Just when I thought I've seen it all, The Psychopath stumbles into my life like a slightly retarded child and hugs me. I don't know why, but I had the impression this was a TV-movie first, but it's not. It actually got a theatrical release in 1973 and then escaped into obscurity... and there it still is, far from fancy DVD's or even fancier blu-isher formats.
It partly feels like a proto-slasher, but still have that slow, cozy boring detective work for the first half hour or so. Always uninteresting the majority of similar movies, but still nice and relaxing. Yeah, that's how I relax anyway. Can't help it. Black Christmas and When a Stranger Calls have similar filler-material with detectives walking around, talking, calling people and sitting in cars doing nothing special. I love it.
The Psychopath, also known as An Eye For An Eye, is a very creepy, fucked-up thriller about Mr Rabbey (Tom Basham), a mentally challenged childrens show host. He's a big child himself and spend all his time with kids, including stalking them in the playground and having some kind of weird platonical relationship with a female producer at the same time. He start to notice how badly some children are treated at home, being hurt (or even killed!) by their parents - and he decides to take revenge, to kill the evil parents!
I think The Psychopath is excellent. It's creepy, bizarre and the theme of a grown man hanging out with kids all the time makes it even more strange. This could never have been done today, even if one parent actaully - indirectly - accuses him to be a child molester. But he's not. He's just hurts bad parents! It's clear we stand on his side, even when he behaves weird to his female friend, and the parents are truly evil, greedy and disgusting child abusers - so there's no question who's the hero. The cops hardly registers on the camera (even if future star John Ashton plays one of them and is good as usual) and feels like something added to make the movie longer.
Tom Basham is perfect in the part and makes a truly disturbing character of Mr Rabbey. He's the good guy, but he's obviously sick - very sick - and it feels strange to root for someone who's so twisted, and not in a fun, goofy way. Mr Rabbey is just sick.
Over-the-top, colorful and dark, The Psychopath is an original early slasher-esque thriller that's worth watching. It's cheap and far from perfect, but it has "it", if you know what I mean? The people making in probably knew what they was doing and the result is quite unique. It's hard to get (or is there an official DVD?) and the easiest way to see it is on bootlegs or download. But I hope one day someone (Vinegar Syndrome?) will release it.
That's it.
"Just when I thought I've seen it all, The Psychopath stumbles into my life like a slightly retarded child and hugs me."
ahhhahahha....what...?
Nice description.....
"I think The Psychopath is excellent. It's creepy, bizarre and the theme of a grown man hanging out with kids all the time makes it even more strange. This could never have been done today, even if one parent actaully - indirectly - accuses him to be a child molester."
I´m not so sure.....look at Dexter(2006– )and the upcoming series, Bates Motel(2013– ), Hannibal(2013– )etc.....I guess it gets more controversial with kids but I think at least some cable networks might go for it.
Maybe not a series but as TV-film for cable.....perhaps.
"(even if future star John Ashton plays one of them and is good as usual)"
Marvin Dorfler!
hahahah...yeah, been a while since I saw him in something.
"Over-the-top, colorful and dark, The Psychopath is an original early slasher-esque thriller that's worth watching. It's cheap and far from perfect, but it has "it", if you know what I mean?"
I think so, I like the synopsis, and the dark twist.
Good review and thanks.
Posted by: Megatron | May 01, 2013 at 22:34