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In 1965 Sylvia Likens was handed over to a family friend who tortured her to death. Thirty years later author Jack Ketchum rewrote her horror. Now there's a movie.
Sylvia Likens' StoryIn 1965, when Sylvia Marie Likens was 16, her mother was arrested and imprisoned for shoplifting. Her father, thinking he was doing the best thing for his two daughters, Sylvia and her sister Jenny were sent to live with Gertrude Baniszewski; the mother of a schoolmate. Once the abuse started it was almost always directed at Sylvia and it worsened over time. Baniszewski, her children and their friends would degrade the young girl and had actually convinced her that she was pregnant at one point. Over time the abuse became physical. On October 26, 1965 Sylvia died from multiple beatings. Her younger sister turned the family in and they were all charged with murder. Novel Turned FilmThe events of Sylvia Likens’ case are disturbing. Perhaps it is because disturbing sells or because his heart was touched but in 2005 author Jack Ketchum wrote a novel based on Sylvia’s last few months. The novel changed the story from a family friend to an aunt; killed off her parents and added much more sexual abuse. But! Just like disturbing, sex sells. In 2007, writers Daniel Farrands and Philip Nutman with director Gregory Wilson recreated Ketchum’s novel in a way that would shock and scare viewers. This film, released on DVD this Decemeber, is a brilliant piece of work but not a pleasure to watch. It’s called a drama and doesn’t contain the action or music of a horror but the scenes are nothing short of horrific. Abuse Within FriendshipDavid Moran, played by Daniel Manche, meets a young girl by the river where he catches crayfish. Meg Loughlin, Blythe Auffarth, is a few years older and rather pretty. David immediately finds himself with a crush. When she tells David that she’s living with her aunt and the two discover that she lives with his friends’ mother; David is anxious to visit her. The first few visits are alright. The boys sit in the living room and talk with Ruth Chandler, Blanche Baker; her sons and the two young girls who now stay with them. However; over time Ruth makes comments to the girls that David is not comfortable with. Being only around twelve years old and somewhat ignorant, he keeps quiet. He sees more with every visit until one night David arrives to find Meg chained up in the basement. Their mother is standing in the corner smoking a cigarette and directing them on their next move. David watches but does not join in. Things are still getting worse with every visit and David continues to keep quiet. She remains in the basement for the rest of her days with secret visits from David who brings food, soda and encouraging words. HighlightsThis drama turned horror is hard to watch but looking away just makes it worse because the cries for help are better not left to the imagination. The Girl Next Door was created with the passion of Alfred Hitchcock and the mindset of Rob Zombie. The movie touches the viewer’s heart and turns their stomach. It shows a side of the human race that most people can't wrap their mind around. In The EndGuilt builds inside as the viewer simply for having the ability to sit through this young girl's torment. It's not a movie that is necessarily enjoyable to watch but it will hold you there until the very end. Why? The answer is simple. Because it's sick. It toys with your every emotion from the time you hit play until you realize that you just spent 91 minutes holding your breath and shaking.
The copyright of the article The Girl Next Door in Horror Films is owned by Marie Clarke. Permission to republish The Girl Next Door in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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