Comments on: It’s a Man’s World: A Look at “The Entity”

By: Medusa

Medusa — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 17:26:09 +0000

Al, that is a hilarious story about your Uncle re: Alan Ladd!
:-)

By: Al Lowe

Al Lowe — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:43:16 +0000

This was a favorite film of my Uncle Bill, who is now deceased.

I haven’t seen it for a long time but I do remember I thought it was a remarkable movie and I felt Barbara Hershey was on her way to becoming a huge star. It didn’t happen.

My uncle had tastes and reactions to films that not everyone shared.

I remember watching Blue Dahlia with him. The police are looking for Alan Ladd and they give a description of him on the police radio. They say that he is five feet 10 inches in height. My uncle turned to me and said, “They’re going to pick up the wrong man!”

By: keelsetter

keelsetter — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:23:33 +0000

Thanks for this excellent analysis. This film’s been on my “to-see” list for too long and you’ve just pushed it to the front of the queue. For an avant-garde treatment on this film, viewers might also check out Peter Tscherkassky’s OUTER SPACE (available on dvd through Other Cinema). I should also mention that Eric Red brought up THE ENTITY as an inspiration for his recent horror film: 100 FEET.

By: debbe

debbe — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 03:51:01 +0000

I have never even heard of this movie, and it sounds really disturbing. But what I find interesting about Suzidoll’s blog is how she writes about things that are truly terrifying… and how within the movie the allegory of the unknown entities that oppress, and assault this woman has more to say about reality than traditional horror themes.Its not a scary monster, its not a guy with a face of nails… it is the various roles of men and women in their normal lives that are truly the scariest things of all. I found it interesting that when she writes about that this is based on something that really happened… well those kinds of assaults and oppressions and fears are of course things that really happen and it sounds as if Suzidoll found a way to codify these horrors writ large while reviewing this film. Its kind of why psycho was so terrifying… you didnt really see who was killing janet leigh in the shower… and yet for a while I bet every woman who saw that movie thought about it when they stepped into their showers. I also think that what suzidoll is talking about – the kind of horrors that are gender specific is not often examined in horror movies….both in intent and review. I think that is what makes her blog so powerful this week… because she has framed a “couldnt happen here” film into something that is totally real and in that totally horrific. well done. cant wait to read next weeks.

By: Mr. Blobby (England)

Mr. Blobby (England) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:38:38 +0000

I never thought I’d see a woman defend this movie and you hit the nail on the head so many times in your eloquent critique. Any male critic who would champion this film would be considered suspect. Yet the film isn’t a simple horror exploitation item as any thinking person who dares to view it can easily see. It is truly disturbing and Barbara Hershey’s courageous performance elevates it far above what sounds like sordid, sexist Hollywood drive-in trash. Yes, Ron Silver is no asset and the “based on a true case” is an obvious marketing ploy but this is a thought-provoking and unusually perceptive horror genre film about the “male gaze.” Hardly any critics noticed that though because horror films are routinely dismissed by the mainstream media.

By: Medusa

Medusa — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:24:32 +0000

Excellent analysis of the many intriguing sides to “The Entity”! Barbara Hershey gave a brave performance the power of which, it had been in something other than a horror movie, should have earned her major awards.

I’m somebody who also just loves a good monster. Though you don’t exactly see the entity, it’s one hell of a scary thing and the ending where the whole experiment goes wrong is plenty exciting.

I really need to watch this again! Thanks for such a thoughtful and multi-layered look at it!

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 20:57:18 +0000

The Entity gave me three reasons not to like it when I saw it in the theater.

1. My natural antipathy for supernatural stories that expect me to believe they really happened.

2. The attacks seemed to me very exploitive and not at all sympathetic to the victim.

3. The performance by Ron Silver, which struck me as laughably bad at the time.

The overall impression was of a movie not nearly as good as it thought it was.