Dead of Winter 1987

      Katie McGovern is a struggling actress living with her husband and her visiting student brother.  She attends an audition that she found advertised in the paper.  She is selected to shoot a short video which will be sent to a director for his approval.  Mr. Murray is the man holding the audition.  He takes Katie to a remote mansion where they will shoot the video.  Katie is selected to replace the previous lead in the film.  The previous actress looks a lot like Katie.  Within a short about of time, things begin to look as if they are not what they seem.  Katie soon realizes she is in danger and she attempts to escape.

      The plot is not really the point in a movie like this. Thriller plots are written to be manipulated and then forgotten.  What counts is the architecture of the house.  The exact locations of the one-way mirrors and the hidden staircases. The existence of a working telephone in the attic.  There are alarming moments and the heroine knows that something is going on in the background here?  The plot is simply a device to convey us from one heart-stopping moment to the next.

Special Note:  This movie is based upon the film My Name is Julia Ross (1945) staring Nina Foch.  One of the film’s co-writers, Mark Malone also has a small role at Katie McGovern’s brother, Roland.  This film was released 42 years after the original film.  Malcolm McDowell is the celebrity whose photograph Dr. Lewis is "autographing" to add to his display.  At the time of filming, McDowell was married to star Mary Steenburgen.

Mistake:  When Katie's driver's license is burning in the fireplace, a part of portion of the already burned license appears intact in a subsequent shot? 

Note:  Imdb 6.2* out of 10* with 3691 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 77% with 13 critic reviews 46% with 1000+ audience scores, Letterboxd 3* out of 5*, Metacritic 55 out of 100 with 12 critic reviews, Roger Ebert 2 1/2*, Amazon 4.4* out of 5* with 202 reviews.

100 min, Drama directed by Arthur Penn and written by Marc Shmuger and Mark Malone with Mary Steenburgen, Roddy McDowall, Jan Rubes, William Russ, Ken Pogue, Wayne Robson, Mark Malone, Michael Copeman, Sam Malkin, Pamela Moller, Dwayne McLean, Paul Welsh.