Deadly Blessing (1981)
Thursday 29th September 2011
Starring a stunningly youthful and beautiful Sharon Stone (Casino; Basic Instinct; Total Recall) in her first ever speaking role, alongside Ernest Borgnine (Escape From New York; The Wild Bunch; Marty), Michael Berryman (The Devil's Rejects; The Hills Have Eyes) and Maren Jensen (Battlestar Galactica), Deadly Blessing, released on DVD by Arrow Video on 14th November 2011, sees director Wes Craven (A Nightmare On Elm Street; Scream) moving away from the uncompromising ferocity of his first two features (The Last House On The Left and The Hills Have Eyes) and instead focusing on a far more brooding and atmospheric kind of terror.
In an attempt to distance himself from the strict religious Hittite community in which he was raised - one that rejects all the trappings of modern life - Jim Schmidt (Douglas Barr) has married a headstrong city girl, Martha (Maren Jensen) and left the sect. When Jim is involved in a tragic and highly mysterious accident, the close-knit community shuns Martha leaving her to seek the comfort of two old college friends, Lana (Sharon Stone) and Vicky (Susan Buckner), who come to stay with her during her time of mourning. As the three friends begin to unlock the mystery surrounding Jim's death, it becomes apparent there is a diabolical killer in their midst who may be hiding deep within the local God-fearing community.
Fondly remembered by horror fans for its many key set-pieces (particularly one featuring a snake in a bathtub and a terrifying waking-dream sequence involving a very large spider and a wide-open mouth that serves as a notable precursor to Craven's masterful A Nightmare On Elm Street), Deadly Blessing is a tense and thrilling old-school horror film that is ripe for reassessment in an age when horror fans are more-often-than-not simply being bludgeoned into submission by barrages of grisly images served up as entertainment.
- Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Fangoria art director Gary Pullin
- Double-sided fold-out artwork poster
- Collector s booklet featuring brand new writing on the film by author and critic Kim Newman
- Introduction by star Michael Berryman
- Craven Images: The Horror Hits of Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes Series, Cut and Run, Weird Science) - An interview with Deadly Blessing's iconic star
- Deadly Desires: An interview with screenwriter Glenn M. Benest
- Easter Eggs
Please note - Disc special features are subject to change, may differ from format to format and/or may differ from region to region.
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