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Bad Seed, The (DVD)
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Genre | Drama, Horror, Suspense |
Format | Multiple Formats, Black & White, Closed-captioned, Subtitled, NTSC |
Contributor | Gage Clarke, Henry Jones, Frank Cady, Mervyn LeRoy, Nancy Kelly, William March, Evelyn Varden, Eileen Heckart, Jesse White, Patty McCormack, Maxwell Anderson, William Hopper, John Lee Mahin, Paul Fix, Joan Croydon See more |
Initial release date | 2005-09-13 |
Language | English |
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Product Description
Bad Seed, The (DVD) A single mother, adopted herself as a small child, discovers the horrifying truth that within her seemingly angelic young daughter beats the heart of a cold-blooded serial murderer ... even as she learns that her own mother killed everyone else in her family. Now as more people die, one woman must make a terrible decision about the daughter she loves and desperately wants to protect in this classic thriller.
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.33:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 7.75 x 5.75 x 0.53 inches; 1.98 ounces
- Item model number : 2232624
- Director : Mervyn LeRoy
- Media Format : Multiple Formats, Black & White, Closed-captioned, Subtitled, NTSC
- Run time : 2 hours and 9 minutes
- Release date : September 13, 2005
- Actors : Nancy Kelly, Patty McCormack, Henry Jones, Eileen Heckart, Evelyn Varden
- Subtitles: : English, French, Spanish
- Producers : Mervyn LeRoy
- Language : English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono), Unqualified
- Studio : Studio Distribution Services
- ASIN : B00027JYNK
- Writers : John Lee Mahin
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #7,891 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #269 in Mystery & Thrillers (Movies & TV)
- #1,221 in Drama DVDs
- Customer Reviews:
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I saw it again this afternoon, after not having seen it for about three years, and still find it quite disturbing. Now that we have IMDb, I decided to offer my thoughts. And so, I was shocked to find SO MANY comments about it...more than for any other film that I've reviewed on IMDb to date. If I add anything of unique value, great. If not, I'm happy to share my review anyway.
Certainly, there are flaws, or perhaps only "unique differences", in this film. Primarily, it can very easily be considered a filmed play, as the staging, the dialog, and the entrances and exits of the characters throughout the film seem to be lifted directly from the stage version. Therefore, some may find the film a bit too sterile or unnatural in many ways. However, I think it is this very sterile, staged, stark-from-a-production-standpoint quality that gives the film an even eerier and in some ways far more realistic edge than might be found were it to be produced today for film, with far more slick and sophisticated sets, dialog, camera work, etc. The realism and pronounced disturbing quality of this version stem from the simple story itself, the psychological horror of which could be in some ways obfuscated from a much more sophisticated, big-studio, modern-day production.
As for the subject matter itself, I know that the number of cases, historically, involving child murderers is actually low. Therefore, some critics have argued that to take a relatively rare phenomenon, such as the child murderer, and build a motion picture around it, portraying it in the vein of plausibility, can be misleading and dangerous, giving the impression, especially to younger viewers, that child criminals are more commonplace than you may think. I wholeheartedly reject this notion. The whole purpose of acting is to portray the entire range of the human condition with as much truth as possible, no matter how rare or commonplace certain aspects of human behavior might be. Though child murderers may be few in number, it's an area worthy of as much exploration, in film, as is an ugly, unrealistic alien telling us to "phone home" or the sinking of the Titanic.
Even though this film possesses a definite "campy", staged, and perhaps even "cult" quality, it is chillingly effective. One reason for which this film works is due to the character of Rhoda herself, played by Patty McCormack. The smiling, blond, blue-eyed veneer of the child juxtaposed with the idea of her criminal potential (and actions) is just plain "creepy". Moreover, the less you see, in terms of the actual crimes she commits, the more you conjure. And, you continually wonder who her next victim will be. Furthermore, you wonder how many people will eventually "come on to her" and become aware of who she is, and how that knowledge will affect their fate.
