Movie Type: Supernatural Horror, Haunted House Film
Themes: Woman In Jeopardy
Main Cast: Chris Sarandon, Cristina Raines, Martin Balsam, John Carradine, José Ferrer
Release Year: 1976
Country: US
Run Time: 91 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
In the wake of such Satanic-themed thrillers as Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist and The Omen comes The Sentinel. When New York fashion model (Cristina Raines) splits with her fiance (Chris Sarandon) and moves into an old brownstone, she soon discovers she has more than she bargained for in the lease. As luck would have it, a mysterious blind priest (John Carradine) who lives upstairs happens to be guarding the doorway to Hell, and she has been chosen as his replacement. Incidentally, when the door is finally opened, out spills an assortment of deformed humans whom director Michael Winner hand-picked from hospital wards and circus sideshows. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
Review
Nothing scares the hell out of people like religion, and the Catholic Church, with its centuries of history and arcane rituals, has figured in dozens of horror pictures that seek to exploit the combination of fear and respect that people (non-adherents in particular) hold for its priests. The Sentinel certainly follows in the footsteps of films like The Exorcist which apply a Catholic theological approach to questions of heaven and hell, but the film opens with some stylistic cops from Rosemary's Baby, a more doctrine-neutral occult tale. New York model Christina Raines' new apartment building is populated by a group of eccentric neighbors (including Burgess Meredith as the nosy Ruth Gordon character) who expend an inordinate amount of effort to draw her into their circle. When it's discovered that they may or may not be figments of her imagination, The Sentinel's story finds some nice twists of its own, and ultimately succeeds as a creepy little trifle for those who can accept the Catholic Church as a sinister institution that forces innocent nonbelievers into servitude at the gates of Hell. Star watchers will also enjoy seeing future lead players such as Jeff Goldblum, Jerry Orbach, and Christopher Walken in minor supporting roles. ~ Fred Beldin, All Movie Guide
Cis Corman - Casting, Peggy Farrell - Costume Designer, Charles Okun - First Assistant Director, Michael Winner - Director, Bernard Gribble - Editor, Terry Rawlings - Editor, Gil Melle - Composer (Music Score), Robert Laden - Makeup, Dick Smith - Makeup Special Effects, Philip Rosenberg - Production Designer, Richard C. Kratina - Cinematographer, Michael Winner - Producer, Jeffrey Konvitz - Producer, Edward Stewart - Set Designer, Albert J. Whitlock - Special Effects, Les Lazarowitz - Sound/Sound Designer, Michael Winner - Screenwriter, Jeffrey Konvitz - Screenwriter, Jeffrey Konvitz - Book Author
