Note: This Blu-ray/DVD combo release is now available courtesy of Arrow Video, as part of the American Horror Project Vol. 1 set.
Ah, remember the glory days of VHS? When you’d walk into a rental shop and alongside all of the big new releases were an equal number of independently produced oddities? The Premonition, a bizarre horror/art film, was one of those titles. When I saw it for rent in the early 80s, I’d never heard of it and actually didn’t ever rent it, but I certainly remember that old videocassette cover.
The kind people from Arrow Video and MDV Entertainment Group allowed me to take a look at this release, which is part of the American Horror Project Vol. 1 Blu-ray set. It came out a few months back and also includes a couple of other lost flicks. The even more obscure Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood (1973) with Herve Villechaize, and The Witch Who Came From the Sea (1976). There movies have been pretty much lost to time and it’s great to see them available at all. It’s all the more incredible that they’ve been given new, high definition upgrades.
In some respects, this movie was a little ahead of the curve. It seems as though it came just at the beginning of the 70s “new age” wave of interest. During this period, phenomena like psychic powers and the unknown were all the rage.. Later that year, the success of the classic Carrie (1976) would really open the floodgates for a slew of movies like The Initiation of Sarah (1978), Jennifer (1978), The Medusa Touch (1978), Patrick (1978) and many more. The Premonition is far more subdued and subtle. However, it deals with similar themes and does so just as well (and in some cases better) than some of the movies listed above.
The plot revolves around Andrea (Ellen Barber) and Jude (Richard Lynch), two ex-patients of a psychiatric institute. They’re on a search for Andrea’s 6-year-old daughter (Danielle Brisebois), who was given up for adoption when she was institutionalized. Working as a clown in a fair, Jude becomes convinced he’s seen the girl and plots with Andrea to take the child and escape together as a family. Of course, Andrea’s odd, stalker-like behavior around the girl upsets Sheri Bennett (Sharon Farrell), who now has custody. Complicating matters are the strange visions (perhaps premonitions) that adoptive mom Sheri begins experiencing.
This project actually makes me admire the work of independent genre filmmakers of the 70s, experimenting and creating a nightmarish vision with next to no money. Despite the complete lack of funds, there’s a fair amount of quality on display. There are no big effects and the psychic abilities used with subtlety. In fact, it literally is just a few premonitions, presented as strange visions. Since Sheri can’t do much with them except try to determine what they mean, she doesn’t seem super-powered. Instead of a skill, it actually adds an extra level of danger and uncertainty to the proceedings. And as Andrea and Jude become unhinged and the tension rises, their behavior and ticks are suddenly all the more unsettling.
This one is all about mood and does quite well in creating a strange atmosphere. There’s a strong emphasis on character and the performers give it their all, with the antagonists really standing out. Despite their horrible plans and unpredictable behavior, they even manage to earn some level of empathy.
There’s also a surprising amount of very professional looking photography on display that helps add some value and weight to the presentation. It’s gritty, yet there are curious uses of lens flares, soft focus and intentionally askew camera angles that add tremendously to the off-kilter feeling. Additionally, it’s excellent to see the movie presented in widescreen and cleaned up on Blu-ray. This is a grainy little picture, but the image does show off some interesting camera angles and lighting that adds to the production value.
As expected, Arrow has included numerous extras on the disc. They include a commentary track with the director, a documentary on the production, a filmmaker interview, a lengthy talk with co-star Richard Lynch, plenty of commercials and trailers for the movie, as well as a series of commercials and three short films that the director made previous to this feature. In total it’s a couple of extra hours of interesting material.
The Premonition was a very, very small feature that earned some good reviews and a limited release back in the 70s, but quickly fell by the wayside after its VHS debut. It moves at a fairly leisurely pace and doesn’t offer big effects; yet, for such a small feature, the end result comes off a whole lot better than you’d expect. I think I made a mistake by not renting it back in the day – this one is certainly more interesting and capably made than many of the horror pictures I chose to check out instead. If you’re a genre fan, it’s worth picking up.