"The Entity" (1982)

Could you ever imagine being attacked by a force repetitively but there's nothing physically there? Then, when you try to tell people they just don't believe you and you are left trying to figure out what the hell is going on all by yourself? Well, that is what happens in "The Entity".

This has been my third viewing of this film. It's strange because it's usually one that I try to squeeze in during my October Halloween Horror Fest but it isn't until I actually sit down and rewatch it that I fully understand just why I've seen it so few times. There's a lot to take in when watching it.

I always find myself feeling completely disturbed during and afterwords. It actually took me two days to get through watching it because I had to keep stopping it due to my high anxiety that I was getting. At one point I even ended up taking to Facebook to say that I could literally feel my body tensing up and stomach going into knots.

Part of this is due to the actual story and part is due to just how well the director and everyone worked together to really bring to life this tale based on a "true story". Most of the shock values aren't done with full on CGI, like most horror films today. Instead it's done by making smart choices on where and when to move the camera, really great acting, and perfectly timed music. Sure there are some effects but they aren't fully relied upon.

One of my favorite sequences during the film is right after the first attack when they go to leave the house and Carla (Barbara Hershey) has to go back in to find her keys. There was the very interesting choice made of instead of following her around the house as she's trying to locate them, the camera sits right on the keys and you see her panic through the reflection of the mirror. You find yourself feeling super intense and just wanting to yell, "Here! They're over here!" You actually feel yourself getting as panicked as she is and as that fear for her to just get out grows so does the music. It's a really beautiful and terrifying thing when all these elements go so wonderfully well together to make one feel as though they are going through this experience.