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| Robin Ignico |
Phillip (Dennis Weaver) and his wife Laura (Valerie Harper) move into a new home with their two children, Mary (Robin Ignico) and Kevin (Oliver Robins of Poltergeist). Strange things begin to happen and Mary seems to be under the spell of her sister, Jennifer (Kristin Cumming), who died in a car accident some time before. Is Mary psychologically disturbed due to the trauma of her sister's death or is Jennifer's ghost out to destroy the family? Don't Go to Sleep shouldn't work, but thanks to excellent acting from the entire cast, taut and suspenseful direction, and a compelling script by Ned Wynn, it emerges as a memorable, creepy, disquieting and very uncompromising horror telefilm. Tragedy keeps piling on tragedy, and Weaver [Duel] and Harper [Stolen: One Husband] excel in difficult roles wherein they have to deal with things that (hopefully) few people would have to endure in real life. A cast stand-out is Robin Ignico, one of the most talented child actors I've ever seen, giving a nuanced, complex, and chilling performance. Ruth Gordon is peppery as the grandmother and Robert Webber is fine as a psychologist.
Verdict: A family tragedy disguised as horror. ***.
I dimly remember this one, Bill, and think I liked it too; now I must see again. I am in a big Ruth Gordon phase...just added one of her last films, My Bodyguard, to my collection, I think the same year as this one. I am a huge fan of Valerie Harper and remember that she and Weaver worked well together.
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They did, very well. This is on youtube and worth a look. Gordon isn't on view for too long a time but she is, as always, effective.
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