Dead of Winter (1987)

Director:

Arthur Penn

Writers:

Marc Shmuger (writer) &
Mark Malone (writer)

Release Date:

6 February 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Plot:

A fledgling actress is lured to a remote mansion for a screen-test, soon discovering she is actually a prisoner in the middle of a blackmail plot.

Plot Keywords:

Survivor | Woman In Jeopardy | Woman | Kidnap | Psychological Thriller

Cast

Mary Steenburgen	...	Julie Rose / Katie McGovern / Evelyn
Roddy McDowall	...	Mr. Murray
Jan Rubes	...	Dr. Joseph Lewis
William Russ	...	Rob Sweeney
Ken Pogue	...	Officer Mullavy
Wayne Robson	...	Officer Huntley
Mark Malone	...	Roland McGovern
Michael Copeman	...	Highway Patrolman
Sam Malkin	...	Gas Jock
Pamela Moller	...	Woman at audition
Dwayne McLean	...	Killer
Paul Welsh	...	New Year's Eve reveler

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ontario, Canada

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Mary Steenburgen's character is an actress hired to take the place of another actress--Julie Rose--who has gone AWOL. The name is a slight reference to the 1945 movie's title character.

Quotes:

Telephone Operator: There is no 311 area code.

Movie Connections:

References "All My Children" (1970)

A chilly thriller

Dead of Winter is a great film to watch when it's cold out & dark, and it actually reminded me of a sort of throwback to a spooky "made for TV" 70's movie style, although it was made in 1987. Mary Steenbergen plays an out-of-work actress becoming desperate for work, and she's hired by a Mr. Murray (Roddy McDowall) to come to audition for his boss, who turns out to be an retired doctor. Well, there's more to this "audition" than meets the eye, as Steenbergen is drawn into a complicated cat & mouse game that involves her identity being removed & becoming that of a deceased woman. Of course, this all takes place in a big isolated house in the middle of nowhere, and none of the phones seem to work, and the doctor and Mr. Murray, who seemed quite nice when she got there, seem to be not quite what she thought they were. This isn't a great movie but Steenbergen shines, and the atmosphere & settings work well. A fun thriller for a chilly evening. 7 out of 10.