Search - Rosemary's Baby on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children Movie Release: 1968 DVD Release: 10/03/2000 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 2 hrs 16 mins Studio: Paramount Total Copies: 1 Genres: Horror, Supernatural Horror, Psychological Thriller See Also: Rosemary's Baby

In Roman Polanski's first American film, adapted from Ira Levin's horror bestseller, a young wife comes to believe that her offspring is not of this world. Waifish Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow) and her struggling actor husband, Guy (John Cassavetes), move into the Bramford, an old New York City apartment building with an ominous reputation and only elderly residents. Neighbors Roman and Minnie Castevet (Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon) soon come nosing around to welcome the Woodhouses to the building; despite Rosemary's reservations about their eccentricity and the weird noises that she keeps hearing, Guy starts spending time with the Castevets. Shortly after Guy lands a plum Broadway role, Minnie starts showing up with homemade chocolate mousse for Rosemary. When Rosemary becomes pregnant after a mousse-provoked nightmare of being raped by a beast, the Castevets take a special interest in her welfare. As the sickened Rosemary becomes increasingly isolated, she begins to suspect that the Castevets' circle is not what it seems. The diabolical truth is revealed only after Rosemary gives birth, and the baby is taken away from her. Polanski's camerawork and Richard Sylbert's production design transform the realistic setting (shot on-location in Manhattan's Dakota apartment building) into a sinister projection of Rosemary's fears, chillingly locating supernatural horror in the familiar by leaving the most grotesque frights to the viewer's imagination. This apocalyptic yet darkly comic paranoia about the hallowed institution of childbirth touched a nerve with late-'60s audiences feeling uneasy about traditional norms. Produced by B-horror maestro William Castle, Rosemary's Baby became a critically praised hit, winning Gordon an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Inspiring a wave of satanic horror from The Exorcist (1973) to The Omen (1976), Rosemary's Baby helped usher in the genre's modern era by combining a supernatural story with Alfred Hitchcock's propensity for finding normality horrific. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide

Mia Farrow - Rosemary Woodhouse
John Cassavetes - Guy Woodhouse
Ruth Gordon - Minnie Castevet
Sidney Blackmer - Roman Castevet
Maurice Evans - Hutch

One of the great psychological thrillers of all time, Rosemary's Baby comes to DVD with a solid 1.66:1 widescreen anamorphic transfer that does justice to the foreboding visuals. English and French soundtracks are presented in Dolby Digital Mono. English subtitles as well as closed-captions are available. Extra features include a making-of featurette and exclusive retrospective interviews with director Roman Polanski, executive producer Robert Evans, and production designer Richard Sylbert. Those seeking additional information on the making of the film would do well to watch Visions of Light, a documentary about cinematography in which this film's director of photography, William A. Fraker, discusses the filmmaking genius of Polanski. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide