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The Entity (1981)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
4 February 1983 (USA)
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Tagline:
There is no escape from something you cannot see more
Plot:
Supposedly based partially on a true story, a woman is tormented and sexually molested by an invisible demon. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
1 win
&
1 nomination
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NewsDesk:
(13 articles)
Winona Ryder et al. join Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan
(From Fangoria. 9 November 2009, 9:35 AM, PST)
Martin Scorsese Picks 11 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time!
(From FirstShowing.net. 30 October 2009, 5:51 PM, PDT)
(From Fangoria. 9 November 2009, 9:35 AM, PST)
Martin Scorsese Picks 11 Scariest Horror Movies of All Time!
(From FirstShowing.net. 30 October 2009, 5:51 PM, PDT)
User Comments:
Hair-raising shocker, based on true events
more (101 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Barbara Hershey | ... | Carla Moran |
 | Ron Silver | ... | Phil Sneiderman |
 | David Labiosa | ... | Billy |
 | George Coe | ... | Dr. Weber |
 | Margaret Blye | ... | Cindy Nash |
| Jacqueline Brookes | ... | Dr. Cooley |
| Richard Brestoff | ... | Gene Kraft |
| Michael Alldredge | ... | George Nash |
| Raymond Singer | ... | Joe Mehan |
 | Allan Rich | ... | Dr. Walcott |
| Natasha Ryan | ... | Julie |
| Melanie Gaffin | ... | Kim |
 | Alex Rocco | ... | Jerry Anderson |
| Sully Boyar | ... | Mr. Reisz |
| Tom Stern | ... | Woody Browne |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
125 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
2.20 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby (35 mm prints) |
70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)
Certification:
Iceland:16 |
Canada:R (Ontario) |
Netherlands:16 |
Australia:M |
Finland:K-16 |
France:-12 |
Norway:18 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:18 |
USA:R |
West Germany:16
Filming Locations:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Robert MacNaughton auditioned for a role for this film, after being asked because the casting director saw him in an off-Broadway play, in New York.
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Quotes:
Carla Moran:
I mean I'd rather be dead than living the way I've been living. Do you understand that?
Phil Sneiderman: Yes, I can understand that. Yes. I also understand that I care very much what happens to you. Very much. And I know that in your heart you know the difference between reality and fantasy. Carla, look at me, Carla - our reason, our intelligence:That's the only thing that distinguishes us between any other species of animal...
[...]
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Phil Sneiderman: Yes, I can understand that. Yes. I also understand that I care very much what happens to you. Very much. And I know that in your heart you know the difference between reality and fantasy. Carla, look at me, Carla - our reason, our intelligence:That's the only thing that distinguishes us between any other species of animal...
[...]
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Inglourious Basterds (2009)
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Soundtrack:
Tou Can't Have Me
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FAQ
Is "The Entity" based on a book?more
more (101 total)
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THE ENTITY
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)
Sound format: 6-track Dolby Stereo
(35mm and 70mm release prints)
A busy single mother (Barbara Hershey) is inexplicably targeted by a monstrous, invisible 'entity' which emerges from nowhere and begins to assault her on a regular basis.
Based on events recounted in Frank DeFelitta's bestselling book, Sidney J. Furie's compelling shocker takes all the dramatic liberties one might expect of a Hollywood production, though DeFelitta's script manages to establish a genuine conflict between intractable science (spearheaded by Ron Silver as Hershey's disbelieving psychiatrist) and open-minded parapsychology (led by warm-hearted Jacqueline Brookes). Furie uses dutch angles and vivid closeups to emphasize the human tragedy at the heart of the story, as Hershey struggles to come to terms with her fantastical situation, only to be torn between Silver's increasingly ludicrous 'rationalizations' (he concludes that her experiences amount to little more than a sublimated incestuous crush on her handsome teenage son, played by David Labiosa!) and the day-to-day reality of her encounters with paranormal forces. Thankfully, despite suggestions of Silver's romantic attraction to Hershey, director and screenwriter keep a tight rein on proceedings, stripping all non-essential business from the central narrative.
Giving one of her best performances, Hershey is deeply affecting as the simple woman caught up in extraordinary circumstances beyond her control, and Furie stages the various supernatural assaults with frightening intensity, underlined by Charles Bernstein's pounding music score which elevates proceedings to a whole new level of horror. Despite the sexual nature of the attacks, Furie resists an urge to indulge the audience's voyeurism, and aside from one brief nude scene (employing a fairly obvious body double) and a full-body appliance (courtesy of Stan Winston) to depict invisible fingers manipulating Hershey's torso, the film is quite restrained in its portrayal of this sensitive material. The climactic visual effects - supervised by William Cruse - are remarkably poor, but this minor blemish isn't enough to weaken the film's cumulative impact. Listen out for the entity's only line of 'dialogue', as creepy as it is obscene.