Rosemary Woodhouse: What have you done to him? What have you done to his eyes, you maniacs!
Roman Castevet: HE HAS HIS FATHER’S EYES…
Talk about horror!
Time To Get Shocktober’d By Satan!
#31daysofhorror is here to celebrate one of the greatest horror films ever made – this classic shocker:
Rosemary’s Baby!
This CLASSIC horror film offers up the tag line:
“Pray For Rosemary’s Baby…”
First, check out the trailer:
The plot is simple:
Mia Farrow is Rosemary, and John Cassavetes is her husband Guy Woodhouse – they move into an apartment in a building with a bad reputation. Their neighbors are a very friendly elderly couple named Roman and Minnie Castevet…yes, VERY FRIENDLY, and Guy begins to spend a lot of time with them.
Strange things start to happen: a woman Rosemary meets in the laundry dies a mysterious death, Rosemary has strange dreams and hears strange noises and Guy becomes remote and distant. And of course, there is that horrifying dream about lovemaking she can’t shake…
Then Rosemary gets pregnant and begins to suspect that her neighbors have special plans for her child. Oh, she also has the WORST pregnancy of all time!
Roman Polanski’s City Horror!
Director Roman Polanski uses the city of New York as a character – every building looks evil, and the city in a sense swallows Farrow up and is part of the conspiracy against her…
When Farrow was reluctant to film a scene that depicted a dazed and preoccupied Rosemary wandering into the middle of a Manhattan street into oncoming traffic, Polanski pointed to her pregnancy padding and reassured her, “no one’s going to hit a pregnant woman”. The scene was successfully shot with Farrow walking into real traffic and Polanski following, operating the hand-held camera since he was the only one willing to do it.
Cue Evil Frank Sinatra!
It was on the set of this film that Mia Farrow received divorce papers from then-husband Frank Sinatra. He was angry that filming was taking too long and demanded she quit the film. When she didn’t, he divorced her!
Back to the horror onscreen –
This movie build to a shocking climax, as Rosemary knows that something is wrong – very wrong, with her baby…
Rosemary Woodhouse: What have you done to him? What have you done to his eyes, you maniacs!
Roman Castevet: He has his father’s eyes.
The Criterion Collection has a special release including the following:
New high-definition digital restoration, approved by director Roman Polanski, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
New interviews with Director Roman Polanski, actor Mia Farrow, and producer Robert Evans
What a great way to celebrate Shocktober 2018! If you need more proof, I have a few “PIECES” of information to share:
Yes, this classic 80’s shocker will fill your #31daysofhorror nicely – see the original shocking trailer here:
https://johnrieber.com/2016/10/07/shocktober-day-7-pieces-of-cult-80s-bloody-halloween-2016-horror/
If you like your Halloween a bit less bloody, but still full of great scares, check this out:
This great “haunted house” film stars the iconic George C. Scott – you can see the trailer here:
https://johnrieber.com/2016/10/02/shocktober-2016-haunted-house-the-changeling-spooks-day-2/
Let me know if you are planning to invite “Rosemary” to your house this Shocktober!
Categories: 70's Cinema, Academy Awards, Action Films, Art, Books / Media, Cult Movies, Great Films, Halloween, Horror films, Movies, New York, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities, Uncategorized
I have actually seen this movie, John, and it scared the Hell out of me. I think I will have to re-watch it and see if it still scares me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It might not be as shocking, but it’s a beautifully made psychological horror film that is always fun to watch with the lights off!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This article jarred me just as much the second read around, John.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really enjoyed ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ on release. But when I watched it years later on TV, it seemed to have lost its impact. The genre had moved on, and this felt a little tame.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pete, I understand that, was it’s superior filmmaking that stands up, even if it’s not as much of a “shocker” any longer!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes. Well made, great cast. Just not very scary. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person