Deadly Blessing [Collector's Edition] [Blu-ray]

Director: Wes Craven Wes Craven

Overview

Strange events begin occurring when a rural widow (Maren Jensen) is visited by two friends from the city (Sharon Stone, Susan Buckner). It turns out that the religious organization which the woman's dead husband belonged to is a bit more than it seems, with a fanatical leader (Ernest Borgnine) to boot.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/22/2013
UPC:	0826663137842
Original Release:	1981
Rating:	R
Source:	Shout Factory
Region Code:	A
Language:	English
Time:	1:40:00

Special Features

Audio Commentary by Director Wes Craven; Interview with Actress Susan Buckner and Writers Glen M. Benest and Matthew Barr; TV Spots; Theatrical Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Maren Jensen	Martha
Susan Buckner	Vicky
Sharon Stone	Lana
Jeff East	John Schmidt
Lisa Hartman	Faith
Lois Nettleton	Louisa
Ernest Borgnine	Isaiah
Coleen Riley	Melissa
Doug Barr	Jim
Michael Berryman	Gluntz
Kevin Cooney	Sheriff
Bobby Dark	Theater Manager
Kevin Farr	Fat Boy
Neil Fletcher	Gravedigger
Jonathon Gulla	Tom
Chester Kulas Jr.	Leopold
Lawrence Montaigne	Matthew
Lucky Mosley	Sammy
Dan Shackelford	Medic
Annabelle Weenick	Ruth
Jenna Worthen	Mrs. Gluntz
Percy Rodriguez	Narrator
Percy Rodrigues	Narrator
James Horner	Composer

Technical Credits

Wes Craven

Matthew Barr

Glenn Benest

Wes Craven	Director,Screenwriter
William S. Gilmore	Executive Producer
Pat Herskovic	Producer,Producer
Max Keller	Producer,Producer,Producer,Producer
Matthew Barr	Screenwriter
Glenn Benest	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

This film finds director Wes Craven in a transitional phase between his hard-hitting early work and his later commercial successes. As such, Deadly Blessing is an "all over the map" experience for viewers. The script veers back and forth between shock setpieces and an earnest exploration of religious repression, never truly committing to its genre until the last thirty minutes. At that point, it goes haywire with more than a few bizarre plot twists and a shock coda that feels tacked on. That said, Deadly Blessing is quite watchable for Craven fans despite these problems. The schizoid nature of the story ensures that it never becomes dull and the film distinguishes itself from the pack by offering a storyline that focuses on female characters and allows them to drive the plot. In terms of acting, Maren Jensen's lead performance is a bit flat at times but she gets nice support from Susan Buckner as a resourceful friend and Jeff East as a young sect member who finds his burgeoning adulthood bringing him into conflict with his religion. There are also scene-stealing turns by Ernest Borgnine as a brimstone-minded religious leader and Lois Nettleson as an eccentric neighbor (trainspotters will also notice a young Sharon Stone in there as Jensen's other gal-pal). Best of all, Wes Craven directs his unusual narrative with confidence, giving it a distinctive "American gothic" atmosphere and handling a number of creepy setpiecies with great skill: highlights include a skin-crawling nightmare involving a spider and a tense sequence where a snake slips into Jensen's bathtub while she isn't looking. In short, Deadly Blessing might be a mixed bag but its got enough eccentricities and stylish flourishes to make it worthwhile for fans of vintage horror.