The Maddening

Originally a novel written by Andrew Neiderman (Under the title "Playmates"), this 1995 direct to video creepfest involves Burt Reynolds playing Roy Scudder, an owner of a seedy gas station who helps a young woman, Cassie Osborne (Mia Sara) and her 5 year old daughter, Samantha with their car after Cassie gets into an argument with her husband. Actually, he rigs it to break down and gives the two ladies a "shortcut". When he sees them along side the road in distress, he tows them back to his place where he locks poor Mia in a room to entertain his insane wife, Georgina (Angie Dickinson) who has been out of sorts since the mysterious death of her baby boy. The young Samantha is turned into a "playmate" for the Scudder daughter Jill, who seems to be as crazy as her mother. With husband David searching for her (and subsequently, a private detective on the trail of David whom he believes murdered mother and daughter), Cassie starts to become more and more willing to do anything in order to save her and her daughters lives.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~