Aaron Spelling produced this fondly remembered 1982 supernatural outing that stared Dennis Weaver, Valerie Harper and the legendary Ruth Gordon. A family moves into a new house in an effort to start anew after the tragic death of their eldest daughter. Soon middle child Mary is in full contact with her dead sister and willing to do her bidding which includes the systematic annihilation of her entire family. Is Mary insane? Schizophrenic? Possessed? Or is the ghost of her sister the real deal? Highly engrossing, admittedly campy, indisputably creepy, and nearly impossible to shake.
INDELIBLE SCENE(S)
- Gordon's death by lizard
- the "artsy" smashing watermelon cut
- The ominous pizza cutter rolling up the bannister
- Mary tying Jen's shoes together in the car
- Any scene of Mary in a straitjacket
- Big sister Jennifer's horrifically uncanny Cheshire cat grin in the film's finale
This movie is fantastic-o! In fact, the very first present I got for my boyfriend was a copy of Don't Go to Sleep. We met through a mutual friend who mentioned to him my love of TV Movies and he asked her if I could identify a movie about a little ghost kid and something about shoelaces. I found it and we've been together ever since!
We watched this movie in Big Bear right after a 4.0 earthquake hit the area. I'm not sure it was the aftershocks or the movie, but that ending had us jumping!
This movie is actually so cheesy its funny…UNTIL that ending! Between the pizza cutter and the straightjacket and – Holy Hell! You posted pictures of it! – the sister smiling at the foot of the bed – WOW! That little girl smiling in the dark? I STILL see it at the foot of my bed some nights when I cant sleep!