Another reason for which this film works is because of the mother, Christine, played by Nancy Kelly. As we slowly watch her become aware of what has become of her daughter, we can't help but empathize with her predicament and her decision in handling it. The first few times I saw the film, just as I felt that Patty McCormack's portrayal and dialog delivery were probably mere replicas of what she offered on stage, I felt that Nancy Kelly's performance was affected and probably lifted directly from her work on the stage (I've never seen a stage version, nor have I read the book, yet). But in the case of Ms. Kelly, watching her realize what she has ultimately given birth to and raised is very heart wrenching. Moreover, I have always wondered if the use of her right hand was a direction given to her by either of her directors (for play or film), or if it was something she came up with herself. Two instances come to mind.
In the first one, the manner in which she hits the table with her right hand as she listens to what is happening outside near her shed while Rhoda plays "Au Claire de la Lune" on her piano is very pronounced, appears somewhat odd and is perhaps symbolic. She seemed to be pounding her hand not only in outward denial and anger at the realization she now has of what her child is capable of committing, but as a means to torture and punish herself for having given birth to her in the first place. In the second instance, Nancy Kelly used her right hand again in a very pronounced manner when she offers Rhoda her vitamins "that night". Again, I couldn't help but wonder what symbolism she wanted us to draw from her gesture. It might be said that this very hand, which once comforted and fed her child all her life, has now become the tool that feeds the ultimate fate of her child toward the end of the film. (Again, not having read it, I have a fairly good idea how the book ends).
As for how the ending/epilogue in the film was handled, practically everyone on this site who has offered a review knows that the use of the "casting call" was basically dictated by the mandates of the Hays Code. I'll just add that I find that the chilling effect of the story carries over to this bizarre "epilogue". I still find it a bit unsettling to see each of these actors take their bows, especially considering that some of the characters they portrayed would, in my estimation, appear stranger to a child than does Rhoda....particularly Leroy, when he bows to the viewing audience carrying his large pitchfork.
In the end, I think that this film works, and is definitely worth watching. As great as "The Exorcist" was, which for me is the definitive "horror flick", "The Bad Seed" is in many ways more chilling, perhaps because its story seems even that much more plausible than someone's being possessed by the devil. This film is, to a degree, definitely flawed. The dialog is a bit affected, and the character of Kenneth Penmark, played by William Hopper, is just too vapid. Moreover, the entire conversation among Christine, Monica, Richard Bravo (Christine's father) and Monica's brother appears completely "planted" and a bit awkward, though obviously serves some measure of establishment into Rhoda's character as well as foreshadowing. Even so, you will not forget this film. You might even parody some key lines throughout your life, as I have done. ("You're the prettiest mother", "Give me back those shoes, Leroy", and "Good Morning, Miss Fern", while making a curtsy).
Overall, I highly recommend this film, and it should be watched periodically over the years, because you'll always catch something new, and want to study each character's contributions and mannerisms, even though the film is clearly stolen by Patty McCormack, Eileen Heckart, and, most especially, Nancy Kelly.
This film was first released in 1956. Little Patty McCormack and I are just about the same age. The Ad campaign was low key and asked the audience to "please don't tell you friends anything about this picture", or words to that effect. As a child, I assumed there was something "dirty" anout the picture from the way it was being promoted.
I didn't see THE BAD SEED until the advent of the VCR.
The premise of Maxwell Anderson's play is straighforward. Are some people just "Born Bad?".
Mervyn Leroy attempts to "open the play" up in this film version. It is still very stage bound but it is still very engrossing. Young mother Christine Penmark (Nancy Kelly) worries that her daughter Rhoda is a little too mature for an eight year old child and suspects that something may be wrong. During a school picnic, a classmate of Rhoda's, Claude Daigle, is drowned under very suspicious circumstances and there are indications that Rhoda may have been somehow involved, a detail that no one wants to believe, at first. Christine finds one clue after another incriminating Rhoda and Christine begins to explore her own background to see if somehow Rhoda may have inherited some genetic trait that has set her on the road to murder. I'll stop here and let you watch this film play out for itself.
