The Rabid Dog’s House is a recurring feature at Wicked Horror where contributor Justin Steele uncovers hidden gems, lost classics, and overlooked indie offerings with a little bite. Flying solo or with his co-host Zena Dixon, he will discuss an array of topics covering film, literature, and television. Check out the latest installment below. In this episode we’re looking back at 1992’s Raising Cain!
Raising Cain is directed by Brian De Palma and stars John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovich, Steven Bauer, Gregg Henry, and Frances Sternhagen. Carter Nix (Lithgow) is the son of a notorious child psychologist (Lithgow) that went a little too far in his experiments, and Carter, now a child psychologist himself, is a little too focused on the development of his own child. Carter’s wife Jenny (Davidovich) is concerned but soon distracted by a past love (Bauer) that has suddenly returned. Unfortunately, Carter’s life is becoming too complicated. When it gets too complicated, Carter tends to be visited by the sinister Cain (Lithgow), the youthful Josh (Lithgow), as well as the vengeful Margo (Lithgow), and it is up in the air as to which one gets to control Carter’s life.
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Brian De Palma’s Raising Cain is for the horror fan that enjoys a multi-faceted 1990s psychological thriller. Despite being filled with building suspense and cinematic mastery for which De Palma is known, Raising Cain tends to be overlooked within the director’s repertoire. This thriller deserves another look.