THE PSYCHIC

A master of horrific atmosphere, Fulci married elegiac beauty with awe, suspense, and revulsion. His accomplishments in cinema have been done a disservice by audiences who chiefly remember him for the gut-munchers of the 1980s. While his lyrically inspired and surreal operas of shattered reality and violence are indeed impressive, contributing a distinctive mood and aesthetic approach to the language of horror never surpassed in terms of intensity or visceral effect, Fulci had proved himself a dedicated technician and craftsman long before he filmed spewing arteries. Hitting his visual stride with his Dead trilogy, Fulci first captured our imaginations with distinctive interpretations of the thriller, lending a pessimistic yet romantic sensibility to standard suspense conventions. Not as visually striking as the splatter-ballets Zombie, City Of The Living Dead (1980), or The Beyond (1981), Fulci's Giallos are tightly structured and beautifully photographed. If Fulci's 'Zombie Quartet' continues to win him fans for their atmosphere, ultra violence, and nihilistic vision, his Giallos best represent him as a storyteller proper. Hot on the heels of their release of Perversion Story, Severin Films unearths one of his more refined narratives of guilt, desire, and mistrust. Cementing his interest in subjective points of view and steadily oppressive atmosphere, this film also hints at Fulci's growing interest in the supernatural. Remarkable for its depth of feeling and fine performances, the narrative unwinds with surprising precision.

Severin presents this underrated pinnacle of suspense and psychological horror with unrivaled respect, complete and uncut. More importantly, this re-release has addressed those audio errors that test discs yielded late 2007. The earlier disc suffered an authoring error, the result of which was unusually low audio levels. While the soundtrack and dialogue 'could' be heard, the emotional affect of the story was diluted. The score is essential in this film's plot development. This restored, audio-corrected version is an improvement if not without its own flaws. Thankfully these flaws do little to hamper the overall value of the entire viewing experience.

The plot, equal parts Edgar Poe and Giallo, combines the motif of the offbeat hero (heroine in this case) seeking to solve a deadly mystery with fetishistic atmosphere and red herrings a plenty. However, Fulci isn't content to simply re-hash the work of Bava or Argento, stamping his own brand of menace, elegance, and psychologically harsh sentiment on the material -- story elements that are refreshed by the director's personal viewpoint and a script that emphasizes realism (albeit with an occult bent). Jennifer O'Neil stars as an unwilling intuitive psychic whose visions of a violent murder at her husband's secluded summer home in the countryside leads to a catabasis of self discovery, betrayal and murder. As she gets closer to the horrible truth of a corpse and some stolen art, she may just find herself closer to her own demise . . . Is the vision torturing her a scene from the bloody past or a warning? Fulci wraps this central mystery in an atmosphere ripe with decay, moral corruption, and the questionable integrity of perception.

When Fulci turned to dark material, his sensitive nature and offbeat way of thinking found a creative outlet. Beatrice Cenci (1968), Perversion Story (1969), and Don't Torture the Duckling all served as testament to the director's obsessions with the conventions of the Giallo. They also took issue with the Italian government, Catholicism, and authority. As surely as stories of sexually repressed killers, vengeful daughters, and double dealing wives met the stylistic and story mechanics of the Italian thriller, Fulci layered his oppressive camera angles and mood drenched action withy intellectually stimulating and emotionally devastating subtext. After finding his reputation attacked by critics who didn't appreciate his sense of irony or artistic leanings -- and even less his daringness to attack the status quo -- Fulci was happy when the opportunity came along to direct Seven Black Notes to Murder. Known as The Psychic in the US (a more blasé title), this remained one of Fulci's more personal and favorite titles. If it was also one of his least successful Giallos, lacking the sensationalized elements that filled his other work of the period, than that can be marked up to audience fickleness rather than diminishing talent, as this crafty and poetically harsh 'who done it?' is a masterful study of human character and complicity. A master of the explosive set-piece, Fulci explores here the highly symbolic act of tearing down walls. This motif, used to its chief dramatic effect in Argento's Deep Red, was also utilized in several other Fulci films, including The Black cat, The Beyond, and to a lesser extent in House by the Cemetery. The image of striking past the surface layers of a room are easy to comprehend (if no less effective) metaphors for the need for characters to tear down or look past the walls of perception, often limiting in their perspective, for a look at the real, often more dangerous 'realities'/truths hiding beneath. Jennifer O'Neill at first appears wooden in her performance but this sense of aloof self interest is organic to the character, so in fact she plays her role quite convincingly. Of chief merit in developing mood is Salvati's technical work, perfectly capturing Fulci's darkening mood.

This new re-release of The Psychic is, quite simply, a gift for Fulci fans and critics alike. Just as importantly, Severin's speed and efficiency in addressing the audio concerns proves how dedicated the company is to preserving these rarities in pristine quality. Presented completely uncut for the first time ever in the States, the film is featured in a 1.85/16x9 transfer that is stunning. Colors are bold and realistic, picture detail vivid, with little visual blemish. Audio is featured in a Mono English track. While some background hissing is still noticeable, it is a definite improvement. The effects, dialogue, and, most importantly, Fabio Frizzi's dramatic score, layer emotional waves of meaning onto an already complex plot. Finally, Fulci's most maligned yet successful Gialli is offered in an audio mix and superior as its visual integrity.

Extras consist of a rough but enjoyable Theatrical Trailer and an intriguing featurette "Voice From The Black," wherein scripter Dardano Sacchetti, editor Micheli, and set Designer Lentini expound on their memories of, and relationships with, Fulci. Sacchetti, as usual, is the most inflammatory, taking Fulci to task on several issues. If his insights are often agitating they are also the most entertaining, with all three speakers examining the origin and evolution of the picture.

Review by William Simmons