A Reflection of Fear (1973)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

William A. Fraker

Writers:

Lewis John Carlino (writer)
Stanton Forbes (novel)

Release Date:

11 May 1973 (Finland)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

A cry in the night... A gasp in the dark...

Plot:

A young girl lives with her mother and grandmother. One day her estranged father returns home with a female companion he introduces as his fiance...

Plot Keywords:

Family Secret | Dysfunctional Family | Divorce | Biology | Isolation

Cast

Robert Shaw	...	Michael
Sally Kellerman	...	Anne
Mary Ure	...	Katherine
Sondra Locke	...	Marguerite
Signe Hasso	...	Julia
Mitch Ryan	...	Inspector McKenna
Gordon Devol	...	Hector
Gordon Anderson	...	Aaron (voice)
Victoria Risk	...	Peggy
Leonard Crofoot	...	Aaron (as Leonard John Crofoot)
Michael St. Clair	...	Kevin
Liam Dunn	...	Coroner
Michelle Marvin	...	Nurse
Michele Montau	...	Mme. Caraquet

Also Known As:

Autumn Child
Labyrinth

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 | USA:PG | Norway:18 (video premiere)

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Last film of Mary Ure.

Weird multilevel horror movie,not for children

When I saw this film it was a on the double bill with Columbia's THE CREEPING FLESH, back in about 1973.A FLECTION OF FEAR is a lot like Paramount pictures sadly never released on tape, LETS SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH, and the Canadian picture: THE PYX. All three were made within a year or so of each other, and were very moody, dark and scary. The plot of A FEFLECTION OF FEAR is pretty convoluted. Who is the deranged killer, a boy grounds keeper, a emotionally disturbed girl, her father (Robert Shaw in a pre-jaws role)or a weird sinister doll. Or none of the above? It will keep you guessing till the unexpected climax. A lot of pretty frightening films were released in the early 70's and I was afraid to walk around in the dark alone for years after seeing this film.

The reason I felt that this film was so scary was that it was a dark and misty looking film. filmed in low light and in many scenes,also with a possible gel filter on. Also the scenes in the house were very dark and creepy. This was especially true in the scenes of Sondra Locke's doll filled room. When the camera panned around the room showing (dark) close ups of all her dolls somewhat weird looking faces in various states of disrepair or use from age...brr. And most of all the one life-sized doll sitting silently in a rocking chair with a black cape and grim reaper like hood masking its features.....exactly as the killer is garbed. Is the doll alive? This is a horror film after all! Or is it really a person not a doll? THIS is the central mystery to the entire film.

Since I saw This film at a pretty young age,I was for years frightened to walk downstairs in the dark in our house. I kept thinking I saw that weird deaths-head doll in every shadow, and we also had the same type of rocking chair as in the movie and sometimes as I was moving around in the dark the cat would get startled and leap from the rocking chair causing it to rock back and forth! I would go running back upstairs!

All in all despite its cut released version this was a very creepy movie!