PSYCHIC KILLER

"Meet Arnold Masters. He can think of 1000 ways to kill you," warns the cover of Dark Sky's gorgeous transfer of Psychic Killer, an occult thriller of deadly telepathy that beat Carrie, The Fury, and The Sender to the punch. Produced in 1974 by actor, writer, and director Raymond Danton, this uneven blend of occultism, pseudo-science and psychological suspense is an intriguing portrait of one man's madness. Entering the genre with his work on such shockers as Hannah Queen of The Vampires, Danton surrounds his rabid performance and a handful of well placed shocks with a surreal tone.

Raymond Danton plays Arnold Masters, a mental patient seeking revenge when he is hospitalised for a murder he did not commit. While imprisoned, he meets a black practitioner of Voodoo who trains him (after his own death) in the practice of astral projection. Soon Arnold is able to leave his body spiritually and wreaks havoc on those responsible for his false imprisonment and subsequent death of his mother. Police Officers Lt. Morgan and Lt. Anderson are the lucky fellows who get assigned to these mysterious deaths, working against time to stop further murders. Meanwhile kindly Dr. Scott struggles to understand Arnold and end this reign of terror, which includes death via a concrete slab, shower water, and a meat slicer. Good times!

While the promotion for this feature stressed exploitation and graphic violence, there is hardly any of the red stuff. What murders there are however are well executed. Their unexpected suddenness makes them emotionally effectiveness. More importantly is Danton's wisdom in creating fully realized characters, encouraging audiences to care about what happens to them. Danton is convincing in his role as an at first sympathetic, then increasingly unhinged, anti-hero. His journey from wrongfully accused Momma's Boy to human monster is convincing, empathetic, and quite chilling. Regrettably there are awkward lapses in action that slow the plot's momentum. We also suffer moments where the movie seems uncertain if it is aiming for chills or laughter, coming across as neither. But the story and its direction are captivating enough to warrant a purchase of this DVD, particularly for fans of unique and unhinged drive in fare.

A welcome update from the 1999 Elite DVD, Dark Sky presents Psychic Killer anamorphically enhanced at 1.78:1, looking to come from a different master. The image quality is superior but some grain and scratches remain. The colors are rich and realistic. Audio is featured in a clean sounding Mono Dolby Digital. Extras aren't that substantial, consisting of three TV Spots and the cheerfully exploitative Theatrical Trailer.

Review by William Simmons