Before his shoddy period in the mid 80's to '90's(besides Serpent and the Rainbow)Craven did some very decent work in the late 70's to early '80 and Deadly Blessing is one of them. Filled with beautiful scenery, awesome scary set pieces, and pretty good acting and pacing. The only weak points are the script and a ending that feels like a cop-out.After her husband is killed in a "accident", recently widowed Martha(Marleen Jensen) is visited by her college friends Vicky(Susan Buckner) and Lana(Sharon Stone) in her home surrounded by a ultra-conservative religious cult. They are not too happy that she is staying and not selling her dead, ex-cult member husband's farm left to him by his tyrannical father(Ernest Borgnine) who believes that she and her friends are in line with the devil. Could it be the cult that is trying to scare Martha into selling?While the story, ending, and plot work against him Craven is still in his prime here. His creepy set-pieces are second to none and he is one of the best of doing what I like to call the "jump" scare. Do not watch this one if you have a phobia of snakes or spiders. In the end the movie does scare you and for a horror movie you cannot ask for anything else, just do not try to think about it too hard.

I think Wes Craven gets picked on too much. Most people say he's only directed a few decent movies and the rest are crap. Sure, the man's made some bad movies (CURSED), but I think he has enough good material in his cannon to be declared a quality director. Take, for example, one of his more forgotten works, DEADLY BLESSING.Marsha and her husband live next to a colony of Hittites, which her husband used to belong to until they exiled him for marrying Marsha, so now the colony calls her "the Incubus." Marsha's husband dies in a tractor "accident," and soon, someone begins killing off various people in the area. Is it the vengeful leader of the Hittites, Isaiah? Is it one of the two friends Marsha has invited over? Or is something supernatural at work? I was avoiding this movie for a while, mainly because I'm not a fan of movies that take place in old-fashioned places, such as Amish (or Hittites, technically) communities. However, I discovered that this is actually quite enjoyable! One strong point is the pacing. The pace is neither too fast, nor too slow, and it never changes at any point in the movie. The acting is also really good, including such notable players as Sharon Stone, Ernest Borgnine, and Michael Berryman (who really doesn't serve much of a purpose, but his presence is always welcome).The film is essentially a slasher flick, and a pretty good one at that. The murders are never very bloody, Craven manages to build up a lot of suspense with most of them. I did guess the identity of the killer, however, I did not guess his/her motive, and let me just say that in any other movie, ti would have been completely laughable. However, Craven manages to pull it off well in my eyes.There are a few small things that go nowhere (either that or I wasn't paying enough attention to the plot), such as Lana (Stone) having recurring nightmares where something is out to get here, Isaiah's son being exiled, Berryman, etc. And then there's a completely ludicrous, out-of-left-field, has NOTHING to do with the rest of the film shock ending, which has to be one of the biggest WTF's I've ever seen. And yes, that ending is what made me bump up the rating from a "7" to an "8." DEADLY BLESSING is pure entertainment any way you slice it. The suspense is great, the atmosphere is heavy, it rarely drags, the acting is way above average, and it has the biggest WTF ending ever! It's a must-see.

