"The Other"(1972) in '70s Horror and Sci-Fi Forum

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"The Other"(1972)

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Colossus Rex		#21	[-]
Nov 1 10 1:52 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	strangenstein wrote: SPOILER ALERT---SPOILER ALERT I do have a question regarding the movie: while Niles is playing "the game" with his Grandmother, he remembers the death of his twin, Holland. There is a quick shot of Holland trying to throw a cat down the well, which he himself accidentally topples in to. It seems to me that both twins are rotten from the beginning. Holland has been shown to be cruel before he died, and Niles is doing the killing after Holland's death. I don't think Niles suddenly turned bad, or is under any real influence from his dead twin; this is a cruelness he already carried with him. Sound correct? Strangenstein Well ... my take was that Niles WAS the good twin ... but his attachment to his brother was so strong that he had to do evil stuff to keep Holland alive in his mind. Others have leaned toward a supernatural explanation to explain Holland's influence... but that has never seemed necessary to me.
CapnDunsel		#22	[-]
Nov 1 10 4:06 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I cynically recalled this (from kidhood) as a typical 1970's psychological horror flick, but when later watched in adulthood, had to grudgingly say it's pretty good. And for me, it does color any viewing of "The Waltons," or even later period films, like "Rosebud." As a kid, I grouped it with other weird coming of age movies like "The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds." So "the game" of identifying with a crow or raven - does this show how schizo the kid is? Or was there something really supernatural going on? Why would grandma invent the game? Isnt it implied the boy goes into politics as an adult, or am I misremembering? If he does, a sequel exploring that would be interesting. One funny thing - anyone recall the movie that the parents of the baby are thinking about going to see? It's "Murder in the Blue Room." Last Edited By: CapnDunsel Nov 2 10 11:20 AM. Edited 3 times.
Godziwolf		#23	[-]
Nov 3 10 6:25 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	CapnDunsel wrote: So "the game" of identifying with a crow or raven - does this show how schizo the kid is? Or was there something really supernatural going on? Why would grandma invent the game? To figure out which personality she was dealing with?
Colossus Rex		#24	[-]
Nov 4 10 6:59 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	SPOILER I vaguely remember that "The Game" was something that had been going on a long time... just imagination taken to a higher level. And maybe it had been something that the Grandmother had brought with her from Russia. The tragedy is that that Niles takes "The Game" to tragic, psychotic heights by using it to keep Holland alive in his mind ... to avoid the pain of losing him.
zogstar67		#25	[-]
Nov 8 10 2:16 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	CapnDunsel wrote: I Isnt it implied the boy goes into politics as an adult, or am I misremembering? If he does, a sequel exploring that would be interesting. One funny thing - anyone recall the movie that the parents of the baby are thinking about going to see? It's "Murder in the Blue Room." Err, a career in politics wouldn't really be possible given the film's ending. The films, which they'd "already seen" were NAUGHTY MARIETTA (1935) and MURDER IN THE BLUE ROOM (1944) which were listed in a paper with a Lindbergh Kidnapping Trial headline. Everything, including tombstone dates places the action in the Fall of '35. We can stretch it a bit and say that John Ritter was presciently mis-quoting the title of a re-issue run of SECRET OF THE BLUE ROOM (32). Also, the Doc Savage issue mentioned in the book does show up at least twice, as the kid carries it around with him. I'm not sure if the particular issue squares with a Fall 35 date. Great movie, btw. I would have trimmed about 10 minutes, but that's just me. Chris Herzog "The Devil's on the loose and he's dancin' with the Mummy!!!"
zogstar67	SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER	#26	[-]
Nov 9 10 12:47 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER One thing that annoyed me about this film was that the filmmakers went to the trouble of casting twins and then filmed the interactions between the two brothers exactly the way they would if they had one actor playing twins. That is, no two-shots of the pair in conversation, but always cutting back and forth between the two as they sit in different parts of the room, or wherever. This is what tips off most viewers (even if subconsciously) that one twin isn't real: Repeated oddly staged conversations. If the interactions are "real" in Niles' mind, what would be wrong with seeing two in the same shot, maybe even touching each other to show it isn't a split screen. There may be a couple of shots where the camera quickly pans from one twin in one place to another somewhere else. But if IIRC, this is done so quickly it could almost be a trick shot. I think the film-making choices really gave away the secret of the film and blunted the impact of the big reveal. Chris Herzog "The Devil's on the loose and he's dancin' with the Mummy!!!"
