SCHIZO (1977)
Director: Pete Walker
Image Entertainment

In Pete Walker's intense slashathon, Lynne Frederick (VAMPIRE CIRCUS, PHASE IV) stars as Samantha, a young figure skater soon to be married to a wealthy carpet manufacturer. Upon discovering the news of the wedding in a newspaper, William Haskin (Jack Watson), an older night-shift worker, becomes infatuated with stalking Sam. He sneaks into her wedding reception, leaving behind a bloodstained knife, causing a commotion and running out before being recognized. Because of her hubby's busy schedule, Sam's honeymoon is delayed, and while at home, receives obscene phone calls and inconspicuous visits, at one point being interrupted while taking a shower.

Sam knows who the man is. It happens to be her stepfather, just released from prison after serving a sentence for killing her mother some 15 years earlier. Sam witnessed the bloody events, and now believes that Haskin has the same fate for her. With her husband either at work or drunk most of the time, she takes solace with a psychiatrist and other friends such as the frisky Beth (DRACULA A.D. 1972's Stephanie Beacham). But people around Sam are quickly turning up murdered, and what follows is a taut and stylish thriller in the frenzied Walker tradition.

The always dependable David McGillivray (screenwriter for most of Walker's and Norman J. Warren's best efforts) had to salvage an abrupt script by Murray Smith, and he does a good job of it. While not concentrating on the usual Walker strong notions of religious fanaticism and the tainted judicial system, McGillivray gives a rather straightforward "who-done-it?" storyline, but it remains interesting and there's a nice twist to it. Walker's competent direction results in some noteworthy performances, especially Frederick (the last wife of Peter Sellers who reportedly died of alcoholism at the age of 39 in 1994), and there's some genuine scares (notably a seance where a female medium's eyes turn egg white and she outbursts in a deep voice).

Like most of Walker's horror films, the violence is at a high level. The British censor managed to cut the film for its initial theatrical release and later video issue. Some of the censored scenes included the bloody killing of Sam's mom accompanied by some kinky dialog, some relentless hammer blows to the medium's head, and a large knitting needle protruding from the slaughtered housekeeper's eye. The scenes are all present on Image's new DVD, which presents the film fully uncut.

Released as part of Image's ongoing "EuroShock Collection," SCHIZO is letterboxed at 1.85:1 and anamorphic. The colors are not as strong as they are on Image's previous two Walker discs (DIE SCREAMING MARRIANE, FRIGHTMARE), but the picture is satisfying, clean and free of any outstanding blemishes, and the mono sound is fine. There are no extras on the disc, but with several pivotal Walker efforts remaining unreleased (THE CONFESSIONAL, THE FLESH AND BLOOD SHOW, THE COMEBACK), I do hope the series continues. (George R. Reis)

 

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