Written by David Seltzer
Starring Gregory Peck, Lee Remick, David Warner and Billie Whitelaw
Upon the death of his newborn son, an American Ambassador is persuaded into witching out his child for that of a mother whom died in birth. When the child grows up, the Ambassador begins to notice strange happenings surrounding his child. He soon finds that the child he has been raising may be the son of the devil himself.
Back in 2006, I saw the remake of this classic horror movie. Upon seeing the original, I realized that the filmmakers took no liberties with the remake. It is more less a shot-for-shot duplicate. Everything from the infamous "It's all for you!" line to the scene in the graveyard in Italy, there are little to no differences.
There is something about the 39 year-old original that has a much creepier. It is a phenomenon that is hard to explain. Perhaps it is the technology or lack there of. Or maybe it's just the performances. The lack of my familiarity with the actors could have made it easier to suspend disbelief unlike witnessing Live Schreiber and Julia Stiles go through the same situations. I honestly cannot pinpoint it.
One thing that I do know is that Gregory Peck was not at the top of his game. Some scenes were good, but others were corny and overacted. He didn't absorb himself in the role like he did in "To Kill a Mockingbird".
I can't remember how many times I've said I'm not a horror movie fan. I don't dislike them. I just don't have a blind loyalty to them like so many people do. It takes a lot for me to like a horror. It takes even more for me to love one.
This did not impress me. But it did entertain me. I kind of felt like I was cheating a bit though. Because the remake is so similar to this one, I feel as though I had already seen it. I'm curious to know how I would have felt if I had only seen this one. I wonder if I would have had a better appreciation for it.
My Rating: 6/10
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