This scared the hell out of me when i was a teenager. Now I find it more amusing than scary, but with some pretty unsettling moments and with a kind of sleazy quality to it that I like. And, come to think of it, the plot is rather disgusting actually...but handled with some kind of taste. If there is a problem with this movie, it is that there are HUGE gaps where nothing exciting or interesting happens. Also, the ending goes on forever, making a potentially tense climax seem silly after a while with Barbara Bach screaming and screaming. The "monster", after it is exposed, isn't very scary either unfortunately. The somewhat drab look of the movie also works against it, making it appear as a TV-movie more than something made for theaters. But it is an example of films that are rarely made nowadays so I urge horror fans to watch it and feel a bit nostalgic...
51 Reviews
Ringo's wife meets Flounder
lee_eisenberg11 February 2008
Since "The Unseen" is your basic B movie, the only reason to see it is that it stars Barbara Bach (Ringo Starr's wife), Stephen Furst (Flounder in "Animal House") and Sydney Lassick (Cheswith in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and also the principal in "Carrie"). No, seriously. That's the only reason to check it out: The Beatles, John Belushi and Stephen King are linked by a story of three women staying in a house inhabited by a carnivorous inbred! If only the founders of Solvang had predicted this! Sorry if I haven't done the greatest job describing the movie. It's just that a cast like this easily eclipses the movie, in my view. Granted, there are a few of the requirements for horror flicks, namely the bathtub scene. Otherwise, nothing significant here.
PS: Barbara Bach had previously starred in a similar movie with a similarly jaw-dropping cast. That movie was the Italian horror flick "L'isola delli uomini pesce" (called "Screamers" in the US), in which she co-starred with Mel Ferrer, aka Audrey Hepburn's ex. Yes, it's true. Ringo Starr's soon-to-be wife and Audrey Hepburn's ex co-starred in a movie about half-human, half-fish creatures.
PS: Barbara Bach had previously starred in a similar movie with a similarly jaw-dropping cast. That movie was the Italian horror flick "L'isola delli uomini pesce" (called "Screamers" in the US), in which she co-starred with Mel Ferrer, aka Audrey Hepburn's ex. Yes, it's true. Ringo Starr's soon-to-be wife and Audrey Hepburn's ex co-starred in a movie about half-human, half-fish creatures.
I blame the parents...
devinecomic7 July 2005
The first scenes of this film feel more like an episode of Dallas, or a Columbo style prelude, than they do a horror film. The comparisons get worse... Murder She wrote, The A-Team... hell no, it's Charlie's Angels. And then the penny drops, three young women, with a mystery a-foot, it's really like Scooby Doo, without a male lead or any sort of canine activity. In fact, from the moment you meet the resident bad guy (Sydney Lassik), you can just imagine him saying "If it wasn't for you pesky kids!!", as someone pulls his mask off!
That said, this is not a totally bad film at all. The weakest character, unfortunately, is the one we see most of, Barbara Bach. Rarely does she provide any sort of emotional performance, and there is no need for her to be sexy in this film either. Well, I suppose she has quite big eyes, which work out well for the ending! All other roles are played well, and are for the most part believable. Equally believable is the scary situation, three girls in a remote hotel, and the mysterious menace that we know is there from early on.
Suspense builds up steadily towards the finale, but once all the ground is covered, and the secrets revealed, the film turns into more action than horror, more slasher-style than creepy. It loses both pace and purpose and leaves us with no more bitter taste than a family squabble. That is, someone else's family! But this was supposed to be horror! Several minutes of senseless screaming, towards the end also don't help. What I like to call "Goonies syndrome", noise that in fact irritates more than affects the atmosphere, or benefits the film.
OK, so it may make Saturday afternoon, regular TV-style horror these days... that is if you cut out the tasteful glimpse of nakedness. But outside of that, no there's not too much there. It's horrible, not horror. It's unpleasant not unbearable. It is entertaining, and quite well put together, so there's a "5" rating from me!
That said, this is not a totally bad film at all. The weakest character, unfortunately, is the one we see most of, Barbara Bach. Rarely does she provide any sort of emotional performance, and there is no need for her to be sexy in this film either. Well, I suppose she has quite big eyes, which work out well for the ending! All other roles are played well, and are for the most part believable. Equally believable is the scary situation, three girls in a remote hotel, and the mysterious menace that we know is there from early on.
Suspense builds up steadily towards the finale, but once all the ground is covered, and the secrets revealed, the film turns into more action than horror, more slasher-style than creepy. It loses both pace and purpose and leaves us with no more bitter taste than a family squabble. That is, someone else's family! But this was supposed to be horror! Several minutes of senseless screaming, towards the end also don't help. What I like to call "Goonies syndrome", noise that in fact irritates more than affects the atmosphere, or benefits the film.
OK, so it may make Saturday afternoon, regular TV-style horror these days... that is if you cut out the tasteful glimpse of nakedness. But outside of that, no there's not too much there. It's horrible, not horror. It's unpleasant not unbearable. It is entertaining, and quite well put together, so there's a "5" rating from me!
Mentally ill fun
TonyDood28 April 2005
This is not a film for the typical horror fan; this movie appeals to those who enjoy a little mental disturbance with their terror. Or even a laugh or two. I can't believe they didn't know that it was funny to watch Stephn Furst acting like a mentally challenged mutant monster, ala "The Goonies," it HAD to be intentional, and as such I applaud the filmmakers!
The story is about something horrible in the basement and Barbara Bach finds out what it is, after the usual set-up story points. There's little more to it than that. The reason to seek this film out is if you are a lover of mutants and like a little madness in your scary movies.
Otherwise, stick to something more safe and traditional.
The story is about something horrible in the basement and Barbara Bach finds out what it is, after the usual set-up story points. There's little more to it than that. The reason to seek this film out is if you are a lover of mutants and like a little madness in your scary movies.
Otherwise, stick to something more safe and traditional.
Rather dull proceedings sprinkled with memorable moments
drownsoda901 July 2015
"The Unseen" has Barbara Bach as one of three female Los Angeles news reporters who are in Northern California to cover a local festival. They end up boarding at an old farmhouse after finding all the hotels in town to be booked, and each individually come face-to-face with a sinister presence lurking in the basement of the home.
Given the credentials of its makers, one would think that "The Unseen" would excel as a genre picture— an early directing credit of cult filmmaker Danny Steinmann, director of "Savage Streets" and "Friday the 13th: A New Beginning," it was also co-written by Kim "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" Henkel, and even featured crew members fresh off of John Carpenter's "Halloween." What could possibly go wrong, right? Well, sort of.
