Mark Lester and Britt Ekland |
12-year-old Marcus (Mark Lester) comes home from school -- supposedly because of a chicken pox outbreak -- and meets his new stepmother, Elise (Britt Ekland of King Solomon's Treasure), for the first time. Initially they seem to hit it off, but Elise accuses Marcus of lying about some missing money. Her husband, Paul (Hardy Kruger), takes the boy's side. She goes to Marcus' school to speak to the headmaster (Harry Andrews) and discovers that Marcus was actually expelled from school for bizarre behavior, which includes peeping on couples in the local lover's lane and torturing and killing a cat! But Elise begins to suspect that Marcus may be guilty of even worse things, especially when she learns his mother's death might not have been an accident. Is the boy a sociopathic murderer, or is Elise herself in need of psychiatric help?
Who's the crazy one? Lilli Palmer, Britt Ekland |
Verdict: Too bad. This one had distinct possibilities, but ... **1/4.
Still looks like it is worth a look, though, with Ekland, Lester and Palmer. Always very interesting actors, and the premise sounds fascinating.
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Yes, it starts out quite well, and the scene with Palmer as the shrink is excellent.
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