| Next of Kin | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical film poster | |
| Directed by | Tony Williams |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Produced by | Robert Le Tet Timothy White |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Gary Hansen |
| Edited by | Max Lemon |
| Music by | Klaus Schulze |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Roadshow Film Distributors |
Release date |
|
Running time | 89 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | English |
| Box office | A$228,251 [1] |
Next of Kin is a 1982 psychological horror film co-written and directed by Tony Williams, and starring Jackie Kerin and John Jarratt.
After her estranged mother's death, Linda Stevens inherits a rural estate called Montclare, which has been in her family for years. The rambling structure houses a long-held retirement community for the elderly. Linda arrives on the same night as a new boarder, the aged Mrs. Ryan, dropped off by her son Kelvin. Shortly after Linda settles in, a resident of the home is found drowned in a bathtub.
Linda begins reading childhood diaries left in the house by her mother, in which she describes being unsettled in the home and believing someone is watching her. She also finds handwritten medical records for her aunt Rita, which disturbs her as she was told that Rita had been dead at the time they were written. Meanwhile, Linda reconnects with Barney, a man whom she was romantic with years prior. After the two go on a date together, Linda returns to Montclare and is notified that Lance, another resident, has suffered a debilitating stroke. Later, Linda informs Dr. Barton, the resident physician, that she is considering selling the property.
After a series of unusual incidents, Linda comes to suspect that Rita may still be alive and stalking the house, though Dr. Barton assures her that Rita died in a psychiatric hospital years prior. Upon further delving into her mother's diaries, Linda finds that there is a precedent for mysterious deaths in the retirement community, particularly an inordinate number of drownings. Convinced that Dr. Barton and another employee, Connie, are murdering residents, she flees to town on foot and locates Barney in a panic.
Barney escorts Linda back to Montclare and enters the house to obtain the diaries. Outside Linda finds Carol, a romantic rival previously introduced, with her throat slashed. Linda flees into the house in search of Barney, only to find him also murdered. Upstairs, she finds Lance, conscious and able to walk. Linda ushers him outside through a window onto an emergency escape stairway. She is soon confronted by Mrs. Ryan, who is in fact Rita, seeking vengeance against Linda's mother for placing her in the hospital; Rita claims that it was Linda's mother who was in fact insane. A crazed Kelvin—Rita's son (and Linda's cousin)—attacks Linda with a sledgehammer.
Linda manages to barricade herself in a bathroom, where she finds Dr. Barton's and Connie's bloodied corpses in the bathtub. She stabs Rita through the eye with the sharp handle of a comb as Rita peers through the door lock, then manages to escape by car. She arrives at the local diner nearby, where the owner's young son, Nico, is alone. The two barricade themselves in the diner, but Kelvin arrives, driving his truck through the side of the building. Using a shotgun, Linda manages to shoot and kill Kelvin. At dawn, the two drive away as the diner becomes engulfed in flames, ignited by the petrol leaking from Kelvin's damaged truck.
Next of Kin is a psychological horror film. [2] [3] [4]
It was co-written (with Michael Heath) and directed by Tony Williams, and co-produced by Robert Le Tet and Timothy White. [5]
Music was composed by Klaus Schulze, cinematography was by Gary Hansen, and Max Lemon did the editing. [5]
The film grossed A$228,251 at the box office. [6]
On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 100%, based on reviews from nine critics. [7]
The film's pacing and atmosphere have been compared to that of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining by Quentin Tarantino. [8]
The film was featured in the documentary Not Quite Hollywood where it was praised by Quentin Tarantino. [9]
| Award | Category | Subject | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AACTA Award (1982 Australian Film Institute Awards) | Best Editing | Max Lemon | Nominated |
| Mystfest | Special Mention | Tony Williams | Won |
| Sitges Film Festival | Clavell de Plata Daurada for Best Director | Won | |
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to popular culture. His work has earned a cult following alongside critical and commercial success; he has been named by some as the single most influential director of his generation and has received numerous awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.
Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American independent crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary. It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence in Los Angeles, California. The film stars John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman. The title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid-20th century, known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue.
Peter Ellstrom Deuel, known professionally as Pete Duel, was an American stage, television, and film actor, best known for his starring role as outlaw Hannibal Heyes in the television series Alias Smith and Jones.
The Vanishing is a 1993 American psychological thriller film directed by George Sluizer and starring Jeff Bridges, Kiefer Sutherland, Nancy Travis, and Sandra Bullock. It is a remake of Sluizer's 1988 French-Dutch film of the same name.
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz is a 2005 musical fantasy television film directed by Kirk R. Thatcher, and the third television film featuring the Muppets. The film stars Ashanti, Jeffrey Tambor, Quentin Tarantino, David Alan Grier, Queen Latifah, as well as Muppet performers Steve Whitmire, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, and Eric Jacobson. A contemporary adaptation of the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the story follows young Dorothy Gale, who works in her Aunt Em's diner, but dreams of becoming a singer somewhere beyond her small Kansas town. Swept up by a tornado, in her trailer home with pet prawn Toto, she lands in Oz and embarks on a journey to meet the Wizard who can help make her dreams come true.