Dubious Comforts		#27	[-]
Nov 9 10 5:30 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	zogstar67 wrote: I think the film-making choices really gave away the secret of the film and blunted the impact of the big reveal. I'm not convinced that the big reveal of the film is intended to be the secret of Niles and Holland, which is telegraphed early enough and later revealed with a substantial amount of running time left. zogstar67 wrote: CapnDunsel wrote: Isnt it implied the boy goes into politics as an adult, or am I misremembering? Err, a career in politics wouldn't really be possible given the film's ending. I believe the ending is intended to be the greatest shock of the film, and depending on which ending (book, movie, or TV version) you're talking about, the future of Niles is unclear. www.LivingDeadDocumentary.com Last Edited By: Dubious Comforts Nov 9 10 5:33 PM. Edited 1 times.
zogstar67		#28	[-]
Nov 9 10 7:06 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Dubious Comforts wrote: zogstar67 wrote: I think the film-making choices really gave away the secret of the film and blunted the impact of the big reveal. I'm not convinced that the big reveal of the film is intended to be the secret of Niles and Holland, which is telegraphed early enough and later revealed with a substantial amount of running time left. zogstar67 wrote: CapnDunsel wrote: Isnt it implied the boy goes into politics as an adult, or am I misremembering? Err, a career in politics wouldn't really be possible given the film's ending. I believe the ending is intended to be the greatest shock of the film, and depending on which ending (book, movie, or TV version) you're talking about, the future of Niles is unclear. Well I think the dead twin reveal IS supposed to be something of a surprise to the audience, even if not the biggest jolt. And I still think they didn't handle it as deftly as they could have. Yeah, I thought everybody was referring to the film version; I haven't read the book. Is there a TV version with a different ending? Chris Herzog "The Devil's on the loose and he's dancin' with the Mummy!!!"
Dubious Comforts		#29	[-]
Nov 9 10 7:29 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	zogstar67 wrote: Dubious Comforts wrote: zogstar67 wrote: I think the film-making choices really gave away the secret of the film and blunted the impact of the big reveal. I'm not convinced that the big reveal of the film is intended to be the secret of Niles and Holland, which is telegraphed early enough and later revealed with a substantial amount of running time left. zogstar67 wrote: CapnDunsel wrote: Isnt it implied the boy goes into politics as an adult, or am I misremembering? Err, a career in politics wouldn't really be possible given the film's ending. I believe the ending is intended to be the greatest shock of the film, and depending on which ending (book, movie, or TV version) you're talking about, the future of Niles is unclear. Well I think the dead twin reveal IS supposed to be something of a surprise to the audience, even if not the biggest jolt. And I still think they didn't handle it as deftly as they could have. Yeah, I thought everybody was referring to the film version; I haven't read the book. Is there a TV version with a different ending? I agree that it's meant to be shocking, just not like a William Castle gimmick à la Homicidal. Not that films like Homicidal aren't entertaining in their own right, of course, but The Other is an entirely different beast. The scene where Niles reads to his helpless mother is wholly terrifying. SPOILERS BELOW... The original film version differs from the book whereas the fate of Niles is left open in the film. The film ending suggests that Niles has literally gotten away with murder. A TV version adds an overdub at the end to suggest that Niles has been found out. www.LivingDeadDocumentary.com
CapnDunsel		#30	[-]
Nov 9 10 9:50 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Not having seen it for several years, which reveal? That the kid's brother is dead, so he's either possessed or schizo (ala "Fight Club"?). I thought he definitely got away with multiple murders. Wasn't he getting adopted by someone at the end? Perhaps that person was in politics, and I thought it was inferred the kid's future vocation could be in that direction. Or maybe I'm confusing him with Damien in The Omen.
Dubious Comforts		#31	[-]
Nov 9 10 10:01 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	CapnDunsel wrote: Wasn't he getting adopted by someone at the end? Perhaps that person was in politics, and I thought it was inferred the kid's future vocation could be in that direction. Or maybe I'm confusing him with Damien in The Omen. I think you're confusing The Other with The Omen. www.LivingDeadDocumentary.com
CapnDunsel		#32	[-]
Nov 10 10 11:15 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	it's a bad sign when you can't tell one omen from an other.
zogstar67	SPOILERSPOILERSPOILER	#33	[-]
Nov 10 10 11:40 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Dubious Comforts wrote: zogstar67 wrote: Dubious Comforts wrote: zogstar67 wrote: I think the film-making choices really gave away the secret of the film and blunted the impact of the big reveal. I'm not convinced that the big reveal of the film is intended to be the secret of Niles and Holland, which is telegraphed early enough and later revealed with a substantial amount of running time left. zogstar67 wrote: CapnDunsel wrote: Isnt it implied the boy goes into politics as an adult, or am I misremembering? Err, a career in politics wouldn't really be possible given the film's ending. I believe the ending is intended to be the greatest shock of the film, and depending on which ending (book, movie, or TV version) you're talking about, the future of Niles is unclear. Well I think the dead twin reveal IS supposed to be something of a surprise to the audience, even if not the biggest jolt. And I still think they didn't handle it as deftly as they could have. Yeah, I thought everybody was referring to the film version; I haven't read the book. Is there a TV version with a different ending? I agree that it's meant to be shocking, just not like a William Castle gimmick à la Homicidal. Not that films like Homicidal aren't entertaining in their own right, of course, but The Other is an entirely different beast. The scene where Niles reads to his helpless mother is wholly terrifying. SPOILERS BELOW... The original film version differs from the book whereas the fate of Niles is left open in the film. The film ending suggests that Niles has literally gotten away with murder. A TV version adds an overdub at the end to suggest that Niles has been found out. Am I totally mis-remembering a movie I saw last week? There was the big fire at the end and that was it right? I don't recall Niles surviving. Chris Herzog "The Devil's on the loose and he's dancin' with the Mummy!!!"
