While not the most entertaining film in the world, "All the Kind Strangers" delivers the viewer an interesting look into the made for TV horror genre, which was essentially in its infancy during this era. The first thing that the viewer must understand is that this film was made in a time before slasher films as we know them today were common. Films in this era, and before (David F. Friedman, and Herschell Gordon Lewis not withstanding) typically relied on suspense as a method of scaring audiences - "All the Kind Strangers" is no exception to this.
The film is shot from the perspective of Jimmy Wheeler (Stacy Keach) a freelance photographer who is driving through rural America. While on a remote area of land he comes across a young boy who seems to be lost. Jimmy then offers the boy a ride home, as he notices the weather is starting to look rainy. Upon his arrival to the boy's remote home he comes across an entire family of young children, and one other person roughly his own age named Carol Ann. After gaining a sense of unease, Carol Ann warns that she is being held captive, and that he needs to get help as soon as possible. The remainder of the film revolves around Jimmy and Carol Ann's attempts to leave while more of the children's motivation is revealed.
The basic plot of the film is nothing that hasn't been told before - the lone traveler(s) riding in an unfamiliar place until they get stuck in a bad situation they spend the rest of the movie trying to get out of. While it may be lamentable that so many films take this "The Hills Have Eyes" story line, there is still something to be said about it. After all, even overused plot devices can still be looked at from new perspective, and I believe that "All the Kind Strangers," does this.
The desperateness of both Carol Ann and Jimmy in their attempts to escape captivity from a group of children genuinely cause the casual viewer to reconsider the pros and cons of helping strangers. Additionally, the atypical plot device that this film uses is still effective, because the human condition demands it to be - all people fear the worst of being stuck in a place or with people which they are unfamiliar with.
What this film lacks in is variety. The protagonist gets stuck in a situation, and he has to get out of it, and that's the entire story. "All the Kind Strangers," would have benefited greatly from allowing Jimmy to enter a position that gets from bad to worse. In the case of this film, from the second the car won't start you know Jimmy is in a very bad situation.
Some have criticized the ending to this film for its lack of climatic gravitas, I however do not believe that to be fair. While the film lacks in a over the top style ending, the motivations of all the characters come full circle, and in the way the children abductors kind of get what they wanted all along, someone who cares.
While I wouldn't outright recommend this movie, I can commend it for its constant levels of creepiness, and its attempt at an original ending. It's certainly worth a watch among other 1970s made for TV horror movies, such as "The Evictors," for example. If its a rainy day and you have nothing better to do, I say check it out, I don't think you'll be disappointed, but you certainly won't be blown away. Slightly recommended.
The film is shot from the perspective of Jimmy Wheeler (Stacy Keach) a freelance photographer who is driving through rural America. While on a remote area of land he comes across a young boy who seems to be lost. Jimmy then offers the boy a ride home, as he notices the weather is starting to look rainy. Upon his arrival to the boy's remote home he comes across an entire family of young children, and one other person roughly his own age named Carol Ann. After gaining a sense of unease, Carol Ann warns that she is being held captive, and that he needs to get help as soon as possible. The remainder of the film revolves around Jimmy and Carol Ann's attempts to leave while more of the children's motivation is revealed.
The basic plot of the film is nothing that hasn't been told before - the lone traveler(s) riding in an unfamiliar place until they get stuck in a bad situation they spend the rest of the movie trying to get out of. While it may be lamentable that so many films take this "The Hills Have Eyes" story line, there is still something to be said about it. After all, even overused plot devices can still be looked at from new perspective, and I believe that "All the Kind Strangers," does this.
The desperateness of both Carol Ann and Jimmy in their attempts to escape captivity from a group of children genuinely cause the casual viewer to reconsider the pros and cons of helping strangers. Additionally, the atypical plot device that this film uses is still effective, because the human condition demands it to be - all people fear the worst of being stuck in a place or with people which they are unfamiliar with.
What this film lacks in is variety. The protagonist gets stuck in a situation, and he has to get out of it, and that's the entire story. "All the Kind Strangers," would have benefited greatly from allowing Jimmy to enter a position that gets from bad to worse. In the case of this film, from the second the car won't start you know Jimmy is in a very bad situation.
Some have criticized the ending to this film for its lack of climatic gravitas, I however do not believe that to be fair. While the film lacks in a over the top style ending, the motivations of all the characters come full circle, and in the way the children abductors kind of get what they wanted all along, someone who cares.
While I wouldn't outright recommend this movie, I can commend it for its constant levels of creepiness, and its attempt at an original ending. It's certainly worth a watch among other 1970s made for TV horror movies, such as "The Evictors," for example. If its a rainy day and you have nothing better to do, I say check it out, I don't think you'll be disappointed, but you certainly won't be blown away. Slightly recommended.