Synopsis: In a remote house in the wintry countryside, an actress rehearses a great role with a movie producer and his assistant. As she mimics the gestures and expressions of the actress she is presumably replacing, she realizes that the producer is not whom he pretends to be and circumstances are not... In a remote house in the wintry countryside, an actress rehearses a great role with a movie producer and his assistant. As she mimics the gestures and expressions of the actress she is presumably replacing, she realizes that the producer is not whom he pretends to be and circumstances are not what they seem. Caught in a trap, she has no choice but to give the performance of her life in order to save herself. Roddy McDowall is chilling as the butler-assistant, and Mary Steenburgen succeeds immeasurably in her mutliple roles. Director Arthur Penn (LITTLE BIG MAN, BONNIE AND CLYDE) uses all the tricks of old horror films as well as some new ones to create an increasing sense of claustrophobia as the heroine becomes aware that she has been trapped. DEAD OF WINTER is an eerie film with enough dark mood, shocks, and plot twists to satisfy any lover of mystery. It's an exciting, fun departure from Penn in the style of such films as DEATHTRAP and MISERY. [More]