The Godsend
Kino Lorber
Video: 1080p High-Definition
Audio: English 2.0 DTS-HD MA
Subtitles: English SDH
Buy it from DiabolikDVD

by "Doc" Hunter Bush, Staff Writer and Podcast Director

The Movie: Average

Successful cartoonist Alan (Malcolm Stoddard) and his television personality wife Kate (Cyd Hayman) live an idyllic life with their four children in the English countryside, but when an uncanny stranger (Angela Pleasence) finds her way into their home, everything changes for the family. Based on a novel by Bernard Taylor, The Godsend was produced by the Cannon Group (specifically the Golan-Globus iteration of the company) and directed by television veteran Gabrielle Beaumont in her feature film debut.

Very much made to capitalize on the success of The Omen just a few years earlier, The Godsend is a similar "evil child" film, but with some unique stylistic choices. As a film, it's very competently made, utilizing its locations as production value via long takes and wide shots which really convey a sense of scale and geography, and while I enjoyed my viewing experience, the pacing may not cut the mustard for everyone. If you're familiar with the concept of a "cozy mystery", The Godsend has elements of that (i.e. the violence takes place offscreen, the protagonist is an everyman, and the events depicted largely take place in a small, isolated area).

Similar choices, like downplaying the possibility that Alan is imagining things, make this one worth rewatching, but repeat viewings might be a big ask for a film with so much child death (even if most of it is offscreen). Also, the aforementioned "cozy mystery" aura isn't everyone's cup of tea, especially when settling in to watch a horror movie. But. If you can get on The Godsend's wavelength, you'll be rewarded with a film that will unsettle you in quiet ways, and leave you thinking about it for days afterward.

The Packaging: Average

As with my Black Tulip review, I'll say that Average for Kino is above average for most blu-ray releases. This one features a cardboard slip--with the eyes of creepy child Bonnie (Wilhelmina Green) shining out from the image of an inverted cross-- and a reversible cover with that same illustration on one side and a similar image of Bonnie's eyes glinting in the sky above the family home on the other.

A brief aside--I'm a fan of when movie posters/packaging can't settle on a tagline, and The Godsend fits the bill with two. The one at the top of the slipcover reads "A gift from Heaven... or a curse from Hell!" and the one at the bottom, under the title, reads "For God's sake take it back!" Both good, but I love the novelty of the second tagline playing directly with the title.

The Video: Average

I fear I've been spoiled recently by covering several releases in a row with shockingly gorgeous visual quality, whether via recent upgrades or just in general. Not to speak ill of director Gabrielle Beaumont, whose work here I was quite pleased with, but this DOES have the feeling of a made-for-TV movie at times and the visual quality contributes to that feeling.

To be clear, nothing here looks bad, but for instance, there are some dramatic differences in some of the outdoor scenes from shot to shot, that could have used some color correction to smooth them out. A small quibble, but worth noting.

The Audio: Average

As with the visuals, the audio has some earmarks (no pun intended) of the 1980s; some mild muffling, some obvious ADR here and there, etc. If it helps any, it sounds as good as I imagine it did in theaters in 1980, and shows none of its age here. My three-channel soundbar noticed no issues with regards to balance or mix.

Special Features: Average

FYI, this is the bare minimum I will personally accept for Special Features. Having said that, the commentary track was actually very interesting, and brought to my attention some details of the film overall that I had missed on my first watch. When asked, I usually prefer having multiple people on a commentary track than most single-person tracks, though there are exceptions.

Audio Commentary by film historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell, and Nathaniel Thompson
Theatrical Trailer

In Summary: Snag a used copy

The Godsend isn't anything mind-blowing, but it isn't a bad time either. While the story itself didn't shock me (much), the lackadaisical and matter of fact way the events play out gave it a certain ripped-from-the-headlines / Lifetime movie feeling. That novelty, along with this being the rare Cannon Group horror production, or the film’s minor cult status might be enough for some collectors to justify owning a copy, but it isn’t a very bombastic or attention-grabbing film. If you're on the fence, there's no harm in checking it out later. If however, you're into films that are a bit off the beaten path, The Godsend might be for you.

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