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best movie i've ever seen.

The acting in this movie is really good.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Heading for an audition, an actress drives out to a large mansion to prepare for the role only to find that a strange conspiracy appears to involve one of his former patients trying to kill her, and she soon learns of deeper ties to their plot and must put a stop to them before it's too late.There were a few good parts to this one. One of the better parts to this is the house's look, which actually works to the film's advantage in creating a dark, chilling atmosphere due to several key factors. From the large size that offers up hidden passageways, alternate rooms and more to the decorations that adorn the walls and layout, there's plenty to enjoy about the setting to this one. There's also the film's somewhat engaging mystery when it first starts throwing them out there. From the burning license in the fire and the lies about the phones to when it starts in with the hidden rooms and passageways, along with their behavior towards her, it makes this part of the film really entertaining and enjoyable, which is a good thing and is definitely very appreciated. The only other good part of this one is the final chase in here, which is really good from the first instances where the escape plan is put into motion, the different confrontations throughout the house are very good as well, and once it moves into the attic where it gets really fun. From the kills to the suspense and the action all combine to make this the only section of the film where something is happening. These here are all that work for this one as it has a couple flaws that severely hold it back. One of the main ones is the fact that the film just doesn't have any kind of action or horror-related scenes for a near eternity. It's close to fifty minutes in before any kind of danger is detected, and it's still not anything that would move the film along with any kind of speed or momentum at all, and usually resort to being quickly written off at the time to get back to the slow, snail-like pace that has been going on until then. That just makes the film go so long that it's really almost impossible to get into the film with any kind of intimacy, due to the fact that the time when it should be making us interested in the film it spends them showcasing these boring aspects instead, and that is really off- putting and extremely uninteresting. The other big problem with this one is the fact that the twist, when it occurs late in the film, not only doesn't change matters much but seemingly re-writes the film to the point of utter confusion. This would take forever to fully get all the way out, and instead, it just doesn't do much at all to the film as a whole. It's quite a lame twist and doesn't help the film at all. There are a couple other minor flaws, but none of them are as detrimental as these.Rated R: Violence and Language.

The movie dragged without creating enough suspense. I don't mind slow- paced movies if there's a point. Hitchcock, for example, was genius at this. In this one, it felt like there has wasn't enough script or plot points, so they slowed it down. That's what happens when you ask a B-list cast to fill in the gaps. I like Roddy McDowell, but after all, he's just a poor man's Vincent Price. And Mary Steenburgen is very average. I did like the storyline enough to give it a 6. However, it had the potential to be much better.My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre"6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very Good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings10 - A Classic (6 of 430 movies have received this)

DEAD OF WINTER is a fine 1980s thriller with a solid, small cast. The plot centers on a naive actress, played well by Mary Steenburgen, who accepts a job on a rather hush-hush production. She is told that she is to replace a troubled actress who walked off set, however, she never quite makes the set. Instead, she is taken to an isolated mansion where eccentric millionaire Jan Rubes claims to be the film's producer. Mary does everything Rubes and his assistant, Roddy McDowell, ask of her because she views this as her big break.But things aren't what they seem in the mansion. With a blizzard raging outside, Steenburegn is essentially trapped indoors with two men she hardly knows who may or may not be working on a movie. Mary makes a few shocking discoveries while she wastes time in the mansion, locating photographs of a dead woman that Rubes claims to be the actress she is to replace. Mary and the deceased actress bare a striking resemblance and as time rolls along, she feels that their machinations are devious and that her life is in danger.STORY: $$$ (The story doesn't really offer anything new. There are a few moments when you'll ask why Mary's character does the things that she does, but all in all the script isn't too bad. The screenplay builds enough terror and offers jolts in the right places. Also, from the beginning of the film, we know Mary Steenburgen's character is desperate so her going along with the game seems justifiable).ACTING: $$$$ (Mary Steenburgen essentially plays three roles in this film: the main character, the murdered actress and the murdered actress' sister. She does a fine job in all three roles and effectively turns off the naive aspiring actress role when she has to play the calculating sister of the dead thespian. Roddy McDowell is a treat as always in his role as Jan Rubes' sidekick and Rubes, confound to a wheelchair, is exceptional is his role of eccentric man of means. When he chases Mary up the stairs, walking for the first time in years, he'll give you the willies).NUDITY: None

(Some Spoilers)We see right away that there's a lot more to the movie "Dead of Winter" then just an out of work actress looking for a part in a new film. A woman alone and driving out in sticks on the New York State Canadian border is attacked from behind in her car and strangled as her left ring finger is for some unknown reason, at that time, amputated by her killer. Things start to jell later when we see actress Katie McGovern, Mary Steenburgen, going to audition a part for a movie and the theatrical agent Mr. Murray, Roddy McDowell, whom she's auditioning the part for just goes completely overboard with her both looks and acting ability. Getting the part on the spot Murray tells a very happily surprised Katie that she'll have to travel with him upstate to see the movie's director a doctor Lewis, Jan Rubes, whom Murray works for as a manservant. We later find out that Dr. Lewis is also a retired psychiatrist who's treating Murray as a patient. It becomes quite clear that Katie is somehow being substituted for, what may very well be, the woman we first saw in the film who was brutally murdered. As the truth starts to sink into Katie's head about the real reason for her being picked by both Murray and his "Master" the wheel-chair bound Dr. Lewis. Murray & Dr. Lewis are trying to fool Evelyn the sister of the murdered Julia Rose the woman killed at the start of the movie*****SPOILER*****, both parts Evelyn & Julia also played played by Miss Steenburgen, into thinking that Julia is still alive!There's also something that has to do with a suite-case filled with hundred dollars bills that we saw Julia take out of a locker and is later taken from her by her unknown murderer but it just disappears and is never seen or heard from again as if it never was there in the first place!It's when Katie starts to ask too many questions about the part that both Murray and Dr.Lewis have for her in their new movie that she realizes that the part she's to play is that of the murdered Julia Rose! This in an effort to convince her hateful and conniving sister Evelyn that she's still alive.It's never explained in the movie for what all this maneuvering around on both Murrays and Dr.Lewis' part have anything to do with anything that supposed to be going on in the movie? Did they have something going with Evelyn in murdering Julia or were they trying to fool Evelyn, who seemed to want her sister Julia dead in the first place, into thinking that Julia was alive. Finally what happened to the suite-case loaded with cash Julia had on her and even more who was the person who both murdered Julia and took the money? The remainder of the movie "Dead of Winter" has Katie running and fighting for her life in an effort to save herself from these three murderous lunatics, Murray Dr. Lewis & Evelyn. The cops in the area, who aren't that interested in doing their job, aren't much help either as the desperate and injured, by having her ring finger chopped off, Katie runs for her life from both Murray & Dr. Lewis.The ending really saved the movie from being a total disaster by having a "Wait until Dark" like ending in reverse with the crippled would-be psycho-killer Dr. Lewis, stumbling and bobbling all over the place, trying to get his hands on and murdering Katie. Katie having had no trouble earlier dispatching the infirmed Dr.Lewis' healthy but somewhat brain-damaged manservant Mr. Murray has to fight for her life in holding the far older and much less mobile mad doctor. Even Dr. Lewis getting a knife in his back and stepping on a bear-trap was not enough to slow the old and crazy guy down.