"The Unseen" is a visually appealing film; the cinematography is slick and there is a fair amount of atmosphere here (never mind the overuse of slow-motion shots at peak suspense sequences); it does have a fair share of problems though. Not only is is it staggeringly predictable, but it's also incredibly dull for the first hour. Mind, this is not a body count film by any means, but what it lacks in visual carnage, it fails to make up for in adequate suspense.
There are two key scenes that occur in the film's first hour that kept me drawn in, and they are admittedly well-executed. That's really all to be had here though. Family hysterics abound as the loopy couple who own the farmhouse exhibit their own neuroses, and the familial drama reaches its peak point in the film's goofy climax where the "unseen"'s true identity is revealed (not to much surprise). The film is in many ways similar to Denny Harris' "The Silent Scream," which was made the same year— they share very similar tonal elements, and also complement each other in terms of architectural dwellings of the villains; "The Unseen" lurks in the basement, while the villain in "The Silent Scream" resides in a secret attic. They actually would make a fantastic double feature, though "Silent Scream" is a bit more engaging of a film.
The performances here are actually decent, though Barbara Bach is lacking in the emotive department; she does make up for this though with a great performance during the finale sequences, letting some impressive screams loose. Stephen Furst deserves attention for a disturbing turn as the "unseen," and Sydney Lassick and Lelia Goldoni are madcap mad and wildly hysterical, respectively.
Overall, "The Unseen" is a decent offering from the genre, but doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be a suspense film or a slasher film. Its victim list is far too short to qualify it as a slasher picture, but it lacks the cohesive tension of a suspense film. What we end up with is a dull and ultimately predictable horror flick that is just enough to be slightly memorable, but not enough to truly stand out. There are some well-played sequences and a decent climax, but the majority of the picture is too plodding to truly engage with. 5/10.
Given the credentials of its makers, one would think that "The Unseen" would excel as a genre picture— an early directing credit of cult filmmaker Danny Steinmann, director of "Savage Streets" and "Friday the 13th: A New Beginning," it was also co-written by Kim "Texas Chain Saw Massacre" Henkel, and even featured crew members fresh off of John Carpenter's "Halloween." What could possibly go wrong, right? Well, sort of.
"The Unseen" is a visually appealing film; the cinematography is slick and there is a fair amount of atmosphere here (never mind the overuse of slow-motion shots at peak suspense sequences); it does have a fair share of problems though. Not only is is it staggeringly predictable, but it's also incredibly dull for the first hour. Mind, this is not a body count film by any means, but what it lacks in visual carnage, it fails to make up for in adequate suspense.
There are two key scenes that occur in the film's first hour that kept me drawn in, and they are admittedly well-executed. That's really all to be had here though. Family hysterics abound as the loopy couple who own the farmhouse exhibit their own neuroses, and the familial drama reaches its peak point in the film's goofy climax where the "unseen"'s true identity is revealed (not to much surprise). The film is in many ways similar to Denny Harris' "The Silent Scream," which was made the same year— they share very similar tonal elements, and also complement each other in terms of architectural dwellings of the villains; "The Unseen" lurks in the basement, while the villain in "The Silent Scream" resides in a secret attic. They actually would make a fantastic double feature, though "Silent Scream" is a bit more engaging of a film.
The performances here are actually decent, though Barbara Bach is lacking in the emotive department; she does make up for this though with a great performance during the finale sequences, letting some impressive screams loose. Stephen Furst deserves attention for a disturbing turn as the "unseen," and Sydney Lassick and Lelia Goldoni are madcap mad and wildly hysterical, respectively.
Overall, "The Unseen" is a decent offering from the genre, but doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be a suspense film or a slasher film. Its victim list is far too short to qualify it as a slasher picture, but it lacks the cohesive tension of a suspense film. What we end up with is a dull and ultimately predictable horror flick that is just enough to be slightly memorable, but not enough to truly stand out. There are some well-played sequences and a decent climax, but the majority of the picture is too plodding to truly engage with. 5/10.
Suspenseful
annablair-1919112 February 2020
I had seen The Unseen on TV years ago, but I didn't remember enjoying it that much. Something about it felt bland. Upon rewatching it a few nights ago, I was surprised by how well made and entertaining it was.
Three female reporters (including Barbara Bach) head up to Slovang, California to cover a big festival. There's a mix up with their hotel room and they find themselves without a place to stay. An odd man (Sydney Lassick) offers them a room at his home and they accept. Little do they know that this will be a huge mistake that will put all their lives at risk.
The Unseen won't get any major points for creative gore effects or inventive murders. In fact, that might be why I didn't care for it much when I saw it, having been raised on Friday the 13th movies. The death scenes are unremarkable and a little boring, but the story surrounding them is far better than most of the junk they'd throw into slasher films around this time. The characters actually have arcs and things to do and don't just sit around waiting to be killed off.
Barbara Bach is beautiful and handles herself fine during the finale when she's drenched in rain, mud, and blood, but she's a little comatose throughout the rest of the film. She's likable enough, but one does wonder what a more interesting actress would have done with the role. Lassick is at his creepy best and Lelia Goldoni as his put upon wife might just steal the show in a role that has precious few lines, but a lot of presence. She's playing for maximum Greek tragedy and she's wonderful. Stephen Furst of Animal House fame shows up in a totally unrecognizable role and brings his character a ton of unexpected pathos even under pounds of prosthetics. It's a marvel of a performance.
The Unseen could have used a little more thought and detail put into the murder set pieces to make them scarier and a little more creative, but the rest of the package is so interesting that it's not that big of a deal.
Three female reporters (including Barbara Bach) head up to Slovang, California to cover a big festival. There's a mix up with their hotel room and they find themselves without a place to stay. An odd man (Sydney Lassick) offers them a room at his home and they accept. Little do they know that this will be a huge mistake that will put all their lives at risk.
The Unseen won't get any major points for creative gore effects or inventive murders. In fact, that might be why I didn't care for it much when I saw it, having been raised on Friday the 13th movies. The death scenes are unremarkable and a little boring, but the story surrounding them is far better than most of the junk they'd throw into slasher films around this time. The characters actually have arcs and things to do and don't just sit around waiting to be killed off.
Barbara Bach is beautiful and handles herself fine during the finale when she's drenched in rain, mud, and blood, but she's a little comatose throughout the rest of the film. She's likable enough, but one does wonder what a more interesting actress would have done with the role. Lassick is at his creepy best and Lelia Goldoni as his put upon wife might just steal the show in a role that has precious few lines, but a lot of presence. She's playing for maximum Greek tragedy and she's wonderful. Stephen Furst of Animal House fame shows up in a totally unrecognizable role and brings his character a ton of unexpected pathos even under pounds of prosthetics. It's a marvel of a performance.
