The Dingo Ate Your Baby......or so I wished!

Hello Friends,


A few days ago I mentioned a man by the name of William Castle and how he was known for doing insane gimmicks for each of his movie releases. Castle was also behind another "horror classic" however he didn't direct this one, much to his dismay.

In the summer of 1968 a new horror film came out with the tag line " Pray for Rosemary's Baby", directed by Roman Polanski, Rosemary's Baby was to launch William Castle Productions to the big leagues. However, when Castle started to come forward with the idea of adapting the film he wanted to direct the picture, the film studios wanted someone younger and who had interesting, new ideas. Castle was devastated that they chose another director but they allowed him to be the executive producer. He even has a cameo as the man outside of the pay phone that Rosemary is using.

The premise of Rosemary's Baby is that a young couple moves into an apartment in New York that seems too good to be true, and for a good reason. Strange occurrences begin to plague the couple, Rosemary and Guy, as they settle into their new routines. As Guy actively pursues an acting career, Rosemary begins to feel lonely and neglected. One night the eccentric next door elderly couple offers for Rosemary and Guy to have dinner with them, at first Guy protests saying that they needn't bother themselves with becoming friends with the aging couple. However, when they attend and Guy becomes enthralled with Roman ( the elderly man) Guy's entire mood changes towards the couple. After the dinner party, Rosemary begins to have strange dreams and one night she and Guy plan to start trying for a baby when they are interrupted by Minnie (Roman's wife) who brings desert over. After Rosemary has a bite of the desert she claims it taste funny thus sending her into an odd state. Soon she becomes pregnant but this isn't a normal pregnancy.....

I hate this movie, not because of the acting ( although Mia Farrow is pretty terrible) but the plot is slow and predictable. Now for the time period I can see how this film was soooooo cool and interesting, but for me, it doesn't live up to the hype. As this was William Castles last commercially successful film, there is a bittersweet quality to it as this could have been much better. I wish, as Elaine Benes put it, that the dingo ate Rosemary's Baby.

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