My quick rating - 7,0/10. I remember watching this one on the Showtime box we had growing up before cable was a thing. Barbara Hershey plays a woman (Carla) who is attacked and raped repeatedly by some supernatural force from what I recall. Back then I didn't worry about things like how well it was acted etc. so I am paying more attention to those aspects this time around. As if being raped isn't terrifying enough, she continues to be abused by something or someone she cannot even see. A complete tour-de-force type performance in this flick by Hershey. Even worse still is this film is based on a true story of a woman from the 1970s and reads even more frightening then what we see here. Ron Silver also turns in a great performance as the doctor and friend to Carla who tries to understand and help as best as he can while trying to come to grips with an unbelievable story that is being told. The sound that is used is so effective in creating the tense atmosphere needed whenever the demon shows up and is very reminiscent of how you feel when the Jaws theme plays. Doesn't take more than a few notes done right to peak your fear. The camera work that Sidney J. Furie orchestrates does something to really heighten the situation even more as all the male figures faces are rarely shown so Hershey attention is fully front and center. The men will speak, often off camera and then subtly will be shown but by then your focus is already entrenched in Carla. There was another evil spirit type movie in 1982 that really garnered the attention called Poltergeist and with good reason. That movie found a way to scare you in a sort of fun, Hollywood style way. This movie will just creep into the back of your mind and scare the shit out of you, male or female. Everything is done so well to make it feel realistic and draw you into her characters plight not only to be believed but to survive. Definitely should be on any fan of horrors list of must watch flix since it still holds up 40 years later.
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