The Unseen could have used a little more thought and detail put into the murder set pieces to make them scarier and a little more creative, but the rest of the package is so interesting that it's not that big of a deal.
I wish this had remained The Unseen for me...
BandSAboutMovies31 July 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Danny Steinmann started his directing career with the adult movie High Rise and worked on the films Savage Streets and Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning along the way. After that film, he was injured in a bicycle accident and was unable to return to directing. He also produced the Gene Roddenberry made-for-TV movie Spectre. Today, though, we're here to discuss his 1980 effort The Unseen.
Keep in mind - Steinmann had his name removed from the movie as he was upset with the final cut. He's credited as Peter Foleg.
Jennifer (Barbara Bach Lady Starkey, the wife of Ringo Starr who also was in The Spy Who Loved Me, Black Belly of the Tarantula and Short Night of Glass Dolls) and Karen (Karen Lamm, the wife of Beach Boy Dennis Wilson), along with their friend Vicki, are in Solvag, CA to cover a folk rock show and town festival. A mix-up over their reservations leads the girls to stay with Ernest Keller (Sydney Lassick, Skate Town U.S.A., Lady in White), the owner of a museum.
Jennifer is in town to report on the town's parade and festival, but has to deal with her soon to be ex-boyfriend Tony (Douglas Barr, TV's The Fall Guy's Howie, as well as Deadly Blessing), who wants to talk about their relationship. Ugh.
Meanwhile, Vicki just wants to get naked while creepy old men stare at her through vents. Sadly for her, The Unseen pulls her through one of those vents and slams it down on her beck, killing her. Soon after, Karen is also killed. Their bodies are discovered by Ernest's wife Virginia (Lelia Goldoni, who was in Cassavetes' Shadows and the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers).
That's when we learn the secret: Virginia and Ernest are husband and wife, as well as brother and sister. He killed their father two decades ago and they've lived here ever since, along with Junior (Stephen Furst, the guy from Animal House in the role one wonders if he was born to play), their inbred son. Ernest is keeping up the cycle of abuse that his father started, beating his son and keeping wife/sister in submission. Now, Jennifer must die to keep the secret.
Ernest lures her into the basement where she finds her friends' bodies. She panics and runs into Junior, who she discovers probably didn't mean to kill anyone. Ernest tries to kill her, but Virginia tries to save her. This leads to a family fight and Ernest kills his son with a board with a nail through it.
Just as Ernest is ready to off Jennifer with a hatchet, her stupid ex saves her. Well, he tries to, but an old leg injury flares up, Oh, you inept moron! It's up to Virginia to save the day by shooting her husband/brother and going back in the house to hold her dead son.
The Unseen was originally written by Kim Henkel and Michael Viner. While Henkel is best known for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Viner was a producer and audiobook pioneer who also assembled the Incredible Bongo Band, whose song "Apache" is one of the most sampled songs ever. Their screenplay was adapted into the book Deadly Encounter by Richard Woodley.
Bluntly put, this movie is all over the place. The reveal of The Unseen stays on the monster so long that you wonder why this movie is called The Unseen. It starts with so much promise, but by the end, you may find yourself staring at the time left, hoping that it ends quickly.
Keep in mind - Steinmann had his name removed from the movie as he was upset with the final cut. He's credited as Peter Foleg.
Jennifer (Barbara Bach Lady Starkey, the wife of Ringo Starr who also was in The Spy Who Loved Me, Black Belly of the Tarantula and Short Night of Glass Dolls) and Karen (Karen Lamm, the wife of Beach Boy Dennis Wilson), along with their friend Vicki, are in Solvag, CA to cover a folk rock show and town festival. A mix-up over their reservations leads the girls to stay with Ernest Keller (Sydney Lassick, Skate Town U.S.A., Lady in White), the owner of a museum.
Jennifer is in town to report on the town's parade and festival, but has to deal with her soon to be ex-boyfriend Tony (Douglas Barr, TV's The Fall Guy's Howie, as well as Deadly Blessing), who wants to talk about their relationship. Ugh.
Meanwhile, Vicki just wants to get naked while creepy old men stare at her through vents. Sadly for her, The Unseen pulls her through one of those vents and slams it down on her beck, killing her. Soon after, Karen is also killed. Their bodies are discovered by Ernest's wife Virginia (Lelia Goldoni, who was in Cassavetes' Shadows and the 1978 remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers).
That's when we learn the secret: Virginia and Ernest are husband and wife, as well as brother and sister. He killed their father two decades ago and they've lived here ever since, along with Junior (Stephen Furst, the guy from Animal House in the role one wonders if he was born to play), their inbred son. Ernest is keeping up the cycle of abuse that his father started, beating his son and keeping wife/sister in submission. Now, Jennifer must die to keep the secret.
Ernest lures her into the basement where she finds her friends' bodies. She panics and runs into Junior, who she discovers probably didn't mean to kill anyone. Ernest tries to kill her, but Virginia tries to save her. This leads to a family fight and Ernest kills his son with a board with a nail through it.
Just as Ernest is ready to off Jennifer with a hatchet, her stupid ex saves her. Well, he tries to, but an old leg injury flares up, Oh, you inept moron! It's up to Virginia to save the day by shooting her husband/brother and going back in the house to hold her dead son.
The Unseen was originally written by Kim Henkel and Michael Viner. While Henkel is best known for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Viner was a producer and audiobook pioneer who also assembled the Incredible Bongo Band, whose song "Apache" is one of the most sampled songs ever. Their screenplay was adapted into the book Deadly Encounter by Richard Woodley.
Bluntly put, this movie is all over the place. The reveal of The Unseen stays on the monster so long that you wonder why this movie is called The Unseen. It starts with so much promise, but by the end, you may find yourself staring at the time left, hoping that it ends quickly.
A consistently entertaining shocker.
Hey_Sweden10 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The 1980 horror film "The Unseen" is diverting stuff: it's equal parts amusing, disturbing, and ultimately touching. With story credit going to makeup effects masters Stan Winston and Tom Burman, it's got some fine suspense moments, good makeup effects by Craig Reardon (but not very much gore), a fantastic music score by Michael J. Lewis, and capable acting from a well chosen cast. It moves along well to a terrific final third, when all is revealed. Some potential viewers may be turned off by the low body count, while others may admire the twisted nature of the story points. (For those who care, there *is* full frontal nudity from cast member Lois Young.)
