The Sentinel

Released - 1977
Genre - Horror, Drama, Mystery
Director - Michael Winner
Starring - Cristina Raines, Chris Sarandon, John Carradine, Ava Gardner, Jose Ferrer, Burgess Meredith, Eli Wallach, Christopher Walken, Jeff Goldblum, Beverley D'Angelo, Tom Berenger

A rather dim-witted fashion model decides that she isn't ready for marriage yet and has to prove she can live on her own for a while. She packs her bags and leaves her lawyer boyfriend behind to rent a surprisingly cheap Brooklyn Heights apartment. There's obviously a catch and as the creepy occurrences ramp up and the seriously strange neighbours call round she begins to lose the plot. Winner directs a seriously amazing cast although many of them are pre-fame here including a virtually silent Christopher Walken and a young Jeff Goldblum. There's also a really weird cannibal lesbian turn from Beverly D'Angelo but Burgess Meredith steals the show for me. This is definitely creepy and unsettling in places with obvious shades of Rosemary's Baby (which is, needless to say, far superior). Winner's direction is more cheap shocks than tense scares and the grand finale is downright tasteless. It still has its moments and it is well worth seeing as a curiosity.

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