Wes Craven's 1978 horror film stars Linda Blair and Lee Purcell based on the novel, "Summer of Fear." Blair (The Exorcist) plays Rachel, a teen who has a good life with her family, boyfriend and friends. Soon, things take a turn when her cousin, Julia (Purcell) comes to stay due to her parents dying in an auto wreck. Julia starts to win over everyone and though Rachel gets a bit jealous, she discovers that Julia is not who she seems because she's a witch. This isn't bad, Blair is great as usual and Purcell does a decent job too. If you're into supernatural horror or thrillers, give this a view.

Wes Craven's directorial career was erratic, to say the least. After the success of low-budget shockers The Last House on The Left and The Hills Have Eyes, Craven opted to pay the bills by working on this made-for-TV chiller starring a podgy Linda Blair. Bound by broadcasting regulations, the result is a tepid and predictable affair, lacking the imagination and visceral impact of the director's previous horror films.

Blair stars as teenager Rachel Bryant, whose idyllic life gradually turns into a nightmare after her pretty cousin Julia (Lee Purcell) moves into her home, her own parents having accidentally driven off the edge of a cliff. It's not long before Julia has stolen Rachel's boyfriend Mike (Jeff McCracken), who is happy to trade up, and causes further trouble by flirting with Rachel's dad (Jeremy Slate). To add insult to injury, Julia also starts to hang out with Rachel's best friend Carolyn (Fran Drescher). So when Rachel discovers that Julia might be a witch and voices her suspicions, everyone assumes it's just a case of petty jealousy. How wrong can they be?

As things unfold exactly as you imagine they will, Craven delivers a few scenes of 'mild peril' but nothing truly scary (although Blair's huge hair, the sight of the dumpy actress crammed into a nasty pink dress, and Fran Drescher's voice are somewhat disturbing). Purcell steals the show with her 'good girl/bad girl' routine, looking lovely throughout, and going full-on evil at the end with a maniacal grin and devilish contact lenses. As if all that had gone before wasn't predictable enough, the film closes with one of those silly endings that shows that the nightmare isn't over yet. Yawn.

A teenage girl (Linda Blair)'s life is turned upside down after her cousin (Lee Purcell) moves into her house, and as time goes by, she begins to suspect that she may be a practitioner of witchcraft.

One has to go into this film with the right mindset. The idea of Linda Blair being directed by Wes Craven is enticing, but do not put your hopes too high. This is the brainchild of Max A. Keller, who wrote the script, produced it, and put his daughter Nicole in the cast. Being made for TV, Craven was shackled by producers, the network and a very limited budget.

That being said, this is actually a rather decent story. Some plot elements are a tad confusing. As revelations come out in the second half, not all of them make complete sense. And even the idea of a professor who specializes in witchcraft is strange, not to mention his living across the street.

But overall this is alright for what it is. Definitely worth checking out, especially for Craven completists. It may not be his best work, but I can safely say it is not his worst.