Pin (1988)

Director:

Sandor Stern

Writers:

Andrew Neiderman (novel)
Sandor Stern (writer)

Release Date:

31 May 1989 (Canada)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Is Pin alive? Leon knows... but nobody believes him!

Plot:

In this low-budget descendant of Psycho, Ursula and Leon are sister and brother, living alone, save...

Plot Keywords:

Pinocchio | Doctor | Ventriloquism | Murder | Nervous Breakdown

Cast

David Hewlett	...	Leon Linden
Cynthia Preston	...	Ursula Linden (as Cyndy Preston)
Terry O'Quinn	...	Dr. Linden
Bronwen Mantel	...	Mrs. Linden
John Pyper-Ferguson	...	Stan Fraker (as John Ferguson)
Helene Udy	...	Marcia Bateman
Patricia Collins	...	Aunt Dorothy
Steven Bednarski	...	Leon...Age 13
Katie Shingler	...	Ursula...Age 11
Jacob Tierney	...	Leon, age 7
Michelle Anderson	...	Ursula...Age 5
Joan Austen	...	Nurse Spalding
Jamie Stern	...	Eddie Morris (as James Stern)
David Gow	...	Officer Wilson
Terrence Labrosse	...	Dr. Bell

Also Known As:

Pin: A Plastic Nightmare (Canada: English title)

Runtime:

USA:103 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Belgium:16 (video rating) | UK:15 (video re-rating) | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | Canada:R | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Iberville, Québec, Canada

Company:

Lance Entertainment

Trivia:

The film that Leon (David Hewlett) and Marcia see while on their date is Scanners (1981). David Hewlett would later star in Scanners II: The New Order (1991) (V).

Quotes:

PIN: Have you heard from Leon?
Ursula Linden: No.
PIN: I miss him a great deal.
Ursula Linden: [camera pans down to reveal Leon has become Pin and Ursula begins to cry] So do I.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Nightmare in Canada: Canadian Horror on Film (2004) (TV)

A different sort of 80s horror film

Leon and Ursula's parents aren't very affectionate. Their mother cares more about a spotless perfect household and their doctor father is always at work. He often brings them along, and uses ventriloquism to make it seem like his medical "anatomy" dummy is speaking to them. The kids are quite fond of the dummy (Pin) and believe he is really alive. As teens, after various upsetting events, they find themselves living in their home alone. Ursula is trying to become a well-adjusted adult, but Leon finds that his only true friend is Pin and still thinks he is actually alive. Is he? Or is Leon going crazy?

This is a very bizarre movie, and one of the better horror films I've seen from the 80s. The first half hour or so is sort of awkward to watch due to some of the children's experiences. The latter half of the film doesn't focus on Leon's psychology as much as one would expect, though it is clear that the kid has a warped idea of sexuality based on his twisted parental guidance and a freaky...incident he witnessed involving his beloved Pin. The acting is above average for an 80s horror film, and most genre fans will recognize David Hewlitt from "Cube." He does a good job playing the potentially-psycho teenager, and Cynthia Preston is marvelous as the sister trying to bring some stability to the family. Overall, this is an interesting, mildly creepy, and refreshingly toned-down offering from the decade of excess.

My Rating: 7/10.