The Entity to say the least is a unique and pretty graphic supernatural-thriller that features a brave performance from Barbara Hershey and although it’s far from perfect, definitely worth checking out.
The Entity
— Collector’s Edition —
(1983)
Genre(s): Supernatural Thriller, Drama
Shout Factory | R – 125 min. – $29.99 | June 11, 2019
Date Published: 06/14/2019 | Author: The Movieman
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Shout Factory provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this Blog Post.
The opinions I share are my own.
THE MOVIE — 3.5/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Single mother Carla Moran (BARBARA HERSHEY) is raped and attacked by an invisible force. She begins therapy with Dr. Phil Sneiderman (RON SILVER), a psychiatrist who believes Carla’s traumatic past is motivating her to commit self-induced injuries, rather than anything supernatural. When the attacks continue, Carla invites two college students with an interest in the paranormal to visit her house. After seeing the ghost in action, they agree to help Carla defeat her invisible attacker.
Quick Hit Review: I wasn’t overly familiar with The Entity, a supernatural-thriller-drama released back in 1983, almost a year after the release of Poltergeist, the latest in a string of these kinds of movies probably due to the massive success of The Exorcist (followed by The Omen series) a decade earlier. So I really wasn’t sure what to expect, and I will say, it is a pretty terrifying movie, and also uncomfortable for some as it does have a few rape scenes, the last particularly jarring. The film, which was inspired by the true story — with many elements clearly dramatized for Hollywood — of a woman we now know as Doris Bither (who passed away in 1995), was directed by Sidney J. Furie (Iron Eagle, Superman IV) and was based on the novel written by Frank De Felitta, who also scripted. Beyond the graphic nature which is probably why the movie is primarily known for, the performance from Barbara Hershey was exceptional, able to give those scenes the necessary weight without coming across hokey or even comedic (one scene, where the son is being held back by this unseen demon, however, did look ridiculous).
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SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.0/5 |
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This “Collector’s Edition” comes with a matted slip cover and the inner cover is reversible. Audio Commentary – Author Daniel Kremer offers his insights into the movie with a focus on director Sidney J. Furie as well as on the subject matter itself. Not great but he does fill the time fairly well and although would’ve nice to have someone involved with the production, it’s still worth checking out. Interviews:
The Entity Files (27:30) is an older featurette that delves into the paranormal aspects in society. Trailers from Hell (2:19) is basically a commentary by filmmaker Luca Guadagnino on The Entity trailer. Rounding out the features is the Theatrical Trailer (1:23), TV Spots (0:59), Radio Spots (1:02) and a Still Gallery (2:09). |
VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| Shout Factory releases The Entity onto Blu-ray presented in its original 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio and has been given a 1080p high-definition transfer. There’s no mention on the back cover, so likely Shout received the transfer from Fox and it probably didn’t get a major restoration, yet this one did look great. Detail was sharp and nicely defined, colors were muted in keeping with the very dark elements. There were a few minor specs but all in all, it was an impressive transfer. |
AUDIO – 4.0/5 |
| The disc comes with three choices: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (default), 5.1 and even 4.1. The majority of the movie I watched with the former but in testing, the other two does sound fairly good, dialogue comes across with clarity and no signs of hissing, pops or other anomalies. |
OVERALL – 3.75/5 |
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Overall, The Entity to say the least is a unique and pretty graphic supernatural-thriller that features a brave performance from Barbara Hershey and although it’s far from perfect, definitely worth checking out. The “Collector’s Edition” Blu-ray from Shout’s Scream Factory line includes good video and audio transfers and a nice selection of bonus features. |
Check out some more 1080p screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.