Back of Box:
Stefanie Powers is a single mom, with a six-year-old son named Cory (Mickey Toft). She's trying to recover from a vicious
attack and in-home robbery, and to put this trauma behind her she's moved into a new home, in a new town, and looks forward
to starting a new life. She's even made a new friend, the footloose and fancy-free Margot Kidder. Cory has a new
friend as well. His name is B.J. and he comes out of the walls to play.
Stefanie Powers soon learns that her new neighborhood is the kind of neighborhood
that no-one ever leaves...alive! Lock the windows! Bolt the doors! But, you can't hide because someone is
always watching.
Plot: I give this film
a lot of credit. For a "TV movie" it always managed to stay interesting. The script just made everything flow
so well. It really made good with the stalker angle. Plus, keeping the cast minimal made for very strong relationships.
It really pulls you in. Good stuff.
Acting: Stephanie
Powers did a wonderful job with the lead, Michelle Dupre. Very tortured, but very strong. Margot Kidder
is definitely my favorite as the somewhat eccentric neighbor, Sally Beckert. As I said the cast isn't very big, but
all involved played their parts the way they should've been played. Even Cory Dupre (Mickey Toft) is likeable.
Gore: Body Count (5)
Yes, a very small body count. This is one area that is definitely affected by the Made-for-TV curse. Virtually no
gore. A little blood here and there, but absolutely nothing else.
Suspense: I was very
pleased with this section. There are some very creepy scenes here. More than once I found a chill slowly crawling
up my spine. There's a chase scene worth mentioning as well, but details equal spoilers. My favorite
scene would have to be when Sally comes face-to-face with the killer.
Directing: I'm a little
torn on this one. The directing overall was very clean. However, that's one of the problems.
There was nothing really ambitious about it. Just some basic stuff. I will say I liked the use of the "snapshot"
P.O.V.'s. It really added to the stalker feel. I also want to mention the aforementioned chase scene again.
It wasn't drawn out and overdone. It went straight into panic and definitely added a nice touch of hysteria.
Tech: The lighting was
very real. It didn't do anything flashy, just practical. Not a bad thing at all, I liked the gritty
realness, it even throws in a little blue action. Straight blues always get me. The soundtrack gave
the film a very nice undertone, but had a tendency to blend in a little too well. The sound was great.
Other: The only thing
I wrote down was to comment the script. So...I really like how the story was put together, building off of each
new piece of information. That, and it added in a deaf psychic, and it wasn't that cheesy. Now that's style,
right there.
Final Word: I like it. It's nice to see
another film that proves gore is not a must for a good slasher. I mean, strong cast, script, and enough suspense
to keep it entertaining, what's not to like? Now, I didn't say it was the best, mind you, but definitely worth a viewing.
