Parents

"There's A New Name For Terror..."

1989 1h 22m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 199

HorrorComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Michael is a young boy living in a typical 1950s suburbanite home... except for his bizarre and horrific nightmares, and continued unease around his parents. Young Michael begins to suspect his parents are cooking more than just hamburgers on the grill outside, but has trouble explaining his fears to his new-found friend Sheila, or the school's social worker.

“There's A New Name For Terror...”

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Cast

Randy Quaid
Nick Laemle
Mary Beth Hurt
Lily Laemle
Sandy Dennis
Millie Dew
Bryan Madorsky
Michael Laemle
Juno Mills-Cockell
Sheila Zellner
Kathryn Grody
Miss Judith Baxter
Deborah Rush
Mrs. Gladys Zellner
Graham Jarvis
Mr. Marty Zellner

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Bob Balaban
Writers: Christopher Hawthorne
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, Canada

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

82 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 29% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Canada.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Bob Balaban, shot by Ernest Day. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jonathan Elias. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Bill Pankow shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Bob Balaban directs. Ernest Day behind the camera. Jonathan Elias scores. Bill Pankow cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America, Canada. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

182 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Earned back only 29% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
437 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
5International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Canada.
6Directed by Bob Balaban, shot by Ernest Day. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Original score by Jonathan Elias. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
8Editor Bill Pankow shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
9Randy Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt and Sandy Dennis carry the top of the cast.
10Marketing tagline: "There's A New Name For Terror...".
11IMDB entry: tt0098068 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.