A crazy girl weasels herself inside a family home and almost ruins it from the inside out.
A mysterious, enchanting girl named Joanna manipulates the Benedict family to the very edge of dysfunctional family-ism. Hired as a house maid after an elaborate set-up in which Mrs Benedict (Patty duke) nearly runs over her, the babysitter, Joanne, gains the respect and devotion of the family by her efficiency, understanding, and sympathy.
The suspicious neighbor endeavors to uncover Joanna's closely guarded past but not before his grandson (The blond guy from HUMONGOUS - David Wallace) is drowned while on a boat trip with Joanna.
The neighbor uncovers the disturbing truth about Joanna just in time to save the Benedict family from a hideous fate. This little mystery-suspense thriller delivers the goods in some departments - especially William Shatner overacting to the point to where you think he's going to go into the bathroom and change outfits and come out with a dildo taped to his forehead.
Released for television back in 1979, the producers were obviously trying to cash in on the slasher craze that befuddled the world around that golden era. (Halloween) Instead of going to the big screen, the film gave even the most wholesome family a taste of slasher-goodness that they normally wouldn't have been exposed to.
When I say slasher, I DO use the term loosely. Basically, there's no slashing going on, but it teeters on the fence - almost stepping on slasher-grounded territory a time or two - especially during our climax where there's a stalking sequence with a butcher's knife. There's also a few other little surprises that just so happen to be lying under large sheets of plastic. Is it dusty furniture?
Even the most jaded fan will find something about this little made for television flick to talk about. It may not make discussion at the dinner table, but it has that cold Seattle feel to it that leaves an impression on you. Washington State is the American equivalent as Canada, btw. Feck you too! (Hell, I'm not even sure if it was filmed in Washington, but it sure felt like it. )
There's a great fish bashing scene that gives us a close-up of Joanna's beautiful, but disgruntled face as she whacks a catfish in the head more times than normal. I'm not sure of the 'normal' amount of times one is supposed to whack a catfish over the head, but who's counting? BTW, this movie was produced by the same people who produced 'Cannibal Holocaust'. Of course, I'm only kidding.
The bottom line is that this movie is very watchable - even for the die-hard slasher/horror fan. If nothing else, watch it for a confused William Shatner.
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