Au revoir les enfants is an autobiographical 1987 film written, produced, and directed by Louis Malle. It is based on the actions of Père Jacques, a French priest and headmaster who attempted to shelter Jewish children during the Holocaust. The film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
John Jarratt is an Australian television film actor, producer and director and TV presenter who rose to fame through his work in the Australian New Wave. He has appeared in a number of film roles including Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), Summer City (1977), The Odd Angry Shot (1979), We of the Never Never (1982), Next of Kin (1982), and Dark Age (1987). He portrayed the antagonist Mick Taylor in the Wolf Creek franchise. He voiced the protagonist's father, Jack Hunter, in an audio drama adaptation of The Phoenix Files. He is also known for his recurring role in the drama series McLeod's Daughters.
Vampyros Lesbos is a 1971 erotic horror film written and directed by Jesús Franco. The film stars Ewa Strömberg as Linda Westinghouse, an American who works in a Turkish legal firm. Westinghouse has a series of erotic dreams that involve a mysterious vampire woman who seduces her before feeding on her blood. When she travels to an island to settle an inheritance, Linda recognizes a woman as the vampire from her dreams.
Linda Haynes was an American actress who appeared in several films in the 1970s and early 1980s before retiring from the business and becoming a legal secretary. A life member of The Actors Studio, Haynes was best known for her roles in Coffy, The Nickel Ride and Rolling Thunder.
Mortuary is a 2005 American zombie horror film directed by Tobe Hooper. It stars Dan Byrd, Alexandra Adi and Denise Crosby. Mortuary was Tobe Hooper's last US-produced film before his death in 2017.
Dig It is the thirteenth album by Klaus Schulze. It was originally released in 1980, and in 2005 was the sixth Schulze album reissued by Revisited Records. It is Schulze's first fully digital recording. The 2005 reissue includes a bonus DVD with the video recording of the 1980 performance at Ars Electronica, which was previously released as audio on The Ultimate Edition (2000).
The Lady in Red is a 1979 American crime drama film directed by Lewis Teague and starring Pamela Sue Martin and Robert Conrad. It is an early writing effort of John Sayles who became better known as a director in the 1980s and 1990s.
Colleen Smart is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Lyn Collingwood. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 7 March 1988. She was introduced as a recurring character by producer Alan Bateman. She served as comic relief and busybody from 1988. She returned briefly in 1997 before returning as a regular on 23 September 1999 until January 2013. Colleen has been portrayed as the serial's "local gossip", a role that been well received by certain critics. Many storylines have centered on her over protective nature towards her son Lance Smart. Collingwood revealed that she often pitched storylines for Colleen in the hope they would play out on-screen. Collingwood decided to leave the series in January 2012 and Colleen departed on 23 May 2012. She made a brief return from 27 November 2012 and officially departed on 24 January 2013.
Boogeyman 3 is a 2008 American supernatural horror film directed by Gary Jones and starring Erin Cahill, Chuck Hittinger, and Mimi Michaels. It is the final installment of the Boogeyman film series, following Boogeyman and Boogeyman 2 and centers on a college sophomore, Sarah Morris, who tries to convince her dorm that the Boogeyman is real. Little does she know that the more she tells people of the existence of the Boogeyman, the evil supernatural force becomes stronger.
ZMD: Zombies of Mass Destruction is a 2010 zombie comedy film directed by Kevin Hamedani and starring Janette Armand, Doug Fahl, and Cooper Hopkins.
Love Thy Neighbor is an American television sitcom broadcast from May 29, 2013 to August 19, 2017 on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The series is written, directed and executive produced by Tyler Perry. The series serves as a spin-off of the Madea franchise. It also acquired the second highest-rated series premiere on the Oprah Winfrey Network, after another Perry program, The Haves and the Have Nots.
This Is My Love is a 1954 American drama film directed by Stuart Heisler, written by Hugh Brooke and Hagar Wilde, and starring Linda Darnell, Rick Jason, Dan Duryea, Faith Domergue, Connie Russell and Hal Baylor. It was released on November 11, 1954, by RKO Pictures.
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures, it is a co-production between the United States, United Kingdom, and China. It features a large ensemble cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie. Set in 1969 Los Angeles, the film follows a fading actor and his stunt double as they navigate the rapidly changing film industry, with the threat of the Tate murders looming.
Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin is a 2021 American found footage supernatural horror film directed by William Eubank, written by Christopher Landon, and produced by Jason Blum and series creator Oren Peli. Serving as the seventh installment of the Paranormal Activity series, the film stars Emily Bader, Roland Buck III, Dan Lippert, Henry Ayres-Brown, and Tom Nowicki, and follows a group who attempt to make a documentary on an Amish community, only for them to discover the horrific secrets the town holds.
"Motherhood" is the twenty-fourth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American medical drama ER. Written by supervising producer Lydia Woodward and directed by Quentin Tarantino, the episode was first broadcast on NBC on May 11, 1995.