Sometimes something just sounds so beautiful, so perfect, you can’t help but wonder why it took so long to come into your life. That feeling sums up our reaction to the news that a lesser known Wes Craven film (!) about a teen witch (!) starring Linda Blair (!) and Fran Drescher (!) is finally coming to Blu-ray in October, just in time for Nerdoween.
This news comes to us via the horror aficionados at Birth.Movies.Death, who shared that this 1978 film from the late, great master of horror is everything we could ever want. You might recognize Summer of Fear (also known as Stranger in Our House) as one of young adult author Lois Duncan’s best-selling thriller novels, among I Know What You Did Last Summer, Killing Mr. Griffin, or Down a Dark Hall. (If you read and enjoyed R.L. Stine‘s edgier teen series Fear Street, you would have loved Lois Duncan.) But even if you know the title, Summer of Fear was a made-for-TV movie that has never been released on home video, so many Wes Craven/teen witch genre fans will be seeing this for the first time.
Also starring Jeremy Slate and Jeff East, Summer of Fear features a young Linda Blair as Rachel, a teenage girl whose mysterious and charming cousin Julie (Lee Purcell) moves in with her family after her parents die in a car crash. “Julie enchants everyone in the family and appears to be a loving relative, but Rachel knows her cousin is up to something creepy…something like witchcraft!”
The Summer of Fear Special Collector’s Edition includes a Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD (iTunes, Amazon Instant, Google Play, Vudu, YouTube) release on October 10, 2017. Special bonus features include an exclusive new interview with Linda Blair, director commentary by Wes Craven, a poster and still gallery, and the original trailer.
Love weird, obscure, or cult horror movies?
- Check out Kyle Anderson’s weekly column, Schlock and Awe.
- Our six favorite Wes Craven films — did yours make the list?
- Why do we love horror? An analysis.
Images: Doppelganger Releasing
