Malofilm Communications, 1988
starring: David Hewlett, Cyndy Preston, Terry O’Quinn and John Ferguson
directed by: Sandor Stern

the plot: Leon Linden (Hewlett) was always an awkward boy with few friends besides his sister, Ursula (Preston). But one friend whom Leon could always count on was Pin, a plastic medical dummy that Leon’s father, Dr. Linden (O’Quinn), kept in his medical office. Growing up, Pin always spoke to Leon, though Leon didn’t realize it was his father’s ventriloquism skills that made Pin talk. As Leon gets older, he becomes more convinced Pin is alive. Meanwhile, Ursula drifts away from Leon, more concerned with other boys than her brother. When their parents die in a car accident, Leon and Ursula’s aunt moves in with them, but Leon, aided by Pin, drives her from the house. Ursula begins dating Stan Farker (Ferguson), a student at a nearby college, and Leon becomes increasingly jealous—and increasingly unstable. Pin soon takes on a life of his own, and as Leon’s psychosis progresses, it becomes less and less clear where Leon ends and Pin begins.

why it’s good: An heir in spirit and tone to “Psycho,” “Pin” is supremely creepy and weird. David Hewlett gets major props for his performance as Leon, taking what could have easily been an over-the-top cheesy role and making it believable and chilling. He’s a frightening and sympathetic character—the film’s progression follows Leon from childhood to adulthood, and the emergence of his mental illness unfolds clearly and scarily. Director Sandor Stern keeps the suspense high throughout, and even though Pin does little more than sit around and look creepy, the movie retains an edge of terror that remains relatively constant. The screenplay, co-written by Stern and based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman, is packed with enough aberrant behavior and taboos to make it seem like an abridged version of the DSM-IV. There are incestuous undertones in the relationship between Leon and Ursula, and in one particularly weird scene, young Leon secretly spies a nurse from his father’s office using Pin to masturbate, is cringe-worthy. That’s just the tip of the strangeness, as the good Dr. Linden performs an abortion on his own daughter, and Leon uses Pin to scare off a potential girlfriend. Short on gore and heavy on suggestion, “Pin” is a strange and compelling lost classic.

why you should own it: Anchor Bay’s DVD features commentary by Stern and journalist Ted Newsom. It’s not your typical fright flick, but for fans of psychological thrillers, “Pin” is a must watch.