Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Deadly Blessing Blu-ray Movie Review

Is this Blu-ray blessed or cursed?

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 5, 2013

Your laws cannot crush the incubus!

Wes Craven's name has become synonymous with the Horror genre. He's a modern master of his art, a filmmaker with a sixth sense for terror and a clear eye for filming the imaginings of what must be a slightly demented but certainly gifted mind. He's best known for his work across the Scream and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises as well as his earliest boutique Horror works in The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes. Sandwiched in between all of that, however, is a little rural/religious Horror flick called Deadly Blessing, a story about, well, a whole lot of different sorts of things and people converging on an innocent young widow whose life is turned upside down by various external forces wrecking havoc in her life. It's not the most memorable thing Craven has ever made; it doesn't really resonate as it plays or conjure up images of Horror brilliance, but it's a passable little picture that's more thoughtful than it is violent, more inwardly frightening than it is outwardly terrifying. It's not really the Wes Craven casual fans know, but there's some value here as a smaller, different picture that probes a little bit further into the soul of one of the genre's most talented artists.

Jim and Martha Schmidt (Maren Jensen and Douglas Barr) are rural farmers who lead a good, quiet life, happily married for one year exactly and paying little-to-no mind to the fanatical Hittites who occupy the adjoining land. In fact, Jim was once himself a part of that group, but broke free of its ways when he left the country for city life and married Martha. He's the son of the local Hittite leader, Isaiah (Ernest Borgnine), who maintains a hardline devotion to his ways and has largely cut his son off. A local named William (Michael Berryman) lays claim against various non-Hittite women that they are the embodiment of the "Incubus," a sexually promiscuous demon. The banter is aimed largely at Louisa (Lois Nettleton), an artist whose mother Faith (Lisa Hartman) disapproves of her daughter's craft. Soon, Jim is killed by his own tractor under mysterious circumstances. The Hittites view his funeral from afar, and a grieving Martha is consoled by her visiting out-of-town friends Vicky (Susan Buckner) and Lana (Sharon Stone). Unfortunately, the bodies begin to pile high down home as the girls deal with hallucinations, near-death experiences, and other phenomena that will lead them to a startling truth.

Deadly Blessing shies away from vile blood and guts and into a more thoughtful, but no less deranged, Horror landscape. Wes Craven's picture blends higher supernatural elements with a bit of the superficial creepy and eerie; he keeps the film above the fray of splatter rubbish but never really lets it ascend beyond a fairly generic genre vibe in which there are precious few fully developed characters and an emphasis on place more so than purpose. Craven does manage to create a fascinating little dichotomy with something of a more modern world, or at least more modern sensibilities, against the backdrop of a place populated by a peoples that largely reject that world. It's not a new juxtaposition or dramatic device, but it does make for a rather intriguing setting for a Horror picture, particularly one in which the fear comes much more from the unseen, the unknown, the little country flavors, from the shadows, and the peculiar atmosphere rather than the sort of front-and-center boogeyman and violence that's the better-known staple of the Horror genre.

It all leads towards an ending that at first doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the material but that does make sense when the film is considered against a greater canvas of the unknown and the direction through which the various events guide audiences and threaten the characters as they effort to survive and make sense of their unique quandary. Though the film does show some holes in its script despite a rather good resolution, the cast holds it together when even Craven himself can't quite steer the script or make it visually interesting or captivating, sans a rather familiar girl-in-tub scene that seems to be the genesis of one of Horror's most iconic moments that would come to prominence in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Maren Jensen is quite strong in the lead role, playing the part with an unease, an unsettled feel that works as much below the surface as it does on it. Stone and Buckner carry similar qualities as the remaining women-in-peril. Razzie nominee Ernest Borgnine isn't as bad as that nod suggests; he was probably chided more for this character's look than his actions in crafting Isaiah.