Gorgeous, glamorous Barbara Bach, the Bond girl of "The Spy Who Loved Me", stars as Jennifer Fast, a reporter who travels with her crew, consisting of Vicki (Ms. Young) and Jennifers' sister Karen (Karen Lamm, "Trackdown"), to the tiny California town of Solvang to cover its Danish festival. Due to a mix-up with their reservations, they're without lodging, but fortunately they run into museum proprietor Ernest Keller (Sydney Lassick, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), who offers to let them stay at his farmhouse. Unfortunately, what they don't know is that Ernest and his mousy "wife" Virginia (Lelia Goldoni, "Shadows") are hiding a big secret in their cellar, which surfaces to terrorize the three lovely ladies.
Bach does well in the lead, even though in the last act she doesn't do much besides scream and cower in fright. Lamm and Young are likable, as is Douglas Barr ('The Fall Guy', "Deadly Blessing") as Jennifers' athlete boyfriend. Goldoni is so good that your heart just goes out to her character. But the movie really belongs to the late, very distinctive character actor Lassick, who here has one of the biggest roles of his career and makes the most of it. His truly creepy Ernest is the true monster of the piece, not the mentally impaired "Junior" (incredibly well played by Stephen "Flounder" Furst of "Animal House") who only wants to play and doesn't know his own strength.
This is a solid credit for the late cult director Danny Steinmann ("Savage Streets", "Friday the 13th: A New Beginning"), although he was dissatisfied enough with the final cut that he took his name off the picture, to be replaced with the pseudonym "Peter Foleg".
Some of the same crew from "Halloween" (1978) are utilized here, including Don Behrns, Barry Bernardi, and camera operator Raymond Stella.
Seven out of 10.
Gorgeous, glamorous Barbara Bach, the Bond girl of "The Spy Who Loved Me", stars as Jennifer Fast, a reporter who travels with her crew, consisting of Vicki (Ms. Young) and Jennifers' sister Karen (Karen Lamm, "Trackdown"), to the tiny California town of Solvang to cover its Danish festival. Due to a mix-up with their reservations, they're without lodging, but fortunately they run into museum proprietor Ernest Keller (Sydney Lassick, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), who offers to let them stay at his farmhouse. Unfortunately, what they don't know is that Ernest and his mousy "wife" Virginia (Lelia Goldoni, "Shadows") are hiding a big secret in their cellar, which surfaces to terrorize the three lovely ladies.
Bach does well in the lead, even though in the last act she doesn't do much besides scream and cower in fright. Lamm and Young are likable, as is Douglas Barr ('The Fall Guy', "Deadly Blessing") as Jennifers' athlete boyfriend. Goldoni is so good that your heart just goes out to her character. But the movie really belongs to the late, very distinctive character actor Lassick, who here has one of the biggest roles of his career and makes the most of it. His truly creepy Ernest is the true monster of the piece, not the mentally impaired "Junior" (incredibly well played by Stephen "Flounder" Furst of "Animal House") who only wants to play and doesn't know his own strength.
This is a solid credit for the late cult director Danny Steinmann ("Savage Streets", "Friday the 13th: A New Beginning"), although he was dissatisfied enough with the final cut that he took his name off the picture, to be replaced with the pseudonym "Peter Foleg".
Some of the same crew from "Halloween" (1978) are utilized here, including Don Behrns, Barry Bernardi, and camera operator Raymond Stella.
Seven out of 10.
Two comedic actors trying out horror
BloodTheTelepathicDog22 March 2005
Much like the early horror film The Boogens, the devious unseen killer is quite a letdown when it finally becomes seen. Although Animal House's Stephen Furst obviously had fun in the role as a product of incest, his performance is more comedy than horror.
The plot, an extremely tired one, has three sexy women(Bach, Lamm and Lois Young) unable to find a hotel for the evening, so they willingly accept to stay with a seemingly kind museum curator, exceptionally played by the deceased Sydney Lassick. If you have ever seen any horror film, you know that lovable IL' Sydney is a deranged psycho, so one knows what will happen to the lovely ladies.
The three women are all very attractive, especially Barbara Bach, but Lois Young(a Helen Hunt clone) is the only one to go nude, as Sydney watches her take a bath.
The plot, an extremely tired one, has three sexy women(Bach, Lamm and Lois Young) unable to find a hotel for the evening, so they willingly accept to stay with a seemingly kind museum curator, exceptionally played by the deceased Sydney Lassick. If you have ever seen any horror film, you know that lovable IL' Sydney is a deranged psycho, so one knows what will happen to the lovely ladies.
The three women are all very attractive, especially Barbara Bach, but Lois Young(a Helen Hunt clone) is the only one to go nude, as Sydney watches her take a bath.
Decent Afternoon Fair
lovecraft23123 August 2008
Freelance reporter Jennifer (Barbara Bach)and her friends Vicki (Lois Young) and Karen (Karen Lamm) come visit a farmhouse owned by a shady museum owner. Little do they know is that there is something living underneath the house-and it's not very nice.
Director Danny ("Savage Streets", "Friday the 13th V") Steinmann and co-writer Kim ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") Henkel give you "The Unseen", a little known but watchable early 80's horror tale that has garnered something of a cult following. On one hand, it's easy to see why-Henkel and Steinmann's involvement is hard to ignore, though it's reliance on eerie, Gothic scares instead of gore (quite different from the slasher movies of the time), a plot that's part "Texas Chainsaw" and part "Psycho", some impressive atmosphere, and creepy score are all factors that work-well, for the most part.
The acting unfortunately, isn't that stellar, particularly Bach, who in spite of being in some great movies, is far from interesting here. The biggest problem though, is the third act, which just feels like the writer and director ran out of ideas in the last minute. While Stephen ("Animal House") Furst is good as the disfigured monster, his character isn't that scary, and feels a bit underdeveloped, as do other characters.
"The Unseen" is a decent but hardly perfect forgotten 80's horror flick that would make a nice watch on a rainy weekend afternoon, and would also make a nice double bill with Jeff Lieberman's underrated "Just Before Dawn." If you want to see it, then get it on DVD, though I doubt that it really deserves the 2-Disc treatment Code Red has given it.
Director Danny ("Savage Streets", "Friday the 13th V") Steinmann and co-writer Kim ("The Texas Chainsaw Massacre") Henkel give you "The Unseen", a little known but watchable early 80's horror tale that has garnered something of a cult following. On one hand, it's easy to see why-Henkel and Steinmann's involvement is hard to ignore, though it's reliance on eerie, Gothic scares instead of gore (quite different from the slasher movies of the time), a plot that's part "Texas Chainsaw" and part "Psycho", some impressive atmosphere, and creepy score are all factors that work-well, for the most part.
