Tweet
Released by: Twilight Time Releasing
Released on: October 14th, 2014.
Director: Robert Wise
Cast: John Hillerman, Anthony Hopkins, John Beck, Marsha Mason, Susan Swift, Norman Lloyd
Year: 1977
Purchase From Screen Archives
The Movie:
Written by Robert Wise, Audrey Rose would be easy to mistake for a straight up horror film based on the film's original trailer and artwork and while it definitely has plenty of horrific elements, it's really more of a psychological thriller with some oddball new age elements thrown into the mix.
Based on the novel of the same name by Frank De Felitta (who also penned the film's screenplay), the film takes place in Manhattan where we meet Bill Templeton (John Beck), his wife Janice (Marsha Mason) and their daughter Ivy (Susan Swift). Their life seems normal enough until they start to notice that they're being followed by a stranger. Soon enough, this stranger introduces himself to them as Elliot Hoover (Anthony Hopkins) and tells them that his daughter Audrey Rose, who died at almost the same instant Ivy was born, has been reincarnated as their daughter. Naturally, they're suspect of his claims and they send him away, threatening to call the cops on him.
Shortly after, however, Ivy starts having very vivid nightmares where she's trapped in a car wreck. So sever are these dreams that Bill and Janice have trouble bringing her down from them. Elliott does not. He witnesses one and is able to sooth her by reassuring her that 'it's daddy' and by referring to her as 'Audrey Rose.' The fact that Ivy's hands appear to have been burned when she was nowhere near anything hot enough to hurt her lends some credibility to this, but while Janice starts to wonder if Elliott might be onto something, Bill is quick to reject all of this.
What starts off as a supernatural thriller soon turns into something more akin to a courtroom drama but Audrey Rose is a pretty interesting film and it definitely takes a very different approach to the supernatural/occult themed horror pictures that were all the rage when it was released. The film does play to our sympathies by putting the whole 'child in danger' aspect of the story front and center for much of its running time, exemplified by the aforementioned scene where Ivy's hands are burned. Additionally we get plenty of footage of her in the hospital and in various states of inconsolable terror, corrected only by Hopkins' character endlessly cooing at the poor kid. It's a bit overdone and it borders on the manipulative really, but if nothing else the movie does play its reincarnation angle completely straight and by doing so gets us to think about the ramifications of the situation from both a familial angle and a theological angle. Some have and will continue to take issue with the film's ending and it's fair to laud criticism to the way the film comes to a finish, but there's enough that works about what's explored in the film that we can look past this.
Additionally, the performances are very strong across the board. John Beck and Marsha Mason are fine as the concerned parents. As Mason's character starts to wonder if Elliot might be right, she obviously becomes concerned and upset and we have no problem buying her in the part at all. Beck's character becomes more angry than anything else, frustrated with what's happening and how it's happening. He too does fine work here, his righteous anger fits the story and he's very believable. Hopkins comes close to overacting in scenes but never quite gets there and instead proves to be quite adapt at earning our sympathy in some scenes as well. He also manages to keep us guessing as to the sincerity and validity of his claims. Susan Swift is also fine as the perpetually endangered child at the center of all of this. TV fans will appreciate seeing none other than John Hillerman (best known as Higgins from Magnum P.I.!) in a supporting part as a lawyer.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Audrey Rose arrives on Blu-ray from Twilight Time in an AVC encoded transfer framed in the film's original aspect ratio of 1.85.1 widescreen. This is a pretty grainy affair and things can and do get a little bit noisy in the darker scenes but the lighter scenes fare better. Color reproduction is typically very strong throughout the movie and there's no noticeable noise reduction at all nor is there any edge enhancement. Compression artifacts don't come into the mix at all and the image is basically free of any major print damage.
Audio is handled by an English language DTS-HD Mono track with optional subtitles in English only. The lossless track on this disc is a good one, doing a fine job of bringing Michael Small's appropriately dark score to life but without burying the performers by doing so. Levels are set properly and the track is free of any hiss or distortion. There's good depth here for an older single channel mix and the audio on this disc is just fine.
Extras on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer, an MGM 90th Anniversary promo spot, the film's isolated score in DTS-HD, static menus and chapter selection. Julie Kirgo's liner notes, included as an insert booklet tucked away inside the case, offer some welcome background information on the picture as well as the director and interesting cast assembled for it. They also offer some interesting and thought provoking analysis and context as to how it fits alongside similar supernaturally themed films made in the seventies.
The Final Word:
Audrey Rose isn't your typical horror film but it is a well-made and occasionally very creepy thriller that features some very impressive performances and a smart, thought provoking script. It may very well be a product of its time, but for many of us that's a positive and those who like their suspense accompanied by some interesting food for thought should appreciate what Wise and company accomplished with this unique picture. The Blu-ray from Twilight Time is heavy on film grain but the transfer is solid as is the audio. The disc is light on extras, but the movie holds up well.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
