Fantastic!

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

This movie didn't sit well with me. I didn't read any spoilers before I watched this, nor did I read the book, but I wish I had and spared myself the 90 minutes. I saw bits and pieces of this movie when I was a youngster so I already knew that some animal dies. This movie is great until the last 15 minutes. I honestly didn't know that the baby (or the boy) was going to die. I did know that the tag line is "Holland where's the baby", but I guess I was hoping against the worst possible scenario. It was a letdown for me because I am a mother with two babies who are my entire world.

This little rural thriller is considered an unsung minor classic in some circles, but I had some problems with it - three, to be more specific: a) either my hearing is going bad, or the sound recording was poor, or some of the actors did not enunciate well enough, but I could not understand much of the dialogue (and my DVD has no subtitles, either) - like, at least half of it, b) nothing happens for nearly an hour, c) Uta Hagen gives a supremely irritating performance, with her overdone fake Russian accent and the overuse of expressions such as "Come, child". Apart from all that, director Robert Mulligan is successful at establishing a mood, there is a startling plot twist in the middle, and if you take the film as an allegory about the difficulty of a child to cope with loss, it is effective. But it should have been half as long. **1/2 out of 4.

The plot twist I saw it coming a while before it was revealed but this didn't take away any of my enjoyment to see the rest of it. This is not the movie's fault. I bet back in 1972 most people wouldn't have guessed that. Now many people must have seen something similar to it already.Still in the ending it leaves for multiple explanations. Reading the different interpretations on the board here all of those had good arguments to be correct. I'm not sure what my interpretation was. The movie is based on a book (which I haven't read) that also leaves for different interpretations.I really enjoyed the movie, compelling story and interesting characters. Good acting from both the twin boys and the grandmother was awesome. The Great Game she taught her grandsons was really a clever idea.

"The Other" is an adaptation of the Thomas Tryon novel, scripted (and executive produced) by Tryon himself, which tells us a story of evil set against the backdrop of a peaceful farming community in Depression era Connecticut. Director Robert Mulligan ("To Kill a Mockingbird") milks the location for a lot of atmosphere - and the finale is particularly sinister - but the horrors of this film are largely psychological, which will appeal to those genre fans looking for something subtle.It stars legendary acting teacher Uta Hagen, in one of her rare film roles, as Ada, the doting grandmother to twin boys Niles and Holland (played by actual identical twins Chris and Martin Udvarnoky). Niles is the more grounded one and Holland the more mischievous one. They also live with other relatives including an incapacitated mother, Alexandra (Diana Muldaur). Niles has been taught a special "game" by Ada, which allows him to see through the eyes of others.But don't let that lead you to believe there's much if any of the supernatural in this story. It's done in a more realistic manner, and the effectiveness of the film hinges on ambiance, mood, and performances. Hagen is quite wonderful, and the Udvarnokys - who unfortunately never made another film - offer completely natural, unaffected portrayals. The excellent cast also features Victor French, Lou Frizzell, Portia Nelson, John Ritter (in one of his earliest big screen appearances), Jack Collins, and Ed Bakey. Production design (by Albert Brenner), cinematography (by Robert Surtees), and music (by Jerry Goldsmith) are all beautiful. This is one of those films that does take you back to a different time and place. The end is haunting and not likely to be forgotten by the viewer anytime soon.The story's critical revelation actually occurs sooner than you might expect, but things only build from there; Tryon still has more twists and turns up his sleeve.Highly recommended to horror fans, especially those who favour the traditional variety of horror.Eight out of 10.