The acting unfortunately, isn't that stellar, particularly Bach, who in spite of being in some great movies, is far from interesting here. The biggest problem though, is the third act, which just feels like the writer and director ran out of ideas in the last minute. While Stephen ("Animal House") Furst is good as the disfigured monster, his character isn't that scary, and feels a bit underdeveloped, as do other characters.
"The Unseen" is a decent but hardly perfect forgotten 80's horror flick that would make a nice watch on a rainy weekend afternoon, and would also make a nice double bill with Jeff Lieberman's underrated "Just Before Dawn." If you want to see it, then get it on DVD, though I doubt that it really deserves the 2-Disc treatment Code Red has given it.
Dull as dishwater
Groverdox7 November 2018
"The Unseen" is one of the dullest slasher films I have ever seen. It's a pity, because it seems to have a decent budget, and the presence of the beautiful Barbara Bach in the lead role, and the endearingly creepy Sydney Lassick (from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest") in a supporting performance.
The plot involves a trio of female reporters who come to a small town to cover a parade and find that all the hotels are booked up. They stay at a dodgy museum instead, unaware of the sinister presence in the basement.
There's not much else to say about the movie other than that. It's got a pretty low body count for a slasher, and barely any violence, though one of the women does get naked. Reportedly, the filmmaker had his name taken off because the final cut removed most of the film's scary moments. Those must have been all the film had going for it, there's really not much else here. I couldn't help but think it should have been shorter. There's a lot of padding, making the experience boring and pointless.
The plot involves a trio of female reporters who come to a small town to cover a parade and find that all the hotels are booked up. They stay at a dodgy museum instead, unaware of the sinister presence in the basement.
There's not much else to say about the movie other than that. It's got a pretty low body count for a slasher, and barely any violence, though one of the women does get naked. Reportedly, the filmmaker had his name taken off because the final cut removed most of the film's scary moments. Those must have been all the film had going for it, there's really not much else here. I couldn't help but think it should have been shorter. There's a lot of padding, making the experience boring and pointless.
Good atmosphere saves a slow paced movie
silversprdave14 April 2002
The Unseen is done in a style more like old Hollywood mysteries than a horror show. The film is somewhat slow but lots of bizarre imagery keeps it the film alive and watchable. The basic idea of young girls stalked by something in the basement is old, but good acting and production make the movie worth watching. The movie is notable for its emotional impact and certainly not for any explicit action or special effects. I rated it an 8 out of 10.
Who doesn't enjoy a good B-movie?!
dracforever15 July 2022
As far a B-movie horror flicks go, this one is a fine addition to the collection. Being a 1980-ish movie this one has elements of the '70s style while it has a timeless story of a family that survives in its own bubble after a wrong turn is made from societal norms at it's core. It may be predictable & expected yet, it's still an enjoyable watch. The pace is slower than many of today's movies but. It does keep you engaged and interested.
I would definitely recommend a watch for anyone that especially enjoys B-horror as this one is better than most & not as terrible as some others.
I would definitely recommend a watch for anyone that especially enjoys B-horror as this one is better than most & not as terrible as some others.
Basement of dark shadows.
mark.waltz18 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Not necessarily a bad horror movie rather than just a bizarre one, this focuses on the secrets of the supposedly married Sydney Lassick and Lelia Goldoni, residents of the beautiful farmhouse on the outskirts of a quaint North Californian town. Lassick is the proprietor of a hotel turned museum who offers three reporters from L. A. a room since all the local hotels are full. Their sick secret leaves two of the women dead and the third (Barbara Bach) fighting for her life because of the presence of a hideous monstrous human in their basement.
The over the top performance of Lassick and the disturbing.thing played by Stephen Furst garner unintentional laughs when they should sicken the audience with the obvious themes. Lasdick's character is a perverse character from the start, even snooping in on one of the bathing ladies and making childish noises, even using clothes pins in very juvenile ways that are totally sick. There's an especially disturbing moment where Lassick decapitates a rooster and watches it run around with no head. Douglas Barr of "Designing Women" is present as Bach's estranged boyfriend. This one isn't for everyone.
The over the top performance of Lassick and the disturbing.thing played by Stephen Furst garner unintentional laughs when they should sicken the audience with the obvious themes. Lasdick's character is a perverse character from the start, even snooping in on one of the bathing ladies and making childish noises, even using clothes pins in very juvenile ways that are totally sick. There's an especially disturbing moment where Lassick decapitates a rooster and watches it run around with no head. Douglas Barr of "Designing Women" is present as Bach's estranged boyfriend. This one isn't for everyone.
Kinda creepy, kinda eerie -- I liked it. So sue me.
BillyBC18 May 2003
Warning: Spoilers
(*** out of *****)
Barbara Bach plays a TV reporter who goes to the quaint, seaside town of Soveg, California with two of her female newscaster friends to cover an annual Danish festival. Unfortunately, the three attractive ladies choose to spend the night in an old house outside of town inhabited by a seemingly kind man (character actor Sydney Lassick -- the constantly agitated 'Charlie Cheswick' from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), his nervous sister (Lelia Goldoni), and the product of their incestuous affair -- a disfigured, murderous man-child they keep locked in the cellar. This is actually an interesting and creepy little thriller with decent writing, beautiful on-location scenery, and a few scary sequences that'll get under your skin. It's kind of similar in tone and plot to Denny Harris's "The Silent Scream" from the same year. Karen Lamm and Lois Young play Bach's unlucky friends and Stephen Furst plays the adorable, slobbering lady-killer, Junior.
HIGHLIGHT: That irrepressible little stinker Junior, God love 'im, gets a hold of poor, pretty Karen's (or is it Vicki's?) -- played by Lamm (or Young -- hell, one or the other) -- necklace and pulls her right through the floor vent.
Barbara Bach plays a TV reporter who goes to the quaint, seaside town of Soveg, California with two of her female newscaster friends to cover an annual Danish festival. Unfortunately, the three attractive ladies choose to spend the night in an old house outside of town inhabited by a seemingly kind man (character actor Sydney Lassick -- the constantly agitated 'Charlie Cheswick' from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"), his nervous sister (Lelia Goldoni), and the product of their incestuous affair -- a disfigured, murderous man-child they keep locked in the cellar. This is actually an interesting and creepy little thriller with decent writing, beautiful on-location scenery, and a few scary sequences that'll get under your skin. It's kind of similar in tone and plot to Denny Harris's "The Silent Scream" from the same year. Karen Lamm and Lois Young play Bach's unlucky friends and Stephen Furst plays the adorable, slobbering lady-killer, Junior.
HIGHLIGHT: That irrepressible little stinker Junior, God love 'im, gets a hold of poor, pretty Karen's (or is it Vicki's?) -- played by Lamm (or Young -- hell, one or the other) -- necklace and pulls her right through the floor vent.
