This film marked Spielberg’s second of three television movies before his rise to prominence in cinema. Darren McGavin had recently completed “The Night Stalker,” which would be followed by a sequel, "The Night Strangler," and then a TV series running from 1974 to 1975 for a short run of twenty episodes. The movie draws inspiration from Hammer’s “The Devil Rides Out,” incorporating not only themes of demonic presence and possession but also the concept of a protective circle, blending these elements with the setting and budgetary constraints typical of television productions like "Crowhaven Farm." Picture Kolchak, but settled down with a spouse and two children, having bought a farmhouse outside town. That’s essentially what this movie is, except that McGavin's character works in commercial production instead of journalism. The story would have been perfectly adequate as a 51-minute episode of “Kolchak: The Night Stalker,” but it feels stretched out by an extra 23 minutes of unremarkable scenes, bringing the total length to 1 hour and 14 minutes. Despite this, the filmmaking is competent, and those who enjoy McGavin’s or Sandy Dennis' work are likely to find more value in it than I did, as well as Spielberg fans. “The Exorcist” arrived in theaters 23 months afterward, surpassing it in every respect, relegating this film to a minor entry in the genre of movies about demonic occurrences. If you’re looking for a more inventive exploration of comparable themes and a similar rural setting—Pennsylvania Dutch Country—consider "Apprentice to Murder" (1988), which is based on an actual event that occurred in November 1928. Filming took place in 1971 at Golden Oak Ranch in Newhall, located 45 miles north of Los Angeles and east of Santa Clarita; studio work was completed back in the city. GRADE: C-/C

Source on TMDB