| The Entity | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Sidney J. Furie |
| Screenplay by | Frank De Felitta |
| Based on | The Entity by Frank De Felitta |
| Produced by | Harold Schneider |
| Starring | Barbara Hershey |
| Cinematography | Stephen H. Burum |
| Edited by | Frank J. Urioste |
| Music by | Charles Bernstein |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 125 minutes[2][3][4] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $9 million[5]–$10 million[6] |
| Box office | $13.3 million[7] |
The Entity is a 1982 American supernatural horror film directed by Sidney J. Furie, and starring Barbara Hershey, Ron Silver, David Labiosa, Maggie Blye, Jacqueline Brookes, and Alex Rocco. The film follows a single mother in Los Angeles who is raped and tormented by an invisible poltergeist-like entity in her home. It was adapted for the screen by Frank De Felitta from his 1978 novel of the same name, which was based on the 1974 case of Doris Bither, a woman who claimed to have been repeatedly sexually assaulted by an invisible assailant, and who underwent observation by doctoral students at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Principal photography of The Entity took place over a ten week-period in Los Angeles and El Segundo, California, in the spring of 1980. Despite being completed and planned for a release in 1981, the film went unreleased until the fall of 1982, when it was acquired by 20th Century Fox and given a theatrical release in the United Kingdom. The studio subsequently released it in the United States on February 4, 1983. It grossed over $13 million at the box office against a $9 million budget. The film received moderately favorable critical reviews and acclaim for Hershey's performance, and has received further praise from contemporary film critics.
In addition to its paranormal elements, the film deals with themes of female sexual victimhood, sexual repression, and the family dynamics of single-parent households. It was met with some controversy from women's rights and feminist organizations during its original release due to its graphic depictions of female sexual assault.
- ^ Kremer 2015, p. 267.
- ^ De Bruyn 2014, p. 208.
- ^ Kremer 2015, p. 339.
- ^ Parish 1994, p. 88.
- ^ Solomon 2002, p. 260.
- ^ Beck, Marilyn (October 29, 1981). "Bogdanovich to buy back 'They All Laughed'". Oakland Tribune. p. B-6 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Kremer 2015, p. 272.