I just saw this movie for the first time, and while I was impressed, I felt this movie could have been so much more. It had all of the makings of a classic. Even though it is apparently low budget, the acting isn't that bad. The A. Michael Baldwin kid was very good, the older brother wasn't bad. This movie has enough suspense that I actually found myself grinding my teeth at one point. One thing that really impressed me, especially for a low-budget 80's horror flick, is that they don't rely on cheap scares like most of todays films do. No cats jumping out and scaring the character, etc. The scares come from suspense, and the very creepy looking "Tall Man" and his minions who are kind of like evil Jawas. The soundtrack also adds to the scary feel of the film, it's kind of like the Halloween theme, only jazzed up a bit. The only flaw in this film is the storytelling. I often found myself asking, what just happened? There are times when it feels like they are just telling you to swallow this explanation, just because they said so. And the plot really doesn't develop until one scene near the end when you find out what the "Tall Man" is up to, and then it is just explained in one line, then it's back to the running around. And don't even get me started on the ending. It's not that you won't understand it, but you'll just be asking yourself, Why? It's a cult classic, and I know many people love it, I liked it myself, but the story is pretty flawed.
