Audrey Rose
A Terrifying Tale Of Soul Possession.
Suppose a stranger told you that your daughter was actually his daughter in another life. Suppose you began to believe him. Suppose it was really true! Sir Anthony Hopkins (Academy Award® winner for The Silence Of The Lambs) stars with Marsha Mason (Nick Of Time) and John Beck (Nightmare Honeymoon) in an unforgettably powerful and hair-raising occult thriller that will make your blood run cold!
All Bill and Janet Templeton wish for is a quiet, peaceful life with their 11 year-old daughter Ivy. But their dreams turn to nightmares as Ivy is besieged first by ghoulish "memories" of events that never occurred.. and then by a mysterious stranger (Hopkins) who stalks her every move. And just when they think things couldn't possibly get worse, the Templetons come face to face with a horror beyond anything they could ever have imagined: a force from beyond the grave that threatens to destroy the only thing they've ever loved.
Member Reviews
Die already... - RobBC
John Beck’s gorgeous blue eyes and tight butt are the main attractions in this tepid spin on an “Exorcist” theme in which the only mystery is not the existence of reincarnation but rather how a group of seasoned actors managed to wade through such a corny script without giggling. The story opens with little Audrey Rose dying in a fiery car crash. Cut to Manhattan 11 years later where Ivy, the googly-eyed daughter of upper-class parents, is having disturbing nightmares of being burned alive. When Audrey’s dad (a distracted Anthony Hopkins) shows up on the scene claiming Ivy is really his reincarnated daughter and demanding visitation rights all hell should break loose. But it doesn’t. What follows is a lot of spiritual mumbo-jumbo, 70’s style, culminating in a ludicrous court trial and an ending that is unexpectedly bleak though equally ludicrous. The director could at least have had Beck take his shirt off just once, dammit...Very good indeed - Coconut_Willy
Sandwiched between The Exorcist and the neverending series of slasher movies, this supernatural/psychological thriller is quite good. It does of course remind the viewer of The Exorcist or even The Omen but at a much more subtle level. Good cast doing a good acting job, good sets and locations, good camera work and very good storyline. Without any spectacular special effects, this film nonetheless succeeds in creating a rather creepy atmosphere throughout (maybe with the exception of most of the trial scenes). Highly recommended to everyone.
The transfer to DVD is quite good at least for the picture as the sound may not be optimal. A bit surprising though that a Robert Wise film with Anthony Hopkins has no extras.Tries to be like The Exorcist... - cathyottawa
...in the way it was marketed back then, but it's not nearly as terrifying or compelling as that film.
This movie gets alot right. The reactions of the parents, when a stranger (Anthony Hopkins) tells them their daughter is the reincarnation of his dead child, are realistic.
The way Hopkins explains himself, and how he overcame his own doubts with a trip to India, is good stuff. And the finale, involving a hypnotic regression, is well done.
What diminished the movie for me is firstly the openning, when they establish that this is the perfect family, and Ivy/Audrey is the perfect daughter. It's all too sickenningly sweet.
And the actress playing Ivy/Audrey? I think there's a reason her career stagnated after this film. It's like she's 11 going on 6. They should have given the role to Brooke Shields, who tested for it. I think this girl got it because she bears a resemblence to Linda Blair from the Exorcist.
And finally, there's some absolutely ridiculous scenes involving a trial, where Hopkins defends himself from kidnapping charges. His defence is that this really is his reincarnated daughter - not just that he believes it, but that it is fact. That's like trying to prove God exists in court - you'd be laughed out. It was just silly.
I do think this movie is ripe for a remake (with a rewritten third act).
Member Reviews
Read All...
Die already... - RobBC
John Beck’s gorgeous blue eyes and tight butt are the main attractions in this tepid spin on an “Exorcist” theme in which the only mystery is not the existence of reincarnation but rather how a group of seasoned actors managed to wade through such a corny ...Very good indeed - Coconut_Willy
Sandwiched between The Exorcist and the neverending series of slasher movies, this supernatural/psychological thriller is quite good. It does of course remind the viewer of The Exorcist or even The Omen but at a much more subtle level. Good cast doing a good ...Tries to be like The Exorcist... - cathyottawa
...in the way it was marketed back then, but it's not nearly as terrifying or compelling as that film.
This movie gets alot right. The reactions of the parents, when a stranger (Anthony Hopkins) tells them their daughter is the reincarnation of his ...