DON'T GO TO SLEEP

Robin Ignico

DON'T GO TO SLEEP (1982). Director: Richard Lang.

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. ***.

DUEL

A nervous Dennis Weaver with the truck in pursuit

DUEL (1971 telefilm). Director: Steven Spielberg.

Tired businessman David Mann (Dennis Weaver) is driving for an appointment when he inadvertently pisses off the psychotic driver of a tractor-trailer who first plays a cat-and-mouse game with him, then relentlessly pursues him with the former's death in mind. In this pre-Jaws telefilm which was deemed so good that it was slightly expanded and released theatrically in Europe, Spielberg skillfully fills everyday, sun-lit scenes and objects with terror [interestingly, the film takes place entirely in daylight]. In addition to Spielberg's very adroit and compelling direction, the film is bolstered by some superior editing by Frank Morriss, Jack A. Marta's crisp cinematography, and Billy Goldenberg's simple but effective scoring. And then there's the centerpiece, which is an outstanding performance by Weaver as the alternately brave and timid, frightened and outraged put-upon driver of the car; he's on top of every scene and pulls us into the whole experience from the start. Stunt driver Carey Loftin plays the barely seen driver of the truck, and Jacqueline Scott appears briefly as Weaver's wife. Lucille Benson plays the owner of a "snakerama" in one of the movie's most exciting scenes.That same year Weaver appeared in What's the Matter with Helen?

Verdict: Watch this on a double bill with The Car. ***1/2.

WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN?

WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH HELEN? (1971). Director: Curtis Harrington.

In the 1930's two women whose sons are convicted of murder move to Los Angeles to start new lives and open a school for budding Shirley Temples. Adelle (Debbie Reynolds) is a pretty dancer with high hopes for the future while Helen (Shelley Winters) is a religious type who's haunted by the gruesome death of her husband. As Adelle becomes romantically involved with the father (Dennis Weaver) of one of the moppets, Helen becomes increasingly unhinged, leading to violent complications. Written by Henry Farell (Baby Jane; Hush ... Hush, Sweet Charlotte) Helen has an excellent premise that isn't developed as well as it could have been, and Harrington's uninspired direction is no help at all. The trouble is that the "horror" stuff has to happen to justify the film's existence (despite it's already interesting plot line) and it just isn't as convincing as, say, Hush ... Hush. The two lead actresses are fine, however, even if Reynolds falls a little short during the more dramatic moments. Weaver and Agnes Moorehead as a greedy evangelist are on the money. Micheal (sic) MacLiammoir seems to be doing a Sidney Greenstreet impersonation as Hamilton Starr, the school's vocal and dramatic teacher, but he's a lot of fun, and there's some humor generated in regards to the tykes -- one of whom is Pamelyn Ferdin -- and their mothers -- one of whom is Yvette Vickers (Mrs. Barker)! While much of the movie is predictable, Farrell still manages to stick in a minor twist or two. The little girl who does the "You Big Bad Man" number is terrific!

Verdict: Interesting failure. **1/2.