terrible... so disappointed.

Purely Joyful Movie!

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Film Noir is still a stable but popular item, not only with connoisseurs but also with the general public and especially with the younger generation of moviegoers. As if to prove that not all the most intriguing of Hollywood's flirtations with noir and mystery lie in the past, "Dead of Winter" (1987) presents a most convincing Mary Steenburgen in three brilliantly contrasted roles, plus Roddy McDowall in his most involving part since "Kidnapped" (made way back in 1948). A truly frightening film, "Dead of Winter" revolves around an ingenious script that the pacey and forceful direction by Arthur Penn endows with a mind-numbing reality. The M-G-M DVD rates 10/10.

Heading for an audition, an actress drives out to a large mansion to prepare for the role only to find that a strange conspiracy appears to involve one of his former patients trying to kill her, and she soon learns of deeper ties to their plot and must put a stop to them before it's too late.There were a few good parts to this one. One of the better parts to this is the house's look, which actually works to the film's advantage in creating a dark, chilling atmosphere due to several key factors. From the large size that offers up hidden passageways, alternate rooms and more to the decorations that adorn the walls and layout, there's plenty to enjoy about the setting to this one. There's also the film's somewhat engaging mystery when it first starts throwing them out there. From the burning license in the fire and the lies about the phones to when it starts in with the hidden rooms and passageways, along with their behavior towards her, it makes this part of the film really entertaining and enjoyable, which is a good thing and is definitely very appreciated. The only other good part of this one is the final chase in here, which is really good from the first instances where the escape plan is put into motion, the different confrontations throughout the house are very good as well, and once it moves into the attic where it gets really fun. From the kills to the suspense and the action all combine to make this the only section of the film where something is happening. These here are all that work for this one as it has a couple flaws that severely hold it back. One of the main ones is the fact that the film just doesn't have any kind of action or horror-related scenes for a near eternity. It's close to fifty minutes in before any kind of danger is detected, and it's still not anything that would move the film along with any kind of speed or momentum at all, and usually resort to being quickly written off at the time to get back to the slow, snail-like pace that has been going on until then. That just makes the film go so long that it's really almost impossible to get into the film with any kind of intimacy, due to the fact that the time when it should be making us interested in the film it spends them showcasing these boring aspects instead, and that is really off- putting and extremely uninteresting. The other big problem with this one is the fact that the twist, when it occurs late in the film, not only doesn't change matters much but seemingly re-writes the film to the point of utter confusion. This would take forever to fully get all the way out, and instead, it just doesn't do much at all to the film as a whole. It's quite a lame twist and doesn't help the film at all. There are a couple other minor flaws, but none of them are as detrimental as these.Rated R: Violence and Language.

In New York, the unemployed actress Katie McGovern (Mary Steenburgen) is invited to an audition to replace the actress Julie Rose that had a nervous breakdown in the middle of a filmmaking. She gets the job and travels with Mr. Murray (Roddy McDowell) to a remote manor upstate to meet the producer Dr. Joseph Lewis (Jan Rubes) that prepares footage with a test to be sent to the director. She is lodged in the mansion but when Katie sees her driving license burning in the fireplace, she finds that all her documents and credit cards are missing from her wallet and the telephone line is actually cut off the wall. Sooner she finds that she was lured by the two men and is trapped in the house in a blackmail scheme. "Dead of Winter" is a great suspense in one of the best performances of Mary Steenburgen in a triple role. Despite a couple of bad reviews, the theatrical and claustrophobic dark story of murder, greedy, blackmail and a stiletto is one of the best thrillers of the 80's. The few external locations are awesome and unfortunately the VHS does not highlight the cinematography. This is the fourth or fifth time that I watch this film and I still like it. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Morte no Inferno" ("Death in the Hell")

Enjoyed the 1945 film, "My Name is Julie Ross", 1945 starring Nina Foch, which was a great thrilling film for 1945. However, this 1987 remake held my interest from beginning to the very end. It was full of horror, thrills and plenty of chills in a very winter time of year with plenty of snow and howling winds and a creepy old home. Mary Steenburgen, (Julie Ross) plays the role of a struggling actress and tries out for an audition and secures the acting position and is required to stay in the producers home. Roddy McDowell, (Mr. Murray) guides Julie Ross into a large spider web of murder, torture and secret panels in the walls and plenty of blood. Jan Rubes, (Dr. Joseph Lewis) plays the so called doctor and producer who simply adores Julie Ross and simply does not want her to leave and go home to her husband. Mary Steenburgen gave an outstanding performance along with the great former actor, Roddy McDowell. Enjoy