The Entity

• Cat.no: EE 1137
• Cert: 18
• Running time: 119 minutes
• Sides: 2 (CLV)
• Year: 1982
• Pressing: 1998
• Chapters: 29 (15/13+1)
• Sound: Dolby Surround
• Widescreen: 2.35:1 (Panavision)
• Price: £19.99
• Extras : Original Theatrical Trailer

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Director:

Sidney Furie

(Appaloosa, The Ipcress File, Iron Eagle 4, The Rage, Superman 4: The Quest For Peace, Top Of The World, Wonderful Life, The Young Ones)

Producer:

Screenplay:

Frank DeFelitta (based on his novel)

Music:

Cast:

Carla Moran: Barbara Hershey (Aunt Julia And The Scriptwriter, Beaches, A Dangerous Woman, Falling Down, Hannah And Her Sisters, Last Temptation Of Christ, The Pallbearer, Paris Trout, Portrait Of A Lady, Return To Lonesome Dove, The RightStuff, Splitting Heirs, The Stunt Man)
Phil Sneiderman: Ron Silver (The Arrival, Blind Side, Blue Steel, Deadly Takeover, Fellow Traveller, Girl 6, Kane And Abel, Live Wire, Mister Saturday Night, Silent Rage, Timecop, TV: “Chicago Hope”)
Billy: David Labiosa
Dr. Weber: George Coe (Nick And Jane)
Cindy Nash: Margaret Blye (Liar’s Moon)
Dr. Cooley: Jacqueline Brooks

The Entityis the ultimate story of supernatural terror. Based on eventsthat actually took place in Los Angeles, California in October 1976, only thenames have been changed; the facts remain unaltered…

Carla Moran quietly undresses for bed. Suddenly, she is thrown across the roomand violently raped – but she sees no-one. There is no explanation for herbruises, nor for the furniture tossed around everywhere. No explanationexcept… The Entity.

In the film, Carla battles a terrifying invisible presence that is determinedto posess her body and soul.

“She was so injured, so hurt by this thing, so emotionally destroyed by it,” says Frank DeFelitta, who interviewed the real Carla Moran extensively forboth the novel and the screenplay. “She was experiencing something that wasboth unexplainable and terrifying; she didn’t know what to do, where to go, orwho to turn to.”

Inspired by this startling true incident, The Entity‘s chilling accountchronicles Carla’s continuing attacks, her frustration with a psychiatrist’suseless explanations and the terror of living with a mysterious, unseenassailant. It is only when parapsychologists witness the shocking phenomena thata plan is devised to capture and destroy whatever that has turned Carla’s lifeinto a living hell.

This is the first time I’ve watched this film and I thoroughly enjoyed it.There’s great acting from all concerned, particularly Barbara Hersheyas the haunted woman, not to mention the fact that she’s a babe – and yes shedoes strip down to the altogether; and Ron Silver as the sceptical doctorwho tries to provide realistic explanations for what she’s going through,despite the fact that ‘realism’ doesn’t come into her experiences.

He’s not the only one who sees things in black and white. When Carla isbabysitting at a friend’s house, just after they get into their car to leave,the invisible man does his business destroying the front room. Her friend runsback in and tries to console Carla, while her friend’s husband comes out witha classic, “Christ, she tore the fucking place apart!”

Like Encore’s other release this month, Omen III: The Final Conflict,the picture quality is almost spot-on, the only non-perfect element being afew flecks dropouts on the original print, but this is to be expected on afilm which is 16 years old.

The sound quality excellent too. It’s in Dolby Surround, which is well usedfor the moments when Carla is threatened by the unseen force – cue a fewwell-chosen directional sound effects – and is also very clear for the dialogue.

There are 28 chapters spread throughout the 119 minutes of the film andit also contains the original theatrical trailer afterwards.

Overall, this film is an engaging drama punctuated with loud, spectacularsci-fi moments, making for one of the best films I’ve seen all year. Eventhough this is not the newest of films released on laserdisc this month,the top-notch picture and sound quality make this one of the best reasons topart with a twenty-pound note this summer.

FILM : *****PICTURE QUALITY: ****½SOUND QUALITY: *****EXTRAS: *——————————-OVERALL: ****

Review copyright © Dominic Robinson, 1998.