The Bad Seed
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Movie Reviews of The Bad Seed
Movie Review: Good Thriller
Summary: 5 Stars
Eight year old Rhoda Penmark seems like the perfect child, pretty, smart and charming. But watch out. If she doesn't get what she wants, knowing her could kill you!
This film is a great thriller with plenty of chilling moments. The cast is excellent, especially young Patty McCormack as Rhoda. Eileen Heckart is also a stand out in a small, but heartbreaking role as the mother of a child murdered by Rhoda. Henry Jones is appropriately creepy as Leroy, the janitor in Rhoda's apartment building, who teases Rhoda one time too much. Nancy Kelly overacts a bit as Christine, Rhoda's mother, but in some scenes she is brilliant, particularly in one scene where she struggles to compose herself in a room full of people.
Despite the theme, this isn't a violent film. All of the killings take place off camera, although viewers do hear one character die off screen. The ending of the film was made to conform with standards at the time it was made, which, while not as chilling as the ending of the book, is part of the charm of the film.
The DVD extras include the original trailer, an audio commentary, and a conversation with Patty McCormack.
This is a good film for people that like to be scared but not inundated with violence. Make sure you watch this film and not the tepid remake.
Movie Review: Very thought-provoking as well as entertaining
Summary: 5 Stars
The Oscar-nominated movie is based on the book and the play with the same title. It follows both fairly closely with the exception of the ending. Most of the actors were performers in the play before doing the movie. I won't describe the plot at all because the movie is much more enjoyable if you don't know what's going to happen - don't even read the back cover.
Don't be put off by our description of the film as a "horror film." You won't find any monsters or vampires or witches or even the devil in this movie. You won't even see a drop of blood. What you will see is some great acting, a film that will make you cry and make you laugh, some very suspenseful moments, and a very unusual ending.
Although Henry Jones did not get an Oscar nomination, he plays one of the most memorable characters I have ever seen and he has some of the most memorable lines. 10-year-old Patty McCormack gives a brilliant performance. In fact, all of the actors (including Nancy Kelly, Evelyn Varden, and Eileen Heckart) give wonderful performances.
If you haven't seen this film before, do so; and if you can, watch it with someone else as the story is very thought-provoking as well as entertaining.
Movie Review: THE PERFECT LITTLE GIRL.....
Summary: 5 Stars
Based on the famous Broadway play, "The Bad Seed" should be just fine on DVD. This chiller about the "perfect" Rhoda Penmark with her long blonde braids and cold, cold heart stars most of the play's cast---Patty McCormack as Rhoda, Nancy Kelly as her mother, Henry Jones as Leroy the apartment handyman and Eileen Heckart as the mother of one of Rhoda's schoolmates. While her pilot husband is away, Mrs.Penmark begins to suspect there's something wrong with her perfect little girl. You bet there is, she's a cold-blooded killer! As Rhoda's list of victims grows, so does her mother's terror as she begins piecing together the clues and facts. The film, shot in stark black & white, appears stagy but this works fine because it's all about the performances. They're brilliant. Mervyn LeRoy allows the characters to remain like they were on stage for maximum impact. The only complaint, Hollywood tacked on a dumb second ending to allow the characters their bows and to say "See? This was only a movie!" because in 1956 the subject matter (and original climax and ending) was quite shocking. But the film is still a classic of it's kind and very much a must see for those who havn't seen it. Watch for it.Movie Review: A very bad seed
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie at the time may have been a shocker for it's audience of the day,but today it can still stand up to any current movie,simply because it has a great script,and a great cast in particular Patty McCormack as the nasty and evil Rhoda.
Some people have never seen the movie,so i won't say too much,but the way Rhoda plays the polite and sweet little girl that everyone is fond of,masks a secret they are all unaware of.
Some later movies have been influenced by this movie,and portrayed the child with all the nasty things that they do on screen,but this movie let's your imagination do that for you.
Watch as Rhoda's temper starts to flair with the gardener,because he can see through her sweetness,and as her mother quizzes her about event's that have been happening,only for Rhoda change the subject with, "A basket full of kisses for a basket full of hugs." ,as this is a line she uses a lot throughout the film.
This is a great movie from 1956,when movies were all about good scripts and a good cast,and i purchased this because a friend recommended it,and plus they said you will never believe the ending,as they felt that was more shocking than Rhoda was.
Movie Review: "Rhoda, About to Exploda"
Summary: 5 Stars
The little girl, Rhoda was about my age in 1956. I was not allowed to see the movie at the time it came out, but I saw it a few years later--Chilling. Heartbreaking and chilling--what a heartbreak for the poor mother. There is a sympathy for the little girl, who was apparently born without any conscience. She was born that way and did not ask to be born. She was brought into the world by others. She was immune to any instruction of right or wrong, in any regard. Perhaps you have known someone like this, that you went to school with. Whose fault is it? The people made this way did not play a part in their conception. The people who brought them into the world probably did not know they would be this way or they would have taken measures to prevent it. What do we do with them? Eliminate them? Put them under a microscope and study them? What is the answer to this enigma and more importantly what causes it? The person who makes this movie is Eileen Heckart, and her alcohol-induced rant--played to perfection. What great acting--gets you to the core, her pain, her agony. If you are "nuts about psychology" or wild about great acting this movie is for you.