Rare TV Flix: Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby

This was...necessary?  Today's film is Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby, a TV Movie Sequel to the Roman Polanski's iconic film.  Why?  I can only imagine that it had to do with another popular Film about Satan- The Omen.  That movie came out around the same time as this one and was obviously quite a hit.  It is kind of like how a DTV Sequel to The Haunting in Connecticut came out in 2013- just because.  That kind of thing is alot more common nowadays, where as in the 1970s and 80s, it was done with TV Movies- e.c. The Spell.  It was also done alot back then by way of TV Shows- even if most of them are not remembered.  You doubt me?  Well, there's Shaft.  The King and I.  Beyond Westworld.  Where was I now?  Oh right, this movie.  Fun Fact: one of the two Editors on Rosemary's Baby was actually the Director of this film!  The Story jumps ahead quite a bit, which is kind of a nice touch.  I have gone on record as saying that one of my least favorite Films of all time is Damien: The Omen II, since it is just so damn pointless.  It is the same Film, only with the titular child slightly older.  Ugh.  Is this completely-forgotten Film worth a look today?  To find out, read on...

Right off the bat, we get re-used (or re-done) dialogue from the end of the more famous film.  It is...kind of cheap and annoying.  Setting the pace well, movie.

We cut to 8 Years Later (appropriate!) and see a lady (Patty Duke) that looks nothing like Rosemary.  She takes the kid- Andrew- away from the Cult, which is quite easy.

You didn't even lock the door?  Hail Satan, my ass!

We learn that the kid has some sort of powers, which are demonstrated here with the same effect as Zoltan: Hound of Dracula- and can't control them when he's mad.

I'm curious to see the adventures of Rosemary and son as they...what's that?  Hold on a sec...

The Cult uses their power to control 'Dad' and use him to set up Rosemary.  She ends up being separated from him FOREVER and...

I guess we jump ahead in time to see a now-Adult Andrew/Adrian, who's played by...Stephen McHattie!  Say wha-aa?!?

Adrien is conflicted about his mysterious past and acts out against some Bikers- just because.  Silly eye effect again- yes, please!

His new, fill-in Mom (how does he not remember the lady who raised him until he was 8?) and the Cult Leader (Ray Milland!) try to push him towards the destiny they have in mind for him.  Feel familiar?

They eventually do a ceremony (which involves painting his face like he's a kid at a party) and...it doesn't work.

His constantly-helpful friend meets his end around this time, since...well, that's what happens to guys like that in Horror Films.  Poor Bastard of Cinema in the future?

In spite of the ceremony failing (since he hasn't killed), they let him live and he plans to come back to get them!

However, that doesn't work out so well and his new girlfriend (who helped him at a Hospital) is run over by a car and left for dead.  He wanders off...to somewhere, never to be seen again.

In the End, however, the girlfriend is now the new Rosemary!  Dun dun Whatever.  The End.

Eh, not so good.  The idea of doing a continuation of the Story is not bad.  In fact, the Author of the Book did just that.  If I can ever get a consistent timeline for Fiction vs. Fiction, I'll have to do that too!  In the meantime, let's discuss what the film does right.  It keeps the Cult menacing (in a behind the scenes way) without making them too campy.  Having Ray Milland there helps keep it as normal and not goofy as possible.  While he did shit like this and Frogs around this time, he still had presence.  Stephen McHattie does as good of a job with this role as possible too.  The character of Adrian/Andrew is really only half-written, so he has to do alot of the work here.  Good for you, Mr. McHattie, even if you were better in Pontypool.  As for the rest, it is pretty generic TV drivel.  It is not laugh-out-loud bad most of the time (save for one Adrian dances in that make-up- see below- at the Party/Rave).  There is just so much laziness here, like how they write out Rosemary or how the husband drifts in and out.  I also like that he's only aged in the side of his hair (now with some gray) over the last twenty-ish years!  I guess you can thank Satan...but they don't explicitly say that.  Some of the ideas are good, but the execution is not.  Adrian conflicted by his powers is shown only once and not that well.  It is a neat idea overall, but definitely belongs in the bowels of The 'That was a movie?!?' Files.  Well, except for this Mime...

Next up, a Horror Sequel that seems fitting with Friday's new release.  With the daughter of one of The Monkees, how can it fail?  Stay tuned...