The Entity

While not exactly a Scream Queen, Barbara Hershey's first starring film role was in a movie marketed as a straight-up horror film.

"The Entity," from 1981, helped put Hershey on the lead actress path as a woman terrified by an unseen force. Based on the novel of the same name by Frank DeFelitta (who also wrote the screenplay), "The Entity" has seen several home entertainment releases over the years.

As is usually the case, Shout Factory's Blu-ray features "The Entity" in a much-deserved Collector's Edition. Without comparing it to other Blu-ray releases, my firm assumption is that under the Scream Factory trademark, this story of a woman continuously raped by a spooky entity looks the best it ever has.

Has "The Entity" aged well? Not exactly, but Hershey knocks it out of the park as Carla, the perpetually-tormented woman who nobody believes. That includes her handsome son (David Labiosa) and a skeptical psychologist (Ron Silver). The filmed version of "The Entity" differs from the book (and the supposed real-life story), including an over-the-top and nonsensical ending that changes the tone of the entire film.

Hershey had a few reservations about taking the role of Carla, and other popular actresses turned down the film due to its nudity and sexual content. The talented actress was just excited to be the lead for the first time in a film and approached it as a character-driven movie, not a horror film. In "Inner Strength," an interview segment included as part of the special features on the Blu-ray, Hershey talks about this and other details about her filming experience in "The Entity."

Other extras include a brand new interview with actor David Labiosa in the featurette titled "Seeing Is Believing." He praises Barbara Hershey as an actress, and claims there were several scenes cut from the final print - ones that hint at a sexual relationship between son and mother in the film.

"The Entity"
Blu-ray
$29.99
www.shoutfactory.com