The Psychopath

The Psychopath is a long unavailable Amicus film from 1966. I've been dying to see it since I first read about in a Rue Morgue article on Amicus films several years back. I finally got a copy of it a few weeks ago. Did it live up to my expectations? Absolutely, and then some.

Directed by Freddie Francis (Paranoiac, The Evils of Frankenstein) and written by Robert Bloch (Psycho), this film assures its audience that we're in capable hands from the opening credits. The plot concerns a series of murders in which dolls, in the likeness of the victims, are left behind at the crime scenes. This set up has a lot of potential for creepiness, and the movie absolutely lives up to these possibilities. There is even a scene at the very end that is truly disturbing, really nightmare fodder. I don't want to give it away if you haven't seen it, but anyone who has will know what I'm talking about.

The Psychopath is also beautiful to look at. There's something about certain films made in the late sixties through the seventies, a particular look, that I really enjoy. I discussed this in my review for Haunted House of Horror, how visually stunning that film was. Unkle Lancifer from Kindertrauma assured me that if I liked that one, I would like this, and he was right. The visuals here are stunning. I've taken the stills included here from the trailers and copy available on Youtube, and the presentations available there truly don't do it justice. If you're going to watch it, I highly recommend seeking out a DVD or Blu-ray copy.
Overall, I highly recommended The Psycopath. This is some of the best work Amicus has to offer, and a lot different from the entertaining, but often cheesy, affairs they're usually associated with. Horror fans should seek out this forgotten gem immediately. For this viewer, at least, it was well worth the wait.







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