The Premonition (1976) AVCO Embassy/Horror RT: 94 minutes Rated PG (some violence, thematic material) Director: Robert Schnitzer Screenplay: Anthony Mahon and Robert Schnitzer Music: Henry Mollicone and Pril Smiley Cinematography: Victor Milt Release date: May 5, 1976 (US) Cast: Sharon Farrell, Richard Lynch, Edward Michael Bell, Jeff Corey, Chitra Neogy, Ellen Barber, Danielle Brisebois, Rosemary McNamara, Roy White, Margaret Graham, Thomas Williams, Wilmuth Cooper. Box Office: N/A
Rating: **
I never heard of The Premonition until I came across the trailer on YouTube about two weeks ago. I added it to my watch list immediately after viewing it. It not only looked good, it had two of my favorite B-list stars, Sharon Farrell (It’s Alive) and Richard Lynch (God Told Me To). I figured it couldn’t miss. Unfortunately, it does. The saddest part is it had potential.
The main problem with The Premonition is the muddled screenplay. It works against the eerie atmosphere in this supernatural tale about a woman, Sheri Bennett, (Farrell), who starts experiencing psychic visions after the attempted kidnapping of her adoptive daughter Janie (Brisebois, Archie Bunker’s Place). The culprit is the child’s biological mother Andrea (Barber, Blood Bride) who’s recently been released from a mental hospital. Her boyfriend, psychopathic Jude (Lynch), searched for the kid while she was away. In the first of many wild coincidences, Janie and her mother go to the same carnival where Jude works as a clown. He and Andrea conspire to snatch the little girl from her bedroom, but flee without her after Sheri catches Andrea in the act.
It’s here that Sheri starts having disturbing visions. They’re either premonitions or fallout from the trauma of almost losing her daughter. Thankfully, her college professor husband Miles (Bell, Gymkata) is involved (i.e. having an affair) with a female professor (Neogy, Jackpot) doing a study on psychic phenomena. That should clear things up. Meanwhile, investigating detective Mark Denver (Corey, Battle Beyond the Stars) goes looking for Andrea who has a complete psychotic break after the failed kidnapping.
At this point, I should be careful what I say next. If you haven’t seen The Premonition, I don’t want to spoil it for you. Sheri continues to go off the deep end what with the visions and taunting phone calls from Andrea. It’s probably not a good idea to put Janie in the car and drive to the university late one night to see her husband and his colleague, but she does and it yields tragic results. She gets into an accident and her daughter disappears. She’s convinced Andrea is somehow responsible for causing the accident.
This, of course, is a more straightforward description of the plot of The Premonition. I wish the makers had done the same with their presentation. The writers, Anthony Mahon and Robert Schnitzer, can’t seem to get their act together. The pieces of the story never really gel. It zigs and zags all over the place until reaching a conclusion that doesn’t make a lot of sense. Clunky direction by Schnitzer (Kandyland) certainly doesn’t help matters any. It’s too slow-paced to make a real impact. Also, it’s not scary. I didn’t jump once.
What The Premonition does have is a genuinely eerie atmosphere. A pallor of doom and gloom hangs over the proceedings. It successfully builds a sense of dread. However, it never fulfills its promise of a fatalistic ending. It just ends. Fortunately, The Premonition is saved (somewhat) by its cast. Lynch turns in a wonderfully OTT performance as a dangerous psycho who we first meet doing a strange dance on the carnival grounds. Farrell is also terrific as the traumatized mom trying to find her little girl. Corey is good as the cop on the case. Young Brisebois does good work as Janie.
I honestly wish The Premonition had been a great movie. Instead, it’s a very mediocre one. It could have been great in more assured hands. The problem, like I said, is the flawed screenplay. It has plot holes galore. The writers introduce the husband’s extramarital affair, but do nothing with it. It gets dropped almost instantly. I suppose that’s a good thing since The Premonition is already convoluted enough. It’s a great big disappointment. I guess that’s the reason I never heard of it before.
