People are voting emotionally.

Good concept, poorly executed.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

"Deadly Blessing" is a film I'd heard a lot about but not had the chance to see until it was finally released on DVD for the first time this past year. One of Wes Craven's earlier endeavors, the film takes place in a rural farming community that is home to the Hittites, a religious sect in the vein of the Amish but much more extreme. In it, Martha (Maren Jensen) lives with her husband, who is an ex-Hittite himself. After he mysteriously dies in a tractor accident, Martha's two female friends (including a young Sharon Stone) come to stay with her, and they are targeted by the strange religious group who comes to believe Martha to be an incubus.A far cry from Craven's grindhouse exercises in brutality, "The Last House on the Left" and "The Hills Have Eyes", "Deadly Blessing" takes a more accessible direction, and the conventional filmmaking techniques at work here illustrate Craven's aim for a more mainstream audience. Trading in the gritty 6mm feel that punctuated the aforementioned films, "Deadly Blessing" is surprisingly glossy, and plays out like a made-for-television horror movie (albeit a tad bit more gratuitous).Conceptually, the film has an interesting premise— after all, who doesn't like a good old fashioned horror flick about religious maniacs inflicting horror on innocent citizens? Predating "Children of the Corn", the film's rural farmland setting lends an ominous atmosphere and adds to the sense of dread that pervades the narrative, albeit in a bit of a wonky manner. The film treads the line between the realms of the supernatural and the slasher rather awkwardly, but the quirkiness this creates almost makes the film charming. It channels the religious ostracism and wonderful weirdness of films like "The Wicker Man", but also follows in line with the slasher tropes of films like "Friday the 13th" and the like.A lot of people have booed the ending of the film, which accords to its supernatural subtext, and I can see both sides of the argument; that said, for the sake of the film's innate quirkiness, I think that it fits just fine. As far as the performances in the film go, well... they're pretty bad, even by '80s horror standards. Maren Jensen gives a decent performance, but the supporting female cast is weak— Sharon Stone is even shoddy in this early supporting role, but she's known for being a bit hit-and-miss. Ernest Borgnine does give a hammy and entertaining life to the role of the religious leader, and Michael Berryman's presence in the film is welcome.Overall, I found "Deadly Blessing" hard to like or dislike with any passion. Its rural farmland setting gives it a thick atmosphere, and the premise of the film is at least interesting. The performances are overall pretty poor, but if you can get past hokey acting (which isn't terribly difficult if you're accustomed to '80s horror), there's fun to be had. If nothing else, "Deadly Blessing" stands as a monument of Craven's transitory period between grindhouse horror and mainstream genre audiences. Not a total waste of time, but not a success either. I rate it slightly above average just for the brilliant snake scene, and Sharon Stone's disgusting eight-legged dream sequence. 6/10.

Jim Schmidt (Doug Barr) turns his back on his Hittite faith and moves to the city to start a new life. He returns with his new bride, Martha (Maren Jensen), to the place he grew up. His father, Isaiah (Ernest Borgnine), and family have disowned him for leaving the Hittite faith. They will have nothing to do with him or his bride. When Jim is killed in a mysterious tractor accident, Martha begins to suspect that the Hittites are trying to drive her away from the land she lives on and still claim is theirs. A series of brutal murders further prove something's not right in the little country community.Director Wes Craven obviously used "Deadly Blessing" as practicing grounds for his future horror exploits. One example is a very familiar camera angle used in "Deadly Blessing" that he re-used in the original "A Nightmare on Elm Street." It left me smiling throughout the entire sequence. One thing I'll give Craven is he knows how to drum up enough suspense to make you nervously bite your fingernails through pacing and editing alone. There are some genuinely nerve-wracking moments in "Deadly Blessing."The movie boasts an interesting variety of cast members at various times in their careers. "Deadly Blessing" is Maren Jensen's ("Battlestar Galactica") last big-screen role. It features Sharon Stone in one of her first film appearances. Genre-favorite Michael Berryman ("The Hills Have Eyes") appears as a creepy mentally handicapped Hittite.Ernest Borgnine had already won Academy and Golden Globe Awards before taking the role of cult leader Isaiah. Any other actor of his caliber probably would've stuck his nose up in the air and walked away when offered this role in a low-budget horror film. Borgnine instead throws himself into the character and adds a level of class to the movie that takes it to a whole new level.

