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Stephanie Zimbalist, Patty Duke, William Shatner, John Houseman
Director Peter Medak, who normally makes really great films (see Let Him Have It if you don’t believe me) made a HUGE misstep here with this atmospheric yet muddled and slow moving thriller.

Beautiful young lass Joanna (Stephanie Zimbalist), attaches herself the most dysfunctional family in the Pacific Northwest under the guise of becoming a nanny to their insufferably annoying daughter (who is waaaay to old to be playing with dolls, if you ask me). Joanna encourages lonely housewife Liz (Patty Duke) to rediscover alcoholism. She seduces dumb as a brick dad Jeff (William Shatner) and lets him touch her all over. And she manages to get disgruntled and suspicious neighbor Dr. Lindquist (John Houseman) to evoke and emotion.

Why or how Joanna goes from babysitter to crazysitter remains reasonably unclear, but she manages to do some really entertaining damage to a family that could be conned by a dead goat. Great memory – bad film.

Recap by Amanda By Night