The Entity (1982, Sidney J. Furie)

Peter Tscherkassky's best known short film, Outer Space spliced & mangled various scenes from The Entity (he also used scenes from this film in another one of his shorts of almost equal greatness, Dream Work) into what is certainly one of my favourite works of recent memory, as well as being probably the most frightening film I can think of (by no means a small feat for someone as jaded as yours truly) along with David Lynch's Inland Empire. So naturally I was inclined to get around to watching The Entity at some point, even if the notion of a film about a woman being repeatedly attacked & raped by a ghost seem like it could easily be vile horror sexploitation. Thankfully it isn't. However, that isn't to say that it is a particularly good film, at least not a wholly good one.

The main issue is that it wants to be both a supernatural horror genre film, but at the same time treat the subject matter seriously. What might be a detriment to some, there is a considerable degree of thoughtful exploration of psychological trauma & sexual repression (particularly incestous desire). The problem is that it also treats the supernatural elements as a given. As overwrought in trying to evoke scares as some of the scenes are early on in the film, they still offer suggestion rather than overt explanation. When it veers towards cheesy & archaic (even for its time) special effects (not to mention ghostly breast-groping), the film seems to be more interested in sensationalism. While there is some atmospheric craftiness & a terrific look to it all, The Entity almost goes a little too far off in a climax that starts off as genuinely eerie & devolves into the sort of thing that's more in tune with some blockbuster action movie with Barbara Hershey & Ron Silver trying to dodge an out-of-control tank of liquid helium.

It's inevitable & something of a given that films based on actual accounts (particularly paranormal ones) would take heavy liberties. It is unfortunate though that the filmmakers feel as though there is something more disturbing about paranormal activity than the possibility that such events could be the onset of psychological trauma.