Clevercell Very disappointing...

Stellead Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Lightdeossk Captivating movie !

Helloturia I have absolutely never seen anything like this movie before. You have to see this movie.

acidburn-10 A Reflection In Fear tells the story of a wealthy man (Robert Shaw), returning home for the first time in 15 years to see his daughter and to divorce his ex wife so he can marry his fiancé He's devastated to learn his daughter is treated like a prisoner on the estate, locked away from society by a vindictive wife (Mary Ure) and mother-in-law (Signe Hasso). Marguerite lives in a fantasy world, with imaginary friends named Aaron who seems to come real and gets very jealous of Marguerite.I must say I watched this a while back and I was pleasantly surprised, it was a really interesting watch and I can see that this being from the early 70's has influenced many later slashers such as "Sleepaway Camp" and "Unhinged" I'd like to go into greater detail about this "debt" but doing so would ruin the surprise ending.Sondra Locke who plays the daughter Marguerite gave a mesmerising performance She looks so fragile and vulnerable in her Alice in Wonderland dresses, she really steals the scenes from the other cast members. Robert Shaw's performance is restrained but it's because his character is supposed to be oblivious to his daughter's sexual advances. He's still the best male actor in the cast and his larger than life qualities shine through. Mary Ure, Shaw's real wife at the time, has little dialogue but is able to convey evil and hatred with just a glance. Sally Kellerman also gives a strong performance as Anne, a woman who realises her future is crumbling before her eyes.All in all Reflection may be a forgotten gem, but I really liked it and has the presence of a strong cast and a strong story line definitely worth tracking down.

criticman2000 Fraker is a cinematographer, and not just your plain vanilla camera cranker, either. He's been responsible for the look of many of Steven Spielberg's early films, including "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind". He was also instrumental in seeing that some of our most beloved and distinctive TV series made it to the screen, notably the original "Outer Limits". This was his first outing as a director (he's only done a couple more before returning to the job he's known best for). It has a weird, psychotic look. When you enter this world, it's a strange one, where the surreal becomes reality. You watch this and, first of all, you'll think you've got it figured out right from the beginning. You won't. This is also Sondra Locke's first film, and she is frenetic, creepy, spooky. Fraker has created one of those classic 'old dark house' movies, but it's about way more than that. This is about power and manipulation and taking it to extremes; about the ultimate control freaks. It's very dreamlike throughout, and it builds to a feverish climax. You probably won't like the characters, but then, you're not supposed to. Sally Kellerman is very good in this. She had previously worked with Fraker in an amazing black and white episode of "The Outer Limits" called, I believe, "The Bellero Shield", opposite Martin Landau. Robert Shaw is elegant and clueless as the husband, and the wonderful Mary Ure is perfection as his melting, bizarre ex-wife. I saw this when it came out, in an empty theater, on a Saturday afternoon during the summer's heat. It's stuck with me a long time, because I dig unique thrillers. I had never seen anything like this before or since. It's in the same league as that old classic "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte", but it's edgier. Watch this as though you've never been to a movie in your life. Forget where you think it's taking you and let it lead you to the peculiar place it's really going. Seek this one out.

noir guy Haunting Gothic psychodrama (adapted by Lewis John Carlino whose THE SAILOR WHO FELL FROM GRACE WITH THE SEA covers similarly torrid terrain) which, whilst undeniably owing a shade too much of a debt to PSYCHO (as previously noted by another IMDb commentator), whips up an unsettling and uneasy atmosphere of dread, not all of which is dissipated by apparently heavy censorship cuts made to secure a 'PG' for its original U.S. theatrical release in the early 70s. In fact, these often noticeable edits (scenes cut away before they've barely begun) lends the whole enterprise a greater sense of ambiguity by suggesting, rather than showing, the barely suppressed corruption and perversion. Possibly too low-key for popular tastes (which makes it all the more surprising that this was distributed by a major studio and roped in the likes of Robert Shaw) and, although I don't really go a bundle on films which seem to be bending over backwards to conceal their surprise ending (and, yes, I did see this one coming a mile off), this is still a one-off melodramatic curio worth seeking out and which certainly lingers in the mind. Now, how about a nice DVD transfer (my UK video copy is a nasty full-frame RCA Columbia release from the early 80s which doesn't do justice to what looks like impressive cinematography)?...

D. Packard I recently had the privilege to see a brand new (from the camera negative) 35mm print of this film at the American Cinematheque here in Los Angeles. It was a Friday night, there were probably only about 20 people in the theatre. Bill Fraker and Sondra Locke were there to talk about it. I really admire this film on many levels, visually it is quite amazing, filled with haunting pastel images and eerie dark shadowy lighting. It had look and feel [and content] of a film made around the 1970-71 period as opposed to '73, and sure enough that was indeed the case. (the film was shelved for 2 years before the studio did something with it) This is yet another interesting example of the kind of strange and bold and brilliant and unconventional film that could have ONLY been made in that time. (and surely the filmmakers of the time were not aware of it--as this was just the reality of the era)In the same kind of haunting and lonely ambience this film created, I felt depressed that these works are still so overlooked. Even now, (as of late March 2003) there is only one other comment here on the IMDB. And this person (verna55) happens to a friend of mine I've corresponded with. It seems only too apparent there is simply no audience for movies like this, except for rare, intelligent, aware people like me. On one level I'm glad to know about and connect with films like this, on another it makes me morose with utter hopelessness knowing there is simply no market for films like this. Or chance anything like it could ever be made again, especially given the way people tend to overlook and ignore the most brilliant things. But gee, thats nothing new isn't it? I hold little hope for the future of humankind, and you know what? frankly I think some kind of armageddon would be the best thing that could happen to planet earth right now. (--D. Packard, director of "Reflections of Evil")