Awful Movie
harry-austin13 August 2009
Warning: Spoilers
I purchased this movie at a car boot sale, so I was not expecting it to be a horror movie on the same level as A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) or The Hills Have Eyes (1977) but I thought that it would still be fairly enjoyable to watch. However, it proved to be not at all enjoyable, but instead the acting and the general movie was mock-able, such as the ways the the 'unsees killer' murders his victims and how all of the people killed just happen to be young blonde women. It was a stereotypical horror film. I say this because of the following reasons:
1) Three blonde women in danger, the majority get killed. 2) One survives by crawling around in the dark while being chased by the killer. 3) Surprise surprise, help arrives in the form of a shotgun!
By using three simple points, I have saved you two odd hours by summarising this poor excuse of a horror movie, so you are now lucky enough to not have to watch it.
1) Three blonde women in danger, the majority get killed. 2) One survives by crawling around in the dark while being chased by the killer. 3) Surprise surprise, help arrives in the form of a shotgun!
By using three simple points, I have saved you two odd hours by summarising this poor excuse of a horror movie, so you are now lucky enough to not have to watch it.
Underrated 80's horror with TOP casting
Coventry1 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
It's true that Danny Steinmann's "The Unseen" is a simplistic horror thriller with a very predictable plot, no particular attempts for twists or surprises whatsoever and featuring literally every single cliché the genre has brought forward over the decades, but that doesn't necessarily make it a bad film. On the contrary, my friends and I were pleasantly surprised by this obscure but nevertheless intense little 80's shock- feature that mainly benefices from a handful of brutal images and a downright brilliant casting. The beautiful and ambitious reporter Jennifer Fast and two of her equally attractive friends travel to a little Californian town to shoot a documentary on the anniversary festival, but their hotel forgot to register their booking. In their search for a place to stay, the trio runs into the exaggeratedly friendly but suspicious museum curator Ernest Keller who invites the girls to stay at his remote countryside mansion. One by one the girls experience that Keller and his extremely introvert and submissive sister Victoria hide a dark and murderous secret inside their house. "The Unseen" can easily be described as a cheap and ultimately perverse amalgamation of the horror classics "Psycho" and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". The plot is a series of familiar themes that became notorious and endlessly imitated due to these two films, like twisted family secrets in the cellar, voyeurism, crazed inbred killers and a very unappetizing treatment of chickens. Still, I don't consider these to be negative remarks, as "The Unseen" is a completely unpretentious and modestly unsettling thriller that clearly never intended to be the greatest horror classic of the decade. Although the denouement of the plot is pretty clear quite fast, director Steinmann attempts to maintain the mystery by keeping the evil present in the house "unseen" like the title promised. The casting choices and acting performances are truly what lift this sleeper above the level of mediocre. Sydney Lassick, immortalized since his role as the overly anxious psychiatric patient Charley Cheswick in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" is truly the ideal choice for the role of Ernest Keller. His persistent friendliness and almost naturally perverted appearance are exactly what the character needed. Also Stephen Furst, who eventually turns from the unseen into the seen, gives away a tremendous performance as "Junior". He looks and acts like an authentic handicapped man and his attempts to get close to Jennifer in the basement are genuinely unnerving. "The Unseen" is a slow and predictable but nevertheless potent early 80's film that will certainly appeal to fans of 70's exploitation and generally weird stuff.
Forgettable 80s fluff
mnpollio27 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Horror films were a dime a dozen in the late 70s/early 80s and most of them got at least a brief stint at the local cinema. If you fail to remember The Unseen - a rather prophetic title - that is because despite its cast and good production values I am fairly certain that it went straight to video at a time when pretty much everything got some cinema play. And that should tell you something.
Reporter Barbara Bach, her sister Karen Lamm and friend Lois Young are sent to cover a completely uninteresting festival in a small California town. With all the local motels filled, the women accept an invitation to stay at the family farm of museum worker Sydney Lassick and wife Lelia Goldoni. Of course, something frightening lurks in the basement to menace the nubile guests.
Nary a cliche is left out in this unsuspenseful mess. You have your three dim-witted babes ripe for the stalking, the isolated home that is big enough to house unknown terrors, the seemingly helpful nervous guy, his surly wife, a back story of familial abuse and incest, and so on. It is hard to believe that any news association would send reporters out into the field without appropriate accommodations, or that the staff would be three curvaceous women.
The film actually looks pretty good production wise and at least two of the suspense scenes are fairly well choreographed keeping the cause of terror relatively hidden. There is, of course, a reason for this. Once the climax lets us in on what the horror in the basement is, to say it is a letdown would be an understatement. Given that one of the terror's talents is creeping in and out of rooms using smallish vents for access, its revelation makes such a thing highly unlikely. Plus, given that Lassick and Goldoni are ostensibly desperate to keep the secret in the basement under wraps, it makes no sense that Lassick would openly invite strangers into the mix.
Lassick, a character actor specializing in morally challenged roles, does more of the same here. He seems nervous and sweaty right from the start, which makes the women's near immediate acceptance of his hospitality a bit unconvincing. He and Goldoni both overact to the heavens here - and the sequences where they recall past abuses are particularly cringe-worthy. Fall Guy alum Doug Barr is on hand for no discernible reason as Bach's boyfriend with a bum knee, who shows up later on to accomplish nothing. Lamm is not bad as Bach's sister, but Young's role is fairly thankless. She gets to show up, claim she is not feeling well so that she gets to separate from the other women and make herself a target at the farm, don one of those flowing nightgowns and then get killed in a tasteless montage mixed with a sequence of Goldoni beheading a live chicken. Oh, and she gets to have Lassick perve at her full frontal nudity through a keyhole while she bathes. I truly do not mind obvious titillation scenes being thrown in for the men, but a level playing field would be nice. Could someone direct me to the scene where a hot naked guy gets this attention? I mean how about a sequence where Barr gets ogled full frontally naked through a keyhole. Just saying! Ostensible lead Bach basically has nothing to do but be clueless that anything is going on for the duration and then scream hysterically during the laughable climactic moments. Which all seems a come down considering a few years earlier she was one of the more memorable Bond women.
All in all, I definitely saw worse in the 80s, but there is nothing that compels one to seek to this out. Gore hounds will be disappointed, people looking for genuine jolts will be bored, and viewers seeking out quality filmmaking will definitely want to look elsewhere.
Reporter Barbara Bach, her sister Karen Lamm and friend Lois Young are sent to cover a completely uninteresting festival in a small California town. With all the local motels filled, the women accept an invitation to stay at the family farm of museum worker Sydney Lassick and wife Lelia Goldoni. Of course, something frightening lurks in the basement to menace the nubile guests.
