Review - The Other

THE OTHER (1972)
The plot: The story of identical twin brothers Niles and Holland Perry and their increasingly upsetting summer of 1935. Think 'The Waltons' as re-imagined by Stephen King. 

The poop: This was one of the keystone horror movies for me growing up. I first saw it on Nite Owl Double Chiller theater in the late-seventies/early-eighties. Not exactly sure how old I was at the time, likely between six and nine. Keep that in mind as you reach the conclusion of the movie.

I'd say more -and I really have a lot to say about this movie- but... 

Deal-breakers: ...'The Other' is highly, h-i-g-h-l-y susceptible to spoilers. As in, read absolutely nothing about this movie before you see it. Don't even read the back of the DVD box, as it gives away part of the game right off the bat.

The funny part about this, 'The Other' was based on a best-selling novel (more about that in a moment), so it's a safe assumption that the audience at the time -at least a big chunk of it- already knew what to expect. Of course, since the novel hasn't been reprinted all that often (it was reprinted in 2012, the last reprint before that was 1988, and before then 1972), so it's safe to say anyone going into te movie now is going in fresh. So, yeah, watch for spoilers.

It's also kind of pacey, so don't click 'play' unless you want to invest the time and attention. Not sure this is exactly a deal-breaker, more of an FYI.  

The up-side: A textbook example of a horror film for adults.

The performances are across the board good. Especially real-life twins Chris and Martin Udvarnoky as Niles and Holland Perry, and Uta Hagen as their grandmother from the old country.             

Makes a great double-bill with: 'Let's Scare Jessica to Death,' which is another super-creepy from the early-70's. Going along with the under-rated 70's horror theme, I also recommend 'Shock Waves,' 'Blue Sunshine' and 'Messiah of Evil.' 

Other stuff: This is based on a best-selling novel by Thomas Tryon. I don't think it's in print any longer, so keep an eye on Ebay and your local used book stores. Since it sold over 4 million copies, you shouldn't have that hard a time finding one.

Tryon hated this movie. "Broke (his) heart," were the words he used. And audiences at the time tended to agree with him. This did not exactly burn up the box office, and most people who have seen 'The Other', have seen it on the late night movie -an absolutely appropriate venue.

It's no longer on Netflix, not sure if Blockbuster or Hulu or Crackle or whoever else still has a copy.