The Forgotten One

One of the best haunting films I have ever seen. Much of what is made nowadays don't even come closer. When I first saw it, I was taken by a grateful surprise. Comparisons not taken for granted, but this one made me feel the same way I did when I saw The Shining for the first time. The atmosphere of the place and the beauty of the ghost woman are way too pleasing. Haven't seen it for a long time now. VHS disappeared from the surface of the earth, but I would certainly like a second try. Does anybody know of any plans for a DVD or even a Blu-ray? I am eager to buy it. Film Studio: think about it! Don't let such a gem get lost in oblivion.

This movie is a genuine sleeper. Not many know about this one, but it's definetely one of my favourites! Terry O'Quinn (from The Stepfather) is great as a writer who rents an old house, and is haunted by a strange presence in it. The movie is very atmospheric and at times hypnotic in it's handling of the ghost-theme, and has some genuine twists in the story and a great ending!

I picked up this cheap DVD knowing very little about it, other than it being a ghost story starring Terry O'Quinn who also made some other horror fables around this time; "The Stepfather" and "Pin". To my pleasant surprise, this rarely talked about (if not) enterprise actually turned to be a compelling and worthwhile dip. The word sleeper can get thrown around, but "The Forgotten One" is what you call a sleeper! More interesting than most.

Novelist Bob Anderson packs up and moves to a new city buying an old creaky Victorian house, hoping to storm up ideas for his second novel and move on from the unexpected death of his wife. However he learns the house homes a long-dormant entity, which he discovers is the spirit of a murdered 19th century housewife Evelyn. Thinking that discovering the corpse and actually burying it would free the spirit, only seems to entice the spirit and Bob soon becomes obsessed with Evelyn who just won't let him go.

While customary in its set-up, it actually managed to tell a complete, low-key ghost tale of harrowing heartbreak, haunting mystery and a certain amount of moody chills. Director / writer Phillip Badger's competent touch is atmospheric, sensual and suggestive in what is mature, slow-tempo storytelling with polished visuals, well-revealed twists, constant danger and respectably good performances from the likes Terry Quinn, Kristy McNichol and Blair Parker. Quinn gives such a strong performance with his neurotic presence really carrying it, but McNichol is not to be discarded in a very likable turn as the helpful neighbour. Then there's the striking beauty of Parker, who gracefully engages with a tormented, if sincere performance as the forlorn spirit trying to manipulate things to her own liking. Also popping up is Elisabeth Brooks as a steamy nightclub singer. The script is a character drama with its focus on haunted memories, love, and fate with the right balance of dry, witty humour.

Subtle, slow-tempo and stylish low-budget horror chiller with the common theme of eternal love binning it all together.

"How do you kill something that's already dead."

My review was written in June 1990 after watching the film on Academy video cassette.

Sketchy scripting sinks "The Forgotten One", an initially promising erotic ghost story with a decent cast. Film went the direct-to-video route.

Terry O'Quinn is a most unlikely choice to portray a guy who's irresistible to women but plays it straight. He moves from Kansas City to a lonely house in Colorado to get some privacy while writing. A beautiful ghost (Blair Parker) starts bugging him and things get out of hand when his new girlfriend (Kirsty McNichol) also sees the ghost.

O'Quinn, after his "Stepfather" films, has this role down pat, and McNichol is a welcome sight as his down-to-earth pal. Elizabeth Brooks, who got a sexy showcase a decade earlier in Joe Dante's "The Howling", is wasted as a night club singer.

Terry O'Quinn plays author Bob Anderson, who rents an old house where he plans to start writing his next novel. Unfortunately, the place isn't as peaceful as he had hoped: it's home to the ghost of a young woman, Evelyn (Blair Parker), whose creepy presence makes Bob understandably unnerved. Bob eventually plucks up courage to confront the ghost, who leads him to discover her body walled up in the basement, obviously a victim of foul play.

So he goes to the police, right? Well, no, instead he shows his discovery to his neighbour Barbara (Kristy McNichol), with whom he has developed a friendship, and the pair decide to bury the body in a forest. And that's where the film lost me, their decision to inter the corpse in the middle of nowhere instead of alerting the authorities making no sense whatsoever.

It's a shame, because up until that point, the film was working wonderfully: it was atmospheric and spooky, with great performances from the two leads.

Anyway, having been buried, the no longer tormented Evelyn returns to the house to seduce Bob, believing that he is her lover William. A spot of supernatural romance ensues, Bob entranced by the beautiful ghost, but he isn't so happy when he realises that Evelyn intends to kill him so that they can be together forever. This part of the film isn't too bad, except for the scene where Evelyn's ghost drives a car: she died in 1891 so it's more than a little daft.

Overall, I had a reasonable time with The Forgotten One - I just wish that writer/director Phillip Badger had found a way to avoid the issues that I have mentioned.

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.