Pretty Good

hyped garbage

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

'The Innocents (1961)' is classic horror in every sense, based upon a stage adaptation of 'The Turn Of The Screw', that manages to call into question the psychological health of the central character as her very reality spirals out of control. It's this ambiguity that allows the more overt supernatural elements to co-exist with the implied; maybe there's something constantly lurking just outside the frame, or maybe there isn't. This turns even something as innocuous as the laughter of children into something altogether more sinister. 7/10

My sister took me at about ten years of age to see this as a play on Broadway, starring Beatrice Straight. I'm certain that she could not have been aware of how frightening this play would be for a ten year old. In plain words, it scared the be jabbers out of me. I was leery of being alone in a darkened apartment for years afterward. We can now jump forward a bunch of years to the winter of 1961. By this time, I was married and in the service. I was still in training , in Army Administration School at Ft Jackson, SC. since this was a Training Base, it emptied out during the Christmas Holiday, and most of us went home for the ten days between Christmas and New Years. I hadn't been able to see my new wife for six weeks, so I got myself home ASAP. WE went to several first run films, while we relaxed for the time I was home. One was THE INNOCENTS, now starring Miss Kerr and Michael Redgrave. Even though I was an adult and in the army, the story and characters had lost none of it power to still scare the be jabbers out of me. This film has been shown uncut on several cable channels and TMC and I never could bring myself to watch it again. It's still SCARY, SCARY, THE SCARIEST to me. There have only been two films in my close to eighty years that have affected me in this manner. THE INNOCENTS and HITCHCOCK'S masterwork, PSYCHO. If you do not wish the be jabbers scared out of you. stay away from these two films.

THE INNOCENTS is a supernatural Gothic horror about a governess who watches over two children and comes to fear that their house is haunted by ghosts.The young and beautiful Miss Giddens applies for a job as a governess. A wealthy bachelor thinks, regardless of her inexperience, that she is an ideal for his niece and nephew. He travels frequently and does not have time for his small relatives. She accepts full responsibility for the children. Previous governess is suddenly died. New governess has found a decent and friendly girl and later, a charming and flattering boy. However, children are hiding some strange secrets. Miss Giddens is upset by unexplained voices and by several visions of a woman and man...Psychology and an eerie atmosphere, through a strange combination of a supernatural and traditional work very well. Close-ups between apparitions and emotions, with change of soundtracks are almost perfect.Deborah Kerr (Miss Giddens) is an extremely complex character, who quickly accepts anomalous situations and at the same time struggling with her own hallucinations and sexual frustrations. However, it is not a dark or irrational character. She is an entirely healthy woman, who is faced with a mystery of the past and ghostly appearances. We, actually, look the events through her eyes.Mr. Clayton has successfully set a trap. Ms. Kerr has offered great performance.Martin Stephens (Miles) and Pamela Franklin (Flora) are the core of the problem as innocent and sinister children at the same time. However, they are, in fact, confused.Are innocent children possessed and thrown into a vortex of perverse sexual secrets or are they victims of a morbid young woman who has a lush imagination and perverse sexual desire!? Decide for yourself.

Yes. This 1961 Supernatural-Thriller certainly had its fair share of good points, as well as its not so good points.The one thing that really impressed me about this particular ghost story was that it delivered its eerie, little story quite effectively without spilling even a single drop of blood.I think that, alone, earns The Innocents some rightful and respectful recognition in the realm of "horror". 'Cause, even way back in 1961, a fright flick could never be expected to hold the viewer's rapt attention without the necessity of blood & gore.Anyways - With strong performances given by all of its principal cast members, I thought that the overall subtlety of The Innocents' sinister and nightmarish tale was quite impressive. And I wasn't in the least bit disappointed with this supernatural story as it slowly, but surely, unravelled its mystery of mounting madness that seemed to rise from the depths of a very dark and curious netherworld.