Sean S. Cunningham followed up the box office success of ‘Friday the 13th’ with this rarely seen film based on the novel by Mary Higgins Clark.
Little Julie witnesses the rape and murder of her mother. Amongst the confusion, the assailant takes the frightened little girl’s picture. Dazzled by the flash bulb she incorrectly identifies a delivery boy as the culprit.
A number of years later, the boy is about to be executed. News Anchorwoman Sharon Martin, who is now dating Julie’s father is covering the story.
As the execution date grows nearer, Julie and Sharon are kidnapped by the real culprit and are held captive beneath New York’s Grand Central Station. The ransom fee $182,000.
Will Julie and Sharon be found before the execution of Ronald Thompson can take place?
Whilst not as terrifying as I had been led to believe, the film was actually quite good.
Obviously owing everything to the story (although I cannot comment on how faithful it is to the novel) the cast (including a pre Star Trek Kate Mulgrew, and a very against type portrayal of a villain for comedian Rip Torn) are very good, and there are plenty jump scenes too!
In the end the film isn’t bad and is actually quite involving.
OVERALL SUMMARY
Nice setting and idea but nothing spectacular.
