This is based on Lois Duncan's "Summer of Fear". Did anyone else here read it?
Her hair was supposed to be screwy. In the book that was an issue, but I don't remember how it was handled in the movie.
Calm may work for Locutus of the Borg here, but I'm freaked out, and I intend to stay that way.
I've read the book and it's really good, solid, creepy thriller. The film on the other hand...well it's not so good.
There are a few scare moments especially near the end but, overall it doesn't really work so well.
Linda's hair in the movie is in a class of its own. Alls I can say is I think it was in dire need of an exorcism.
The book is excellent, as most of Duncan's books are. The movie is pretty mediocre, as most of the movie adaptation of Duncan's books are. But unlike most of the other adaptations, this one is pretty faithful to the source material, with a lot of the dialogue used verbatim. So it's surprising it doesn't work better. Perhaps it's because Lee Purcell doesn't seem all that threatening as Julia. Or maybe because there's just a lack of suspense and tension throughout the whole movie. Blair is pretty good, and so is the guy playing her brother. The actors playing the parents are awful.
And what's with the whole equestrian angle? In the book, Rachel's dog attacked Julia because dogs are the natural enemies of witches. Fair enough - sounds reasonable. But in the movie, they change it so that horses are the natural enemies of witches. I laughed every time I heard Linda Blair say that line - it's just ridiculous. It was much creepier in the book when the gentle family pet attacked Julia.
yes i've read the book and it's one of my fave lois duncan books. i've yet to see the movie but i want to.
ok i have a new rule no more of these
JUMPY SPAZZY CHICKS---matt grind
"And what's with the whole equestrian angle?"
God, I had forgotten about that being added! Linda Blair was a horse fanatic when she was younger (maybe she still is). They probably modified it just for her.
"I like my cheese in the ounces. When they start weighing as much as a Fiat, I get worried."
The book is fantastic, The movie not so much, IMO the book is more creepy and more suspenceful
share I agree. After all these years, I still have the book.
"Alas, how terrible is wisdom when it brings no profit to the man that’s wise!" (Sophocles)
I have the book too, and like all of Lois Duncan's other books, I have read this one too many times to count.
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I think I'm the only person here who hated the book. It was terribly written, the dialogue was cheesy, the characters had NO depth, and it read like something from 6th grade. And we're reading it in 9th grade! But the movie was even worse! The changing from a dog to a horse was stupid and didn't work at all, and it was ruined by the fact that they took any intelligent parts out of the ending. In the book, Julia(Sarah) goes on a monologue about why she was doing this, but in the movie, she says two lines, then there's a two minute cat fight, and then Rachel's dad attacks her, just in case we didn't get that he was bewitched despite the glaring hints thrown in our faces every 5 seconds. Then, Rachel and Sarah go on a high speed Dukes of Hazzard car chase, and Sarah careens over the cliff and explodes in midair for no reason! I hated the book, but I DESPISE this movie.
"Your hair wants cutting."
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Your grasp of the English language really shows off your intelligence. I'm sorry, is that supposed to be a sentence?
"Your hair wants cutting."
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*points at NumberSixForPres* you shut up. this book was AWESOME it's one of lois duncans best.
When do we see Jamie Lee's breasts? I wanna see Jamie Lee's breasts.-Stu, Scream
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This book is intended for young readers. Sorry, but 9th graders aren't that sophisticated, Sweets. I love the bitchyness to Blair and Purcell's fighting. Love the line, "I can't stand a thing about you and that includes your hair!" You gotta keep in mind that girls in high school are petty as hell, which makes their fights amusing. I like the 70s nostalgia to the film and muscle car/roadster ending. This is intended to be a fun movie not something to tote around by a bunch of psuedo-intellectuals.
shareI think I'm the only person here who hated the book. It was terribly written, the dialogue was cheesy, the characters had NO depth, and it read like something from 6th grade. And we're reading it in 9th grade!
Blair stopped riding years ago, which is surprising as she was almost good enough to qualify for the Olympics equestrian. She quit riding because as a serious PETA-er, she now believes that horses should no longer be ridden.
I remember this book, too, especially the who "why did I make a pink dress" thing.
The gene pool could use a little chlorine......
Linda Blair was fond of horses so the director has Rachel's pet be a horse.
"Do All Things For God's Glory"-1 Corinthians 10:31
I try doing this with my posts
Yes...you Can still pick up this book..Barnes & Noble carries it..
Look under both titles "Summer of Fear" & "Stranger in our House"
I can't remember which was selling, but it was issued under both.. and it's catagorized as Young Adult...As for some of these posters--Hello! It was written for kids in the late 70's early 80's...some of ya'll are complaining like you expected John Greshem or something...
I have come here to chew bubble gum & kick A**, & I'm all out of bubble gum!!
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I haven't read the book but always wanted to. It's been ages since I've seen the movie, like thirty years ago! A friend of mine read the book and she said the ending in the book was different to the movie; in the book Julia/Sarah ran away and disappeared when she was found out but from what I remember in the movie, didn't she die in a fiery car crash like Rachel's relatives at the start?
Also, I would have liked more of an idea of Julia/Sarah's motives. What was her agenda? I've heard the book goes into more detail because the movie doesn't really explain anything. It was pretty anti-climactic.
It's interesting about the animal sensing evil and attacking Julia/Sarah changing from a dog in the book to a horse in the movie. (I think the horse's name in the movie was Sundance). The popular explanation for this change was that Linda Blair was a horse fanatic but I think it may also have had a lot to do with the fact that horses were traditionally associated with being super sensitive to evil, so whenever an evil witch was around, he/she would rear up on his/her hind legs and try to attack the witch. The same way cats were associated with being evil as they were traditionally supposed to be witches' familiars and goats were considered evil because their horns were supposed to resemble devil's horns. Dogs were a mixed bag really. Some were considered, like horses, to be sensitive to evil but then there were the so called "hell hounds", like the rottweilers in The Omen.
Don't let anyone ever make you feel like you don't deserve what you want.
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I have it on Kindle and read it. It's $8.99 right now on Amazon for Kindle. It's a good book
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