WILLARD

My mom was upset when I bought this. The defense argument I put up was “Hey, it was in the ‘Weekly Reader’ book order form.” I had to hide it after the first time she saw it. Actually didn’t get to see the film until the mid-1980s.

The book’s author, Stephen Gilbert, was actually Gilbert Ralston, who scripted several episodes of the TV series “I Spy”. His real name appeared as author on the movie novelization of the book BEN.

The prime difference between the book and movie, from what I remember, is that in the book, Willard wears a rat head mask when he takes his friends to other people’s houses to terrorize them.
I found myself more sympathetic to Bruce Davis’s performance in the movie than to the Willard in the book. And, of course, anytime Ernest Borgnine can get eaten by SOMETHING, it’s a definite plus.