Up until recently I have never heard of this movie, all I knew before I saw it was that this was Sharon Stone's first ever speaking role, and now that I finally got round to seeing this, well I was pleasantly surprised.The plot = Set in the Amish country, where a young woman named Martha (Maren Jensen) and her husband John (Jeff East) are hated by the Hitites because John was once one of them and now he's married Martha who they think is an incubus. But when her husband dies in a mysterious tractor accident, she invites her 2 friends Vicky (Susan Buckner) and Lana (Sharon Stone) and once they arrive strange things begin to happen.I really liked this movie and I don't know why this isn't more remembered by some other of Wes Craven's work, Well I must say that this movie is really solid and really packs a punch. I thought the story was really unique and perfect for a horror setting. I really liked the sort or religious aspect of this movie as well, I mean the Hitities are hilarious with they're questionable moral views and over the top rants. Not only was the story interesting but the performances were really strong as well.As I've already said the acting in this movie is really strong and top notch Maren Jensen was really outstanding as the female lead, I don't know why she isn't more well known, she brings depth and warmth to her character. Ernest Borgnine was really entertaining as the leader of the Hitites really chews up the scenery but in a good way and steals every scene he's in with his brilliantly ridiculous rants. Michael Berryman another horror star (The Hills Have Eyes) was awesome but didn't get enough screen time, Susan Brukner who plays one of the 3 female leads was also really strong and Sharon Stone well she was stunning in this, a bit of paced performance wise, but all is forgiven as it was her first proper role and she really shines towards the end.The horror aspect of this movie also hits the mark There are some solid jump scares and intense moments. Like the snake in the bathtub which really kept me on the edge of my seat very effective and the weird dream sequence when Sharon Stone has a spider dropped into her mouth was also very effective. The ending well is another thing a lot of people talk about and splits everyone down the middle, well in my opinion doesn't exactly come from nowhere as what some people think if you pay attention about the whole thing with the incubus, it proves that the Hitites are not total whack jobs. The entire last 10 minutes with the typical slasher chase and escape moments were really well done and enjoyable and I also loved the twist when the killer is revealed was done really well although slightly rushed in my opinion but still works.All in all "Deadly Blessing" may not be bloody or gory but it is still a slasher movie right until the end and it's a really great movie and if you're a fan of Wes Craven like I am then check this little unknown gem out.

If there is a bigger Wes Craven fan than myself, I haven't met them. From his early work, the incomparable "Last House on the Left", to his latest work, the hugely entertaining "Scream franchise", there are very few movies of his that I don't enjoy on at least some level. Of course, all of this comes into play while reviewing the slasher gem of the night, the little known and unappreciated "Deadly Blessing." How people have never heard of such an elegant and supremely suspense film is a mystery to me. Yes, dear reader, it really is that good."Deadly Blessing" begins with young couple Martha (Maren Jensen) and Tom Schmidt (Jonathon Gulla) living in an isolated farm named 'Our Blessing', where most of it's population are of the Hittite religion. Jim used to be a Hittite himself but left the community when he got married. Martha tells matron Louisa Stohler (Lois Nettleton), who is the mother of Faith (Lisa Hartman)that she is pregnant. That night, Tom searches in the barn after hearing strange noises from inside, but is murdered when a mysterious figure runs him over with his tractor. This is seen as a mechanical accident.Friends Lana Marcus (Sharon Stone) and Vicky Anderson (Susan Buckner) visit Martha after Tom's funeral. Some time after Martha refuses to sell the farm to Isaiah Schmidt (Ernest Borgnine), the leader of the Hittites, and slams the door in his face. When William Gluntz (Michael Berryman) goes to the house at night to search for his shoe he accidentally left earlier when sneaking around, he is stabbed through the back by an unseen figure.Martha is now being accused of being the incubus. Lana enters the barn the next day to look for something in the haystack but all the doors and windows suddenly close, trapping her inside. In a panic, she searches for a way out but encounters a figure dressed in black. When escaping out the now open barn door William's corpse swoops down at her, hanging from a rope. The police clears up the mess as the sheriff (Kevin Cooney) advises the three friends to move out of town, as someone may be after them. However, Martha decides to stay where she is and buy a gun for protection. Multiple events follow, such as a snake being put into Martha's bathroom while she's taking a bath by an unseen figure who creeps in her house. She manages to get out of the bath and kill it. Little do the friends know that the trouble has only began.I cannot possibly oversell "Deadly Blessing". The cinematography is pitch perfect, the deaths are extremely suspenseful, and the ending, while a bit out there, stays completely true to the story. It is with this film that Craven showed the film world that he could make a horror movie that relied on actual intelligent filmmaking as opposed to cheap scares. While it is true that the film is a bit slow and meanders a bit in its middle act, it is still a fine horror movie that deserves a re- release. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out immediately. Sadly, however, it is only available in region 2 release so unless you have a VCR or a multiregion DVD player, you may be out of luck.