Number 231 on IMDb's Top 250
Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy Woodhouse move into an apartment in a building with a bad reputation. They discover that their neighbours are a very friendly elderly couple named Roman and Minnie Castevet (Best Supporting Actress Oscar Winner Ruth Gordon), and Guy begins to spend a lot of time with them. Strange things start to happen: a woman Rosemary meets in the washroom dies a mysterious death, Rosemary has strange dreams and hears strange noises and Guy becomes remote and distant. Then Rosemary falls pregnant and begins to suspect that her neighbours have special plans for her child. Hilarity ensues.
Trivia: The script called for Rosemary (Mia Farrow) to explain to Guy (John Cassavetes), that she went "to Vidal Sassoon" for her dramatic new haircut. Vidal Sassoon was in fact flown to the set to cut Mia Farrow's hair into the now iconic pixie cut she sports during the second half of the film. Jane Fonda was offered the role of Rosemary but turned it down to film Barbarella (1968) in Europe. Tuesday Weld was second choice (and Polanski's own preference) but refused to test for the role. Rosemary says to Terry Ginoffrio (Angela Dorian), "I thought you were Victoria Vetri, the actress," to which Terry responds, "Everyone says that, but I don't see the resemblance." Victoria Vetri is Angela Dorian's real name. Mia Farrow actually ate raw liver for a scene in the movie.
This film was directed by Roman Polanski, whose pregnant wife, the actress Sharon Tate, was murdered by Charles Manson and his followers in 1969. The Manson family titled their death spree "Helter Skelter" after the 1968 song by The Beatles, whose leader, John Lennon, would one day live (and in 1980 be murdered) in the Manhattan apartment building called The Dakota, the apartment building where Rosemary's Baby had been filmed.
You all know I hate watching horror films and usually when I actually watch the movie it isn't all that bad (See The Exorcist), and Rosemary's Baby was no exception. All the horror is in your mind, nothing is actually shown, and to a point you wonder if it is actually in her mind due to prepartem depression and side effects of the drugs she is taking for the pregnancy, and I am still not entirely convinced it wasn't. This is basically due to Ruth Gordon who won the Oscar for this role. There is no way this kind, nosey, loud, funny neighbor can be a witch and devil worshipper, which I guess is why it is so scary.
Next Up: The Searchers, He had to find her... he had to find her...
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3 comments:
Good job! Most horror movies, especially old ones really are not that scary. I just have a hard time getting scared watching flickers of light coming from a television anyway.
I watched this movie a really long time ago and I couldn't wait until you saw it and reviewed it. Finally, I said to my slef. Finally, he's seen Rosemary's baby. So then, I start thinking, what is it I remember about the movie in general. Ummmmm, that would be Mia Ferrell and her total obsession that something was wrong with her baby (which is really the point of the movie) and I don't really even like Mia Ferrell, (reminds me too much of Woody Allen). Just the fact that she had a really famous haircut and something was really wrong with her baby. :o)
What is even wierder is that at the time Mia Farrow was married to Frank Sinatra! And she was obsessed with there being something wrong with her baby, but I think it was all in her head, or was it? oooooo (weird music plays in the background)
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