in the hand of a more skilled director and this film would have be consider a horror masterpiece . despite michael death wish winner merely passable direction and the movie be interesting and original and more than a little scary . the script buck more than one horror cliché off it back ( several it can not shake ) include chris sarandon a the heroine boyfriend who actually listen to her a she insist that eerie thing be go down . burgess meredith be delightful a the lovably insane neighbor . eva gardner be haunt with a young beverly dangelo a her mute and disturbed lesbian lover . john carradine do a heck of a job sit in a chair . and watch out for a brief cameo from an unknown at the time chris walken . this movie be creepy and creative . the plot twist be lovely and if a tad predictable . the climax and of which i will give no detail and be disturb and quite impressive . again a good director could have do more with it and nonetheless it be quite satisfy at least to those with the sensibility of seventy horror . if you like modern overproduce body count torture fantasy and you would not like this . there be almost no gore . the direction be quite spartan . the effect be few and although there some delightful makeup near the end most of which actually isn not makeup . but perhaps i have say too much already . i have rat this a little high than it quality may justify and but i enjoy it as much a any 8 film that i have see .