Nary a cliche is left out in this unsuspenseful mess. You have your three dim-witted babes ripe for the stalking, the isolated home that is big enough to house unknown terrors, the seemingly helpful nervous guy, his surly wife, a back story of familial abuse and incest, and so on. It is hard to believe that any news association would send reporters out into the field without appropriate accommodations, or that the staff would be three curvaceous women.
The film actually looks pretty good production wise and at least two of the suspense scenes are fairly well choreographed keeping the cause of terror relatively hidden. There is, of course, a reason for this. Once the climax lets us in on what the horror in the basement is, to say it is a letdown would be an understatement. Given that one of the terror's talents is creeping in and out of rooms using smallish vents for access, its revelation makes such a thing highly unlikely. Plus, given that Lassick and Goldoni are ostensibly desperate to keep the secret in the basement under wraps, it makes no sense that Lassick would openly invite strangers into the mix.
Lassick, a character actor specializing in morally challenged roles, does more of the same here. He seems nervous and sweaty right from the start, which makes the women's near immediate acceptance of his hospitality a bit unconvincing. He and Goldoni both overact to the heavens here - and the sequences where they recall past abuses are particularly cringe-worthy. Fall Guy alum Doug Barr is on hand for no discernible reason as Bach's boyfriend with a bum knee, who shows up later on to accomplish nothing. Lamm is not bad as Bach's sister, but Young's role is fairly thankless. She gets to show up, claim she is not feeling well so that she gets to separate from the other women and make herself a target at the farm, don one of those flowing nightgowns and then get killed in a tasteless montage mixed with a sequence of Goldoni beheading a live chicken. Oh, and she gets to have Lassick perve at her full frontal nudity through a keyhole while she bathes. I truly do not mind obvious titillation scenes being thrown in for the men, but a level playing field would be nice. Could someone direct me to the scene where a hot naked guy gets this attention? I mean how about a sequence where Barr gets ogled full frontally naked through a keyhole. Just saying! Ostensible lead Bach basically has nothing to do but be clueless that anything is going on for the duration and then scream hysterically during the laughable climactic moments. Which all seems a come down considering a few years earlier she was one of the more memorable Bond women.
All in all, I definitely saw worse in the 80s, but there is nothing that compels one to seek to this out. Gore hounds will be disappointed, people looking for genuine jolts will be bored, and viewers seeking out quality filmmaking will definitely want to look elsewhere.
Don't look in the basement.
BA_Harrison12 April 2009
A trio of babelicious newswomen (played by Barbara Bach, Karen Lamm and Lois Young) arrive in the town of Solvang, CA, where the locals are holding a festival to celebrate their Danish ancestry. Unable to find a hotel with a vacancy, the tasty threesome accept the offer of a room for the night from Ernest Keller, a kooky museum curator (Sydney Lassick) who not only shares his large, creepy house with his timid sister Virginia (Lelia Goldoni), but also a fugly homicidal hulk named Junior (Stephen Furst), the result of the strange siblings' incestuous relationship.
Originally scripted by Kim 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre' Henkel, and subsequently re-written by then-unknown make-up artists Stan Winston and Tom Burman, this entertaining shocker features surprisingly little in the way of gore or graphic nastiness. It does, however, still manage to be quite disturbing thanks to its delightfully twisted premise, a convincing performance from Furst as the mentally disabled, man-child lurking in the basement (a great achievement, since he is acting under heavy make-up by Craig Reardon), and a chilling turn from character actor Lassick, who proves to be the real monster of the film—a mean spirited bully who rules his household through fear, intimidation and violence.
Goldoni, Lamm and Young also give solid support (with the latter providing the obligatory T&A during a bath scene), but unfortunately star Bach is rather forgettable in a role that requires her to do little other than look good, bicker with her superfluous on-screen ex-boyfriend (played by Douglas Barr, The Fall Guy's Howie Munson), and scream hysterically at Junior, who—as movie monsters go—really isn't all that scary.
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.
Originally scripted by Kim 'Texas Chain Saw Massacre' Henkel, and subsequently re-written by then-unknown make-up artists Stan Winston and Tom Burman, this entertaining shocker features surprisingly little in the way of gore or graphic nastiness. It does, however, still manage to be quite disturbing thanks to its delightfully twisted premise, a convincing performance from Furst as the mentally disabled, man-child lurking in the basement (a great achievement, since he is acting under heavy make-up by Craig Reardon), and a chilling turn from character actor Lassick, who proves to be the real monster of the film—a mean spirited bully who rules his household through fear, intimidation and violence.
Goldoni, Lamm and Young also give solid support (with the latter providing the obligatory T&A during a bath scene), but unfortunately star Bach is rather forgettable in a role that requires her to do little other than look good, bicker with her superfluous on-screen ex-boyfriend (played by Douglas Barr, The Fall Guy's Howie Munson), and scream hysterically at Junior, who—as movie monsters go—really isn't all that scary.
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.
Room for improvement
acidburn-103 August 2011
The plot = Three women reporters travel to a small town for the local parade, but when they're hotel reservations get mixed up and there's nowhere to stay nearby, they come across a seemingly kind man who offers them a room at his house with his wife and a retarded son whose locked in the basement and wants to kill the girls.
This is quite an odd movie, the first couple of minutes is shot in the usual standard fare but better and more atmospheric, but then as the movie goes on it does keep you interested but when it comes down to the scare scenes, it quickly becomes disappointing, like for a start none of the female leads are fleshed out enough apart from Barbara Bach, and one of them becomes sick and just stays in bed and that's where basically her scene ends. And plus what's frustrating is that when don't get enough background story on the odd couple who owns the house and Much of the running time it feels like you are watching a fairly flat made for TV movie and then suddenly the director throws in a particularly sleazy peeping tom scene. I also heard that there were several scenes that were cut out of this movie, which fleshes out the characters more, and why were they cut out this would have been a much better movie if those scenes were kept in.
Some of the performances in this movie were pretty strong, former bond girl Barbara Bach who plays the lead heroine gives a pretty standard performance, her beauty is simply breath taking and I really rooted for her in the end and Sydney Lassick who plays the creepy owner gives an interesting performance mixing up his psychotic and perverted performance with his sick twisted humour made him a real standout in this movie although he does border on the hammy side at times.
All in all not a terrible movie, the credible performances save this other wise flat movie and lack of imagination death scenes.