Dubious Comforts		#34	[-]
Nov 10 10 12:54 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	zogstar67 wrote: Dubious Comforts wrote: zogstar67 wrote: Dubious Comforts wrote: zogstar67 wrote: I think the film-making choices really gave away the secret of the film and blunted the impact of the big reveal. I'm not convinced that the big reveal of the film is intended to be the secret of Niles and Holland, which is telegraphed early enough and later revealed with a substantial amount of running time left. zogstar67 wrote: CapnDunsel wrote: Isnt it implied the boy goes into politics as an adult, or am I misremembering? Err, a career in politics wouldn't really be possible given the film's ending. I believe the ending is intended to be the greatest shock of the film, and depending on which ending (book, movie, or TV version) you're talking about, the future of Niles is unclear. Well I think the dead twin reveal IS supposed to be something of a surprise to the audience, even if not the biggest jolt. And I still think they didn't handle it as deftly as they could have. Yeah, I thought everybody was referring to the film version; I haven't read the book. Is there a TV version with a different ending? I agree that it's meant to be shocking, just not like a William Castle gimmick à la Homicidal. Not that films like Homicidal aren't entertaining in their own right, of course, but The Other is an entirely different beast. The scene where Niles reads to his helpless mother is wholly terrifying. SPOILERS BELOW... The original film version differs from the book whereas the fate of Niles is left open in the film. The film ending suggests that Niles has literally gotten away with murder. A TV version adds an overdub at the end to suggest that Niles has been found out. Am I totally mis-remembering a movie I saw last week? There was the big fire at the end and that was it right? I don't recall Niles surviving. You are misremembering. SPOILERS SPOILERS! Yes, there is a big fire during the finale where Niles' grandmother sacrifices herself in order to destroy the child, yet Niles survives in every version. One of the film's big 'shocks' is a shot of the cut padlock from the apple cellar door. The same cellar is where the boys' father fell to his death, an "accident" attributed to Niles/Holland. www.LivingDeadDocumentary.com
zogstar67		#35	[-]
Nov 10 10 3:32 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well there you go. My brain must have been on autopilot for the last minutes of the flick or something. Chris Herzog "The Devil's on the loose and he's dancin' with the Mummy!!!"
strangenstein		#36	[-]
Nov 10 10 7:12 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Colossus Rex wrote: strangenstein wrote: SPOILER ALERT---SPOILER ALERT I do have a question regarding the movie: while Niles is playing "the game" with his Grandmother, he remembers the death of his twin, Holland. There is a quick shot of Holland trying to throw a cat down the well, which he himself accidentally topples in to. It seems to me that both twins are rotten from the beginning. Holland has been shown to be cruel before he died, and Niles is doing the killing after Holland's death. I don't think Niles suddenly turned bad, or is under any real influence from his dead twin; this is a cruelness he already carried with him. Sound correct? Strangenstein Well ... my take was that Niles WAS the good twin ... but his attachment to his brother was so strong that he had to do evil stuff to keep Holland alive in his mind. Others have leaned toward a supernatural explanation to explain Holland's influence... but that has never seemed necessary to me. Hi CR, Your explanation sounds as good as any I've heard so I'm going with yours! Strangenstein
Victor Frankenstein		#37	[-]
May 14 12 7:40 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Just finished watching this one. I was honestly confused a decent amount. The wikipedia page really cleared a lot up for me. Never really got creepy for me, as I never feared Niles (even after the things he did) because he was still only a boy. The film definitely upheld a 70s film feel, so I can see how this comes with a lot of nostalgia for certain viewers. THIS 80s kid didn't quite get this one...
Colossus Rex		#38	[-]
Jun 4 12 2:55 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	SPOILER I just watched THE OTHER again and noticed something that seemed significant. I think some have argued for a supernatural explanation partly because of the shot of the severed padlock that allowed Niles to escape the fire. The implication seems to be that maybe a ghostly Holland intervened to save his brother... However, there's a scene a bit earlier when Ada is summoning Niles up from the apple cellar. You can't see what he's doing but you hear something being snipped. Then he emerges and places a tool on the wall of the barn. Earlier, Nile and "Holland" had conversed about how the padlock that their uncle placed on the door would interfere with the twins' desire to stage an escape illusion like the one they'd seen at the carnival. So Niles himself cut the lock, not out of some premonition but just to enable his escape route during a magic trick. The implication is clear: Niles cut the padlock that his Uncle George had placed there to prevent kids playing there after Russell's death. Niles did this not out of some premonition but because he needs the padlocked door to be open: he and "Holland" are planning to perform a magic trick like the one they saw at the carnival, and Niles needs to disappear through the trap door in the floor and then exit through the "slave" door (the one with that's was padlocked).

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"The Other"(1972)