Deadly Blessing (1981)

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

The first must-see film of the year.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

"Deadly Blessing" is a surprisingly good horror movie from Wes Craven. It has Ernest Borgnine (Marty (1954)), Maren Jensen, otherwise known as Athena on Battlestar Galactica - The Complete Epic Series, and a young Sharon Stone (Basic Instinct). The Hittites (loosely based on the Hutterites/Amish) are an enclosed community, shunning modern technology. One of their own has left the fold to marry Maren. He suffers deadly consequences. As a widow, Maren is comforted by her friends. There's plenty of craziness, a questioning of societal mores. The Hittites somehow to manage to blend Eastern Orthodox sacred music with Catholic practices all the while being good Bible-quoting Protestants. The ending fight scenes are all between women, and the proper young lady Faith (Lisa Hartman) turns out to be androgynous. For some in the audience, Maren's frequent nudity is satisfying in its own way. The climactic scene... well, it makes no sense.Director Wes Craven obviously used "Deadly Blessing" as practicing grounds for his future horror exploits. One example is a very familiar camera angle used in "Deadly Blessing" that he re-used in the original "A Nightmare on Elm Street." It left me smiling throughout the entire sequence. One thing I'll give Craven is he knows how to drum up enough suspense to make you nervously bite your fingernails through pacing and editing alone. There are some genuinely nerve-wracking moments in "Deadly Blessing." The movie boasts an interesting variety of cast members at various times in their careers. "Deadly Blessing" is Maren Jensen's ("Battlestar Galactica") last big-screen role. It features Sharon Stone in one of her first film appearances. Genre-favorite Michael Berryman ("The Hills Have Eyes") appears as a creepy mentally handicapped Hittite. Ernest Borgnine had already won Academy and Golden Globe Awards before taking the role of cult leader Isaiah. Any other actor of his caliber probably would've stuck his nose up in the air and walked away when offered this role in a low-budget horror film. Borgnine instead throws himself into the character and adds a level of class to the movie that takes it to a whole new level.Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

(Plot) This takes place in an Amish country, at a local farm, where a woman's husband is inexplicably killed by his own tractor. Weird things start to happen after it. Wes Craven sure had some balls, you know that? With Last House on The Left, Nightmare on Elm Street, and this one, Craven is responsible for unique horror films. He also reinvigorated his status in the 90's with New Nightmare & the Scream franchise, but now he's succumbed to making drivel like My Soul to Take (which I barely remember) but he did redeem himself a bit with the highly entertaining Scream IV. I wouldn't say I enjoyed this movie, but I did appreciate its boldness. This movie is seriously out there at times, and a bit too confusing as well. That's my main complaint with this one. It's a bit too hard to tell what's going on at times. The Amish setting is certainly eerie, and provides you with some excellent atmosphere. There isn't a ton of gore, but it does get nasty at times. The scene where Maren Jensen is taking a bath, and a snake pops up is rather frightening. Craven seems to have a thing with creepy things in Bath's. Probably because a bath is very relaxing, and terror while taking a bath isn't expected, usually. Maren Jensen does well in the lead role. She had a couple wooden moments, but nothing too bad. Sharon Stone is as hot as my feet would be if I walked on hot coals. She was very good and showed why she became such a big star. Earnest Borgnine's surreal performance is just plain creepy. The ending is all kinds of messed up as well. Final Thoughts: It's hard to rate this movie. I wasn't disengaged that's for sure, but it's a bit too weird at times. I'm gonna say it's fascinating enough for me to give this a warrant of recommendation. I can't say I enjoyed it, but I gotta give it credit for making me think6/10

This film is set in Amish Country, at a local farm, where a woman's husband is mysteriously killed by his own tractor! Personally, I think Ernest Borgnine is a good Hittite, leading a group of religious fanatics that "make the Amish look like swingers". Borgnine was nominated for a Razzie award for "Worst Supporting Actor" for this movie. Really? I mean, he may not be brilliant, but he is not that bad.AllMovie comments that the film "finds director Wes Craven in a transitional phase between his hard-hitting early work and his later commercial successes." I am not sure what the hard-hitting phase was (presumably "Last House" and "Hills Have Eyes"). I would definitely agree this film falls into his more obscure, less-successful period.Time Out wrote, "Deadly Blessing isn't a very good movie, but it holds out distinct promise that Craven will soon be in the front rank of horror filmmakers", calling it "an excellent example of a mundane project elevated into quite a palatable genre movie by its director." If nothing out, they predicted Craven's rise to the top perfectly. Which is weird, because this film (as opposed to others) would not be the one that suggests his potential.As I write this (February 2013), there is a new Blu-Ray version coming out. Up until now, the film has never been seen on DVD or BD. I watched it on Netflix. Admittedly, I am curious how the film transfers. I might consider bumping the rating up one notch if the picture improves. The disc is also loaded with special features. That may not improve the film itself, but it could help put it into a better context of Craven's career.

I think Wes Craven gets picked on too much. Most people say he's only directed a few decent movies and the rest are crap. Sure, the man's made some bad movies (CURSED), but I think he has enough good material in his cannon to be declared a quality director. Take, for example, one of his more forgotten works, DEADLY BLESSING.Marsha and her husband live next to a colony of Hittites, which her husband used to belong to until they exiled him for marrying Marsha, so now the colony calls her "the Incubus." Marsha's husband dies in a tractor "accident," and soon, someone begins killing off various people in the area. Is it the vengeful leader of the Hittites, Isaiah? Is it one of the two friends Marsha has invited over? Or is something supernatural at work? I was avoiding this movie for a while, mainly because I'm not a fan of movies that take place in old-fashioned places, such as Amish (or Hittites, technically) communities. However, I discovered that this is actually quite enjoyable! One strong point is the pacing. The pace is neither too fast, nor too slow, and it never changes at any point in the movie. The acting is also really good, including such notable players as Sharon Stone, Ernest Borgnine, and Michael Berryman (who really doesn't serve much of a purpose, but his presence is always welcome).The film is essentially a slasher flick, and a pretty good one at that. The murders are never very bloody, Craven manages to build up a lot of suspense with most of them. I did guess the identity of the killer, however, I did not guess his/her motive, and let me just say that in any other movie, ti would have been completely laughable. However, Craven manages to pull it off well in my eyes.There are a few small things that go nowhere (either that or I wasn't paying enough attention to the plot), such as Lana (Stone) having recurring nightmares where something is out to get here, Isaiah's son being exiled, Berryman, etc. And then there's a completely ludicrous, out-of-left-field, has NOTHING to do with the rest of the film shock ending, which has to be one of the biggest WTF's I've ever seen. And yes, that ending is what made me bump up the rating from a "7" to an "8." DEADLY BLESSING is pure entertainment any way you slice it. The suspense is great, the atmosphere is heavy, it rarely drags, the acting is way above average, and it has the biggest WTF ending ever! It's a must-see.