Linda Blair .... Rachel Bryant
Lee Purcell .... Julia
Jeremy Slate .... Tom Bryant
Jeff McCracken .... Mike Gallagher

THE MOVIE: 3.5/4

THE PICTURE QUALITY: 7/10 In 1.33:1 full screen. That's probably the original aspect ratio since it's a tv movie. There is a large amounts of specs and grittyness thoughout the movie.

THE AUDIO QUALITY: 9.5/10 You can choose from 5.1 Dolby Digital or 2.0 dolby Stereo. The commentary is in 2.0 Stereo. Great listening!

THE SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio Commentary with director Wes Craven and producer Max Keller, director and cast filmographies and sneak peeks.

SUBTITLES: English.

I saw this movie back when I was 10 or 11 years old. This movie is a classic, old-fashioned spooky movie that I could watch during a lazy, rainy Saturday afternoon. It was REALLY GOOD. I haven't seen it since it came out back in '78. I don't even think it's been shown on TV much since, either. I'm glad it came back on video. There's not too much to the storyline, but the ending will throw you, especially if you've never seen it before. Watch it and enjoy. Oh! It's good to see Linda Blair in a "good" role versus the "evil" roles like "The Exorcist".

Entertaining telechiller from Wes Craven starring Linda Blair. Blair plays Rachel, whose cousin Julia (Lee Purcell) comes to live with her and her family at the farm, but macabre events begin to happen and Rachel soon suspects that Julia is practicing witchcraft and voodoo. I wasn't expecting much out of this thriller but in my opinion, it worked very well and was surprisingly scary. Blair does a good job as Rachel and we are with her every step of the way, and Purcell is great as Julia. Wes Craven gives the film a slick, hard look and an impressive atmosphere (this was Craven's first 35mm film), and the script by Glenn M. Benest and Max Keller is riveting and suspenseful. Lois Duncan's acclaimed novel gets a nice little fright of a treatment with this little TV gem.

I really enjoyed this considering it was in the bargain basement (most of them aren't uusually worth picking up). I was forewarned that the front cover-art had nothing realling to do with the film (ie. skeleton). When I looked at the back of the cover and saw some of the scenes from the film with Linda Blair, I vaguely remembered seeing this years ago on TV.

I finally watched the DVD the other day and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's one of those films that you cannot take seriously, but just treat it as a bit of escapism. While the storyline is totally far-fetched, the acting makes up for it. Lee Purcell was great as the cousin who is nothing but a nasty witch.

This 1978 movie turned out to be an enjoyable afternoon's viewing. Worth a look (just don't take it too seriously).

considering this is a 70d flick its still quite creepy and the sound and video quality of the dvd is great. One wonders why Linda Blair ever dissapeared from the screen. she is always so good to watch and such a natural actress

I thought the movie was a little spooky...but a little bit cheesy. Linda Blair is really good in this movie and I like the whole storyline...awesome...I've only seen the movie on DVD and I really enjoyed it and I think all of you will too!!

the 4 stars are more to reflect my suprise at how well the dvd looks and sounds, than for any extravagant extras on the disc or the implication that its actually a great movie.
i remember seeing this on tv when it first aired and i quickly developed a crush on Miss Blair, even though she was a much older woman at 17. its great to finally see this again after all these years. But unless your under 10 (even 10 yr olds are more sophisticated now and would probably sneer at this), most likely the only way you'll appreciate this, is if you are a fan of hokey supernatural plots ( where the main character always seems to know someone who has expert knowledge in this arcane area and just so happens to live down the street) or a fan of the leads.
Artisan, who generally makes a mess of all their truly classic titles on dvd (the just released Pursued is very disappointing a/v wise) actually did a great job with this one. apart from several shot that vibrate oddly for several seconds there isn't really anything to complain about. the soundtrack has been sweetend to a quasi- 5.1, and the picture looks a bit sharper and more colorful than silmilar product from this era.
now if they can just release a boxed set of Isis & Shazam on dvd...

When young Julia's (Lee Purcell) parents are killed in a car accident, she moves in with cousin Rachel (Linda Blair) and her family. At first, things are seemingly normal, but Rachel quickly comes to believe that the distant newcomer is a witch who's out to steal her boyfriend, her father, and her new party dress.

The story is based on Louis Duncan's (I Know What You Did Last Summer) well-regarded young adult novel. For Linda Blair, the role marks a transition between her prepubescent "Exorcist" character and the flashy roles she'd play a few years later. In the same way, for director Wes Craven, the film is a huge step away from his early exploitation attempts (Last House on the Left, The Hills have Eyes) and toward mainstream respectability (A Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream).

Produced for CBS television in the 70's, as A Stranger in the House, standards and practices at the time didn't allow any gore or extreme violence -- a pair of demonic eyes and a car crash or two is all you're gonna get, so don't expect any more than cheesy 70's PG-13 violence. But comparing Wes Craven's early efforts, Summer of Fear is actually his most accomplished film, at least technically. His first feature shot on 35mm, Fear looks slicker, is generally better acted, and comes from acclaimed source material, which it sticks pretty closely to.

That's not to say Summer of Fear is an undiscovered classic. The film is very campy, and offers plenty of unintentional laughs. Craven's direction is often rough and amateurish, but he shows some flair with background/foreground compositions and even throws in a few classic Craven-ian dream sequences to appease the Elm Street gang. I also like the fun supporting cast, including an appropriately bitchy Lee Purcell as the bad girl, a young Fran Drescher as Blair's best friend, and even Superman himself, Jeff East, complete with a bad perm.

This is a fun film to say the least, recommended for fans of the novel and those anxious to see Craven's Pre-Scream films. Don't expect anything special and you will have a good time. Thank you Artisan, for releasing this forgotten, but never lost, TV movie.

In SUMMER OF FEAR, Linda Blair (THE EXORCIST 1 and 2, BORN INNOCENT, HELL NIGHT) stars as a squeaky-clean gal who suspects that her cousin (Lee Purcell) might be a witch. Watching this, it's difficult to believe that it was made by the same director who gave us LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, THE HILLS HAVE EYES, and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET! Wes Craven does his best w/ the silly 70s TV medium. As watered down as it is, SOF still manages to be fun. Check it out, just don't expect to be terrified!...

This movie is typical 70's B horror, which makes it a classic in my book. A bit cheesy, but hey...that works. A very early Wes Craven flick about Cousin Julia and the "strange" incidents that seem to occur since her arrival. Hmmm!! This movie scared ...me in the 70's. And for nostalgic reasons, I still enjoy it. Also, look for a very young Fran Drescher in it, as well. Enjoy!!

If you like 70's horror, here are a couple more to look for, but good luck finding them, as they are currently out of print.

The Stranger Within - Barbara Eden
Midnight Offerings - Melissa Sue Anderson/Mary McDonough