Audrey Rose (1977) Movie Review
Written By: K.M.C
Edited By: Grave Reviews Staff
Film Information
Director: Robert Wise
Producers: Frank De Felitta & Joe Wizan
Writers: Frank De Felitta
Date Released: April 6, 1977
Cast:
Susan Swift as Ivy Templeton / Audrey Rose
Martha Mason as Janice Templeton
Anthony Hopkins as Elliot Hoover
John Beck as Bill Templeton
Norman Lloyd as Dr. Steven Lipscomb
John Hilelrman as Prosecutor Scott Veile
Rating = 2.5 /5 Graves
***May contain some spoilers***
Synopsis
Bill and Janice Templton live a privileged life with their 11 year-old daughter who starts to exhibit violent hallucinations when she is asleep. Around the same time Ivy’s hallucinations start to intensify, the Templetons notice a strange man who seems to be following Ivy around town.
He finally reveals himself to the Templetons as Elliot Hoover and explains to them that he is a widow as well as a former father to a daughter who was burned alive in a car crash. He then proves to the Templetons that their daughter, Ivy Templeton, is the reincarnation of his daughter, Aubrey Rose, by describing personal details of Ivy and their home. The situation then spirals as Ivy’s violent hallucinations get worse and tensions rise between the Templetons and Hoover.
Gore Factor
Audrey Rose would be tagged on the low side, if at all, on the gore scale. The only “gore” that is exhibited throughout the film is Ivy’s burnt hands, which aren’t even really visible other than short snippets when she flails around the room.
The Grave Review
The Audrey Rose storyline is nothing new to the audience of the 70s, let alone for todays audience. It is difficult to discuss Audrey Rose without being able to mention The Exorcist. Many critics have claimed Audrey Rose to be a knock-off of the famous 1973 film not only due to the storyline of a sweet 11 year-old practically getting possessed, but to the protagonists physical features and way of speaking. Although Wise has no documented comment of piggy backing off of The Exorcist, he does claim to have gotten his inspiration from a reincarnation incident mentioned in the novel The Case of Reincarnation by Joe Fisher.
Nonetheless, Audrey Rose executes the concept of reincarnation in a mysterious and intriguing way by having the ending be one that is fatal with no resolution. This, alongside the idea of a reincarnation gone horribly wrong, is how the element of horror is induced thus being the only aspect to be appreciated within the plot. Susan Swift’s acting was what inherently saved the film from becoming a complete tanker. Performances executed by the rest of the cast were that of overacting, underacting, and terribly timed outbursts.
For the foregoing reasons, Grave Reviews gives Audrey Rose (1977) two and a half graves out of five graves.
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