Leofwine_draca PSYCHIC KILLER is certainly an effective little horror film, very much a product of its era. It's a film with many flaws, not least the shoddy construction of certain scenes and the general slow pacing that never pays off, but at the same time it remains interesting. The plot is a unique one that mines the late '70s craze for 'psychic' thrillers (see also THE EYES OF LAURA MARS, PATRICK, THE MEDUSA TOUCH) and the creepy atmosphere is spot on.The weird-looking Jim Hutton stars as a guy sent to prison for a crime he may or may not have committed. Whilst inside, he befriends a black guy who gifts him the power of psychic ability, and on release the guy simply sits back in his chair and wills the deaths of those who have wronged him or his family in some way.Much of the running time consists of a series of weird death scenes more than a little reminiscent of the likes of the FINAL DESTINATION series. They're well staged and avoid cheese for the most part, and an interesting cast and production team adds to the fun. Paul Burke's investigating cop is a great character and the actor's very likable. Aldo Ray has a minor role as a supporting detective and the evil-looking Neville Brand plays a butcher. There are roles for two famous faces from the 1950s, Whit Bissell (I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF) and Julia Adams (THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON). The script was written by Greydon Clark, who went on to direct WITHOUT WARNING, and the direction was by Ray Danton, the SANDOKAN actor. Give it a look.

merklekranz Kirilian photography is featured throughout this intriguing film. Although promoted as horror, the sci-fi element is strong. Mental patient, Jim Hutton, eliminates his enemies with "accidents" carried out through psychic phenomena. Naturally this series of bizarre killings has the police quite perplexed. Such creative dispatches to the beyond as dropping a cement slab on his shyster lawyer, could easily be interpreted as "black comedy". The lets get right down to "business" romance between policeman, Paul Burke, and Hutton's Psychiatrist, Julie Adams, even has some levity to it. The movie has sexual titillation, nudity, splatter, creative kills, and an original and impressive ending. In short, a good exploitation film, with an interesting sci-fi premise. - MERK

kevnick "Psychic Killer" is fun 1970's horror at its best. Peppered with a cast of B-vets such as Paul Burke, Aldo Ray, Nehemiah Persoff, Julie Adams, and Whit Bissell, and starring Jim Hutton (in a nicely scary performance), the movie goes at a nice pace and features some tense moments. There are even bits of gore tossed in for good measure.The film has Hutton as a man wrongly convicted in the death of his terminally ill mother's doctor. It seems the doctor refused to treat the lady once he found out she had no medical insurance. An argument between Hutton and the doc results in a brief scuffle where the doctor falls to his death. Hutton is arrested, found guilty, and sent to a mental institution. Once there, he encounters a fellow patient who has the power of astral projection with the aid of a medallion and several books. After this patient uses this power to kill one of his enemies, he dies and leaves the medallion and books to Hutton. Shortly after, Hutton is finally exonerated (the real killer confesses to the crime)and freed. He goes home and uses his newfound power of astral projection to begin a mission of revenge against the people who wronged him and his mom. Police Lieutenant Morgan (Burke) and his partner (Ray) are baffled at these seemingly unrelated "accidents". Hutton's psychiatrist (Adams)and a local expert on paranormal research (Persoff) try to help."Psychic Killer" benefits from tight direction by former actor-turned-director Ray Danton, good camera-work and location shooting to cover up a small budget, clever dialogue that mixes in bits of humor amongst the hokum, and solid turns by a top cast of veteran genre stars. Even Neville Brand and Rod Cameron show up in bit parts."Psychic Killer" is not the type of film that pretends to be anything other than what it is: sturdy, B-grade entertainment for genre fans.

Paul Andrews The Psychic Killer begins with a bizarre on screen quote, with an accompanying narration, "Why should any phenomenon be assumed impossible? The universe begins to look more and more like a great thought, than a great machine" Physicist Sir James Jean as quoted in "Time Magazine". No, I have no idea what it means either. Arnold Masters (Jim Hutton) is accused of killing the Doctor who refused to treat his mothers brain tumour. He's been committed to an insane asylum and is currently under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Laura Scott (Julie Adams). While there Arnold befriends another inmate named Emilio (Stack Pierce) who gives Arnold the secret to 'out of body travel' using a magical amulet. All of a sudden Arnold is cleared of murder, as the real murderer conveniently turned himself into the police and confessed. Arnold is again a free man. He arrives back at his old house to discover it in a state of disrepair. Angered by the injustices he has suffered he decides to use the magical amulet for the purpose of avenging himself on the people he thinks has done him harm. First Masters targets Doctor Paul Taylor (Whitt Bissell) who testified at Masters trial and helped send him down. Then Masters goes after Nurse Burnson (Mary Charlotte Wilcox as Mary Wilcox) who he thinks neglected his mother and was partly responsible for her death. Lieutenant Jeff Morgan (Paul Burke) and his assistant Danny Anderson (Aldo Ray) are on the case. They are totally baffled as there is no logical explanation for the deaths which are very suspicious. Morgan finds that Masters is a common link between the victims and asks Dr. Scott to help him out. They visit Dr. Gubner (Nehemiah Persoff) for further help but they find what he has to say hard to believe. Will Morgan get his man? Will he get to sleep with sexy psychiatrist Scott? How many more people have to die before Masters is avenged? Co-written and directed by Raymond Danton I thought this was a decent horror film, nothing outstanding but certainly very watchable. Acting is solid among the veteran cast that also includes Neville Brand as the wonderfully named bad tempered butcher Mr. Lemonowski, and associate producer and co-writer Greydon Clarke as a cop who takes dive off a cliff. The film doesn't feature much in the way of violence or gore, a minced hand, crushed arm and a hacked up corpse on a meat hook is about as explicit as it gets. The death scenes are disappointingly tame, generally speaking. There is some nudity, Nurse Burnson has a nice long shower scene and we get to see her wash her legs and breasts, you know the sort of thing. Music, editing and photography are fine. The script by Danton, Clarke and Mike Angel is well paced and generally kept my interest throughout. I also have to mention the downbeat and somewhat unexpected ending, which I liked. Definitely worth a watch.