Deadly Intentions

I remember watching this movie on television while I was in University. I was providing some overnight home care for an elderly relative who went to bed early. After he was asleep, I placed a chair in the middle of the living room to watch TV and this movie came in. For the next two evenings, I sat perfectly still in the chair, not a muscle moved, white-knuckled, as I watched this story unfold. It was terrifying in its realism yet I could not pull myself away, desperately wanted this poor young wife to free herself from the grasp of her sickly possessive husband. I never forgot this movie and still bring it up once in a while in conversations about movies that had the biggest impact on my life.

If I watched it now, it may not have the same effect, but 30 years ago, it certainly left its mark!

There have been a number of films that deal with the `babe in the woods' woman who marries Mr psycho himself. Some like the Stepfather films are fictious and some like this one and Our Mothers Murder are true. In this one an educated man i.e. MD is the psycho husband. Once again the question comes up what exactly is it that makes these guys attractive to these women? This is a made for TV feature and is well done and well cast for the thriller/suspense factor. One interesting side note I noticed is that Cloris Leachman was cast as Charles Raynors mother. She also appeared as yet another wacko mother in a film about the late comedian Ernie Kovacks entitled Between the laughter.

I liked it. I thought it was good for a drama and sorta scary.

I know, I know: *Another* sweet-innocent girlfriend/wife/ex-girlfriend/ex-wife/whatever is terrorized by her crazy-psychotic boyfriend/husband/ex-boyfriend/ex-husband/whatever. Yes, the concept is one we've been told about thousands of times (at least, it seems that way) before.

But I promise, out of the whole bunch, THIS ONE really is worth watching if you're into that sort of thing. I saw it when it came on TV in 1985. Had nightmares about it for months. I confess, I had forgotten who was in the cast until looking it up here on IMDb, but it's no surprise that Michael Biehn has gone on to have such a successful TV career. And who woud have thought Cloris Leachman -- one of the great comediennes -- would have a performance like this in her? Simply chilling from start to finish.

As they used to say on "Dragnet", the names were changed to protect the innocent. But this is "based on a true story" that occurred in the 1970s. The book (same title as the movie), published in 1982 by the Tucson AZ prosecutor named William Randolph Stevens, is available on amazon.

This movie should not be confused with the campier, more fictionalized sequel from 1991, starring Harry Hamlin and Joanna Kerns, and titled "Deadly Intentions... Again?" DIA is not without its own appeal, but the original is the true classic worth seeking out.

I saw this movie 20 years ago and I am trying to find it so that I can buy it. I wanted to rate it a 10 but beings that it has been so long ago I really can't remember how well it was put together. I know that the actors did really well in it. Michael Biehn's portrayal of a psychopath was outstanding to say the least. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes real life crime stories. Plus I do remember that it kept you on the edge of your seat. I can't believe this guy went all the way through medical school and then did what he did. I won't ruin it for those who haven't seen the movie but take my advice it is one you would want to see.