ROSEMARY'S BABY = Polanski's Finest Attempt at Horror?
ROSEMARY'S BABY will undoubtedly always reside at the apex of cinematic horror films that deviously combine subliminal and subversive elements and still manage to present a tremendously entertaining film for anyone wanting a great, understated shock-fest. This being his first American film, Roman Polanski exquisitely handles the vibe of NYC life circa mid 1960s to the fullest extent as he draws us inexplicably into a modern-day Faust-like tale of struggling actor / husband John Cassavettes selling his soul to seemingly harmless neighboring senior citizen devil-worshipers for his wife (the always interesting Mia Farrow) Rosemary's first-born. Original, scary, visionary and daring, it still ranks as the best of this Satan's Spawn series which climaxed with THE EXORCIST little less than a decade later. Top notch acting all around with a performance of a lifetime for Ruth Gordon playing the fuss-budget, nosey neighbor to perfection!