THE OTHER

"HOLLAND...WHERE IS THE BABY??" - 8/10


Robert Mulligan’s terrific 1972 psychological drama THE OTHER used to play frequently on television, mostly on Sunday evenings and also made the rounds on late-night cable. Today it is virtually impossible to find, although it does turn up on Cinemax occasionally. If you were an impressionable kid like yours truly and saw it when you were young it probably gave you nightmares.

Filmed in Murphys, California some three hours east of San Francisco, THE OTHER is a deeply disturbing tale of two young brothers Niles and Holland Perry, portrayed superbly by identical twins Chris and Martin Udvarnoky, who live in a rural America now long gone. The time appears to be circa World War II, perhaps even before, and is eerily reminiscent of THE WALTONS. “The Ghost Story” and “The Changeling”, two episodes of THE WALTONS which featured a Ouija board and a malevolent Raggedy Ann doll, respectively, also sent me running to my room as a child.

Released on VHS in 1989 by then CBS/Fox Home Video – this film needs a serious DVD anamorphic transfer – THE OTHER is a beautifully photographed rustic tale which contains some nice comedic elements as well as some genuinely disturbing ones. For a PG-rated film it is tough for a young child to watch, as the protagonists are, in fact, children. The real-life twins are excellent in this film. It’s truly a shame that this was their only film. Niles and Holland are constantly playing games with one another, hiding, guessing, and generally causing trouble to others around them. Niles has a form of second-sight, which allows him to “see” through the eyes of a raven as it swoops over landscapes. He plays “The Game” often but is warned by his aunt (Uta Hagen) not to play it too often. To disclose any further details would ruin the film.

Jerry Goldsmith provides an amazing score which is simultaneously beautiful, elegiac, ominous, and haunting. It’s a perfect example of a wondrous score; it superbly compliments the action onscreen.

While the film is difficult to find, it is most definitely worth seeking out.

- Jonathan Stryker










DIRECTOR

Robert Mulligan

CAST

Chris Udvarnoky
Martin Udvarnoky
Uta Hagen
Diana Muldar

RELEASE DATE

1972

REVIEWER

Jonathan Stryker

REVIEW DATE

27th November 2002 - 6:19AM


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Jonathan Stryker