Deadly Blessing Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Deadly Blessing features a watchable but not particularly eye-opening high definition transfer. The opening takes on a severely washed-out appearance that remains in some scenes but mostly gives way to a fairly straightforward and clear image. Details are adequate, with what is a sometimes filmic and somewhat pasty, smoothed over look. Basic denim textures, facial lines, objects around the house, and natural midwestern farm exteriors all appear adequately defined and complex, suitable for a high definition image. Colors are fine for the most part; general balance around basic shades of blue, golden stalks, and skin tones all satisfy on a base level. Blacks, though deeper and more honest within the bulk of the film than the early washed-out imagery might suggest, often succumb to heavy spikes of noise and sharp grain. The transfer does handle a steamy bathtub scene rather well; the dense haze never yields any excess noise or banding. Light grain hovers over much of the image, though there is a smoothness to some scenes. The image sees a fairly steady diet of speckles, splotches, and general wear near the beginning, but it tapers off a bit as the film progresses. All in all, this is a serviceable high definition image but certainly a long way from contending as a top catalogue release.

Deadly Blessing Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Deadly Blessing's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is neither angelic nor hellish. It's a midlevel track that conjures up the basics but never goes beyond. Music sounds a bit mushy over the opening titles. It's fairly spaced across the front though still center-dominant and without a major, or really noticeable, surround support structure. Music later in the film enjoys a little more vigor and body but plays with largely the same placement dynamics. Much of the same may be said of heavier sound effects; rumbling tractors, gunshots, and other such sound elements lack real distinction, clarity, or natural presence but offer sufficient power and room-filling presence. Outdoor ambience lingers across the front, defined by chirping insects and light winds. Dialogue is constantly clear and focused in the center. This is a fair track that serves the movie admirably but that likely won't impress audiophiles.

Deadly Blessing Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Deadly Blessing contains a nice assortment of extras, including a commentary track, a few interviews, and some advertisement materials.

• Audio Commentary: Horrorhound Magazine's Sean Clark and Director Wes Craven speak on the picture's origins, the scriptwriting process, working with the cast and cast performances, shooting around Waxahachie, budget, the shooting process, the story, and plenty of other commentary-standard elements. Craven is a strong commentator and does a great job of coloring in the film's background. Fans of the film and the director will want to give it a listen.
• Say Your Prayers! (HD, 14:13): "An all-new interview with Actor Michael Berryman." The actor discusses the sorts of roles he enjoys, working with Wes Craven, his part in Deadly Blessing, shooting in Waxahachie, cast dynamics, observations on an early Sharon Stone, working with Ernest Borgnine, Wes Craven's work, and the picture's legacy.
• Secrets Revealed (HD, 13:05): "An all-new interview with Actress Susan Buckner." Buckner speaks on her career background, working with this film's cast, filming her gun shooting and sexual encounter scenes, her pregnancy on the set, and her thoughts on the film's story and structure.
• Rise of the Incubus (HD, 6:40): "An all-new interview with Creature Designer John Naulin." Naulin speaks on his work at Don Post and his creature design for Deadly Blessing.
• So It Was Written (HD, 20:33): "A Look at the film's screenplay with Writers Glenn Benest and Matthew Barr." Examined is the plot, themes, the writers' backgrounds, Deadly Blessing plot details, the writing process, Wes Craven's contributions to the script, shooting various scenes, Sharon Stone's work, different endings, and more.
• Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2:31).
• TV Spots (HD, 1:37).
• Radio Spots (HD, 2:35).
• Photo Gallery (HD, 0:57).

Deadly Blessing Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Deadly Blessing won't be remembered as a high point for Director Wes Craven's career -- and understandably so -- but it's a decent little atmospheric picture that never goes too goofy with its premise but also never quite hits a stride of producing an unrelenting uneasiness or sense of terror in its audience. It's a serviceable little genre piece that favors atmosphere over action. It's well-acted and adequately directed from a script that could use some work but that's strong enough to push out a watchable little movie that Wes Craven fans in particular will want to experience. Shout! Factory's Blu-ray release of Deadly Blessing features passable high definition video and audio. A well-rounded array of extra content is included. Worth a purchase on a very good sale.