I think Wes Craven gets picked on too much. Most people say he's only directed a few decent movies and the rest are crap. Sure, the man's made some bad movies (CURSED), but I think he has enough good material in his cannon to be declared a quality director. Take, for example, one of his more forgotten works, DEADLY BLESSING.Marsha and her husband live next to a colony of Hittites, which her husband used to belong to until they exiled him for marrying Marsha, so now the colony calls her "the Incubus." Marsha's husband dies in a tractor "accident," and soon, someone begins killing off various people in the area. Is it the vengeful leader of the Hittites, Isaiah? Is it one of the two friends Marsha has invited over? Or is something supernatural at work? I was avoiding this movie for a while, mainly because I'm not a fan of movies that take place in old-fashioned places, such as Amish (or Hittites, technically) communities. However, I discovered that this is actually quite enjoyable! One strong point is the pacing. The pace is neither too fast, nor too slow, and it never changes at any point in the movie. The acting is also really good, including such notable players as Sharon Stone, Ernest Borgnine, and Michael Berryman (who really doesn't serve much of a purpose, but his presence is always welcome).The film is essentially a slasher flick, and a pretty good one at that. The murders are never very bloody, Craven manages to build up a lot of suspense with most of them. I did guess the identity of the killer, however, I did not guess his/her motive, and let me just say that in any other movie, ti would have been completely laughable. However, Craven manages to pull it off well in my eyes.There are a few small things that go nowhere (either that or I wasn't paying enough attention to the plot), such as Lana (Stone) having recurring nightmares where something is out to get here, Isaiah's son being exiled, Berryman, etc. And then there's a completely ludicrous, out-of-left-field, has NOTHING to do with the rest of the film shock ending, which has to be one of the biggest WTF's I've ever seen. And yes, that ending is what made me bump up the rating from a "7" to an "8." DEADLY BLESSING is pure entertainment any way you slice it. The suspense is great, the atmosphere is heavy, it rarely drags, the acting is way above average, and it has the biggest WTF ending ever! It's a must-see.

Up until recently I have never heard of this movie, all I knew before I saw it was that this was Sharon Stone's first ever speaking role, and now that I finally got round to seeing this, well I was pleasantly surprised.The plot = Set in the Amish country, where a young woman named Martha (Maren Jensen) and her husband John (Jeff East) are hated by the Hitites because John was once one of them and now he's married Martha who they think is an incubus. But when her husband dies in a mysterious tractor accident, she invites her 2 friends Vicky (Susan Buckner) and Lana (Sharon Stone) and once they arrive strange things begin to happen.I really liked this movie and I don't know why this isn't more remembered by some other of Wes Craven's work, Well I must say that this movie is really solid and really packs a punch. I thought the story was really unique and perfect for a horror setting. I really liked the sort or religious aspect of this movie as well, I mean the Hitities are hilarious with they're questionable moral views and over the top rants. Not only was the story interesting but the performances were really strong as well.As I've already said the acting in this movie is really strong and top notch Maren Jensen was really outstanding as the female lead, I don't know why she isn't more well known, she brings depth and warmth to her character. Ernest Borgnine was really entertaining as the leader of the Hitites really chews up the scenery but in a good way and steals every scene he's in with his brilliantly ridiculous rants. Michael Berryman another horror star (The Hills Have Eyes) was awesome but didn't get enough screen time, Susan Brukner who plays one of the 3 female leads was also really strong and Sharon Stone well she was stunning in this, a bit of paced performance wise, but all is forgiven as it was her first proper role and she really shines towards the end.The horror aspect of this movie also hits the mark There are some solid jump scares and intense moments. Like the snake in the bathtub which really kept me on the edge of my seat very effective and the weird dream sequence when Sharon Stone has a spider dropped into her mouth was also very effective. The ending well is another thing a lot of people talk about and splits everyone down the middle, well in my opinion doesn't exactly come from nowhere as what some people think if you pay attention about the whole thing with the incubus, it proves that the Hitites are not total whack jobs. The entire last 10 minutes with the typical slasher chase and escape moments were really well done and enjoyable and I also loved the twist when the killer is revealed was done really well although slightly rushed in my opinion but still works.All in all "Deadly Blessing" may not be bloody or gory but it is still a slasher movie right until the end and it's a really great movie and if you're a fan of Wes Craven like I am then check this little unknown gem out.