This is quite an odd movie, the first couple of minutes is shot in the usual standard fare but better and more atmospheric, but then as the movie goes on it does keep you interested but when it comes down to the scare scenes, it quickly becomes disappointing, like for a start none of the female leads are fleshed out enough apart from Barbara Bach, and one of them becomes sick and just stays in bed and that's where basically her scene ends. And plus what's frustrating is that when don't get enough background story on the odd couple who owns the house and Much of the running time it feels like you are watching a fairly flat made for TV movie and then suddenly the director throws in a particularly sleazy peeping tom scene. I also heard that there were several scenes that were cut out of this movie, which fleshes out the characters more, and why were they cut out this would have been a much better movie if those scenes were kept in.
Some of the performances in this movie were pretty strong, former bond girl Barbara Bach who plays the lead heroine gives a pretty standard performance, her beauty is simply breath taking and I really rooted for her in the end and Sydney Lassick who plays the creepy owner gives an interesting performance mixing up his psychotic and perverted performance with his sick twisted humour made him a real standout in this movie although he does border on the hammy side at times.
All in all not a terrible movie, the credible performances save this other wise flat movie and lack of imagination death scenes.
So Unbelievably Bad, It's Good!
Carrigon17 January 2001
Warning: Spoilers
It's cheesy, it's creepy, it's gross, but that's what makes it so much fun. It's got over the top melodramatic moments that are just plain laughable. This movie is great to make fun of. Rent it for a good laugh.
The film centers around three women newscasters, during a time way before cellphones. They go to a small town to cover a festival, but they can't get a room to stay the night. And that's when they meet Ernest Keller. He's creepy in a Psycho kind of way. And he offers to let them stay at his home. But he doesn't tell them the truth about who lives there.
Stephen Furst's performance is so amazing as "The Unseen", that he really carries this film. Most of the movie is kind of dull, although finding out the truth of Ernest's family is kind of interesting.
Just seeing this cast in these scenes makes it worth a look. Barbara Bach and Doug Barr make nice eye candy.
I consider the movie an old gem, hard to find and worth a look.
The film centers around three women newscasters, during a time way before cellphones. They go to a small town to cover a festival, but they can't get a room to stay the night. And that's when they meet Ernest Keller. He's creepy in a Psycho kind of way. And he offers to let them stay at his home. But he doesn't tell them the truth about who lives there.
Stephen Furst's performance is so amazing as "The Unseen", that he really carries this film. Most of the movie is kind of dull, although finding out the truth of Ernest's family is kind of interesting.
Just seeing this cast in these scenes makes it worth a look. Barbara Bach and Doug Barr make nice eye candy.
I consider the movie an old gem, hard to find and worth a look.
Boring and pointless
preppy-322 November 2008
Dreck about three beautiful women in California who go to cover some festival (or something). All the hotels are booked so they have to spend the night in a creepy old house. What they don't know is that there is a creepy inhabitant there who likes to kill...
Yawn. Boring, pointless, utterly stupid "horror" film. Bach and her two buddies are certainly beautiful but the movie itself is dull dull DULL! Bach and her friends are no actresses--their faces are blank all the way through. The final "revelation" is laughably predictable and there's no blood or gore to keep you interested along the way. There is some expected gratuitous female nudity but that's not enough to save this. Boring, pointless and unknown (for good reason). A 1 all the way.
Yawn. Boring, pointless, utterly stupid "horror" film. Bach and her two buddies are certainly beautiful but the movie itself is dull dull DULL! Bach and her friends are no actresses--their faces are blank all the way through. The final "revelation" is laughably predictable and there's no blood or gore to keep you interested along the way. There is some expected gratuitous female nudity but that's not enough to save this. Boring, pointless and unknown (for good reason). A 1 all the way.
A creepy, perverse and underrated early 80's horror sleeper
Woodyanders31 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Los Angeles TV news reporter Jennifer (the beautiful Barbara Bach of "The Spy Who Loved Me" fame) and her two assistants Karen (the appealingly spunky Karen Lamm) and Vicki (the pretty Lois Young, who not only gets killed first, but also bares her yummy bod in a tasty gratuitous nude bath scene) go to Solvang, California to cover an annual Danish festival. Since all the local hotels are booked solid, the three lovely ladies are forced to seek room and board at a swanky, but foreboding remote mansion owned by freaky Ernest Keller (deliciously played to geeky perfection by the late, great Sydney Lassick) and his meek sister Virginia (a solid Lelia Goldoni). Unfortunately, Keller has one very nasty and lethal dark family secret residing in his dank basement: a portly, pathetic, diapered, incest-spawned man-child Mongoloid named Junior (an alternately touching and terrifying portrayal by Stephen Furst; Flounder in "Animal House"), who naturally gets loose and wreaks some murderous havoc. Capably directed by Danny Steinmann, with uniformly fine acting from a sturdy cast, a compellingly perverse plot, excellent make-up by Craig Reardon, a nicely creepy atmosphere, a wonderfully wild climax, a slow, but steady pace, likable well-drawn characters, and a surprisingly heart-breaking final freeze frame (the incest subplot packs an unexpectedly strong and poignant punch), this unjustly overlooked early 80's psycho sleeper is well worth checking out.
A more disturbed version of "Psycho"!
GOWBTW8 October 2012
If anyone has watched "Psycho" in the past, this movie would be right up your alley. "The Unseen" is like it, only dealing with a child name "Junior"(Stephen Furst, "Animal House", "Silent Rage") who is a result of in-breeding. This movie was well made, and the cast were just perfect. Barbara Bach who was in the 1977 hit, "The Spy Who Loved Me", plays Jennifer Fast, a news reporter who goes out with her friend and sister to do a story on a festival, find this nice home to stay for the period following a terrible mix-up at the hotel. Unknown to them, there is someone living in the house. So when Jennifer went to do the story, her sister Karen(Karen Lamm) and her friend Vicki(Lois Young) are killed by an unknown being. The surviving woman must do protect herself from impending danger. Not only did the "Unseen" loved his mother, he began to resent Ernest Keller (Sydney Lassick) the man who offered and lured the ladies to his old house. At least, this guy redeemed himself there. For what it's worth, it was a great movie. It has plenty of scare factor, suspenseful, and was surprising as well. I enjoyed it very much. 2.5 out of 5 stars
A stinker!
mm-3913 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The Unseen is a good title for a movie which should be unseen. Well Bond girl Bach took the money and ran! Staring in such stinkers kills ones acting career! Get a named actor Adam West etc too rope the audience in for a movie one watches on fast forward! The Unseen has too long of dialogue for a slow build up for a movie stinker. The plot twist like and old joke was seen coming and was lame. Low budget, with not much for the actors or directors to save. Not so bad it's good. More like so bad it's just awful. Cheesy more like stinky comparble to the bad b awful Zombie horror's out of Rome form the 70's, but some tax ride off movie from California. 3 stars. Stay away!
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