Great acting performances abound in this film, many of the actors having appeared in this play on the New York Stage. Nancy Kelly as Christine received a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance. Some people feel that her performance is a little too over-the-top, but I disagree. Christine's agonizing descent into a near nervous breakdown is the glue that holds this play together. Equally good is Patty McCormack as Rhoda Penmark,a heartless child murderess. Patty earned an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actress for one of the greatest performances by a child actress in Film History. Eileen Heckart is unforgettable as Hortense Daigle, the grieving alcoholic mother of the murdered boy, who suspects that all is not what it seems to be. She too was nominated for an Oscar as Best supporting Actress.
In addition, Henry Jones plays "Leroy", a sly dim-witted handyman who works at the apartment building where Christine and Rhoda live. There is something dangerous in Henry's performance which seems to suggest that he is a potential child molestor as he tries to match wits with Rhoda. Evelyn Varden is Monica Breedlove, the Penmark's well-intended buttinsky landlady. Jones and Varden deliver Oscar Caliber performances as well. William Hopper, the actor-son of gossip columnist Hedda Hopper plays serviceman Kenneth Penmark, Rhoda's father, who is conveniently called
away for most of the picture. Familiar character actors Paul Fix is Christine's father, Richard Bravo and Jesse White is Mrs. Breedlove's brother.
This is the kind of thought-provoking film that didn't rely on special effects to entertain an audience. It's of-it's-time but nonetheless compelling entertainment.
Top reviews from other countries
Impeccabile la spedizione di Amazon, come sempre.
All the actors did a excellent job and the story is something different. It is worth a look.
The Bad Seed es un film para todos los amantes del terror psicológico, brutal para su época, repleto de actuaciones audaces. Si buscas gore o jump scares, esta no es la película para ti. En cambio si has disfrutado de títulos como El Bebé de Rosemary o Don't Bother to Knock, es perfecta para ti.
Was das Werk meiner Meinung nach so genial macht:
1.) zur Zeit der 1950-er Jahre war ein kindlicher Bösewicht eine völlig neues Thema.
2.) Die Idee dass ein Kind so planmäßig, berechnend und eiskalt vorgehen kann eine ist geniale Idee.
3.) Filmhistorisch betrachtet ist dieser Film der erste mit kindlichem Bösewicht.
4.) Der Film zeigt den absoluten Extremfall einer sog. "dissozialen Persönlichkeitsstörung".
5.) Falls jemand den Unterschied zwischen 'höflich' und 'freundlich' nicht kennen sollte: In diesem Film wird er klar.
6.) Der extreme starke Unterschied zwischen dem wie Rhoda scheint und Rhodas wahrer Persönlichkeit ist meiner Ansicht nach extrem faszierend.
Der einzige Punkt der zu kritisieren ist, ist das vertrottelte deus ex machina - Ende der original US-Version. Das Ende ist das exakte Gegenteil der Literaturvorlage. Extrem künstlich wirkt der Eingriff Gottes in die Handlung.
Aber dieses ließ sich leider durch den damaligen Moralkodex (das Böse darf im Film nicht siegen) leider nicht verhindern. Diese Schwäche wird aber durch die Punkte 4.), 5.) und 6.) nur teilweise kompensiert. Dennoch reicht es für die höchste Wertung.
Zur Klassifikation des Filmes: In den meisten mir bekannen englschsprachigen Quellen wird der Fílm als "Horrorfilm" dargestellt. Ich kann diese Klassifikation in keiner Weise nachvollziehen, da im ganzen Film kein einziger Schockeffekte vorkommt. Zumindest keine die ich als solche identifizieren konnte.
Ich schreibe "de facto Mörderin" oder "de facto handelt es sich um drei Morde" weil Morde von 8 jährigen Kindern de Jure in Österreich und Deutschland nicht begangen werden können. In der "juristischen Wirklichkeit" handelt es sich in Österreich und Deutschland bei Rhoda um einen entzückend süßen Unschuldsengel.