"The Psychopath" is a solid, if not exceptional, single story thriller from Amicus, directed with style by Freddie Francis and written by "Psycho" author Robert Bloch. Patrick Wymark steps out impressively from supporting roles to star as an inspector on the trail of a murderer. This killer uses various methods - blowtorch, automobile, knife, hangman's rope - and is targeting specific individuals, always leaving a doll made in the current victims' likeness at the scene. Caught up in the melodrama are vivacious blonde Judy Huxtable (as Louise Saville, daughter of one of the intended victims) and her fiancee, American medical student Donald Loftis (Don Borisenko).
Nicely filmed, in Technicolor and Techniscope, "The Psychopath" ultimately tells a rather routine story, but thanks to Francis and a top cast, things are kept watchable. A showdown between killer and detective is a little unusual because it's treated with a kind of light touch - it's not that action-packed or suspenseful. Unfortunately, the identity of the psychopath is never in much doubt, which does also subtract from the suspense. The thing with the dolls is a nice touch (they ARE decent likenesses), and buffs / historians have named this thriller as yet another early example of the kind of "body count" genre picture that would be very much in vogue a dozen years later thanks to "Halloween". Very mild use of gore and a fair amount of sex appeal help to give the proceedings a more "modern" touch. As was the case with "The Skull", Elisabeth Lutyens supplies the fine music score, but there is not much score in total.
Wymark is very good as the hero, despite not having much with which to work. This character is never given that much detail. He receives wonderful support from actors such as Margaret Johnston, John Standing, Alexander Knox, Thorley Walters, Robert Crewdson, Tim Barrett, and Colin Gordon. Legendary ace stuntman Peter Diamond appears as Charlie the junk yard man.
Before now, this hadn't been readily available on DVD and Blu-ray (at least in Region 1), so it is nice that people can acquire it and enjoy it for what it is. This viewer would consider it somewhat lesser Amicus, but still worth a look.
Francis and Bloch also teamed up for another Amicus horror flick, "The Deadly Bees".
One final note: on the soundtrack you can hear a song by the band The Birds, which featured a young Ron Wood before he joined the Rolling Stones.
Seven out of 10.
Nicely filmed, in Technicolor and Techniscope, "The Psychopath" ultimately tells a rather routine story, but thanks to Francis and a top cast, things are kept watchable. A showdown between killer and detective is a little unusual because it's treated with a kind of light touch - it's not that action-packed or suspenseful. Unfortunately, the identity of the psychopath is never in much doubt, which does also subtract from the suspense. The thing with the dolls is a nice touch (they ARE decent likenesses), and buffs / historians have named this thriller as yet another early example of the kind of "body count" genre picture that would be very much in vogue a dozen years later thanks to "Halloween". Very mild use of gore and a fair amount of sex appeal help to give the proceedings a more "modern" touch. As was the case with "The Skull", Elisabeth Lutyens supplies the fine music score, but there is not much score in total.
Wymark is very good as the hero, despite not having much with which to work. This character is never given that much detail. He receives wonderful support from actors such as Margaret Johnston, John Standing, Alexander Knox, Thorley Walters, Robert Crewdson, Tim Barrett, and Colin Gordon. Legendary ace stuntman Peter Diamond appears as Charlie the junk yard man.
Before now, this hadn't been readily available on DVD and Blu-ray (at least in Region 1), so it is nice that people can acquire it and enjoy it for what it is. This viewer would consider it somewhat lesser Amicus, but still worth a look.
Francis and Bloch also teamed up for another Amicus horror flick, "The Deadly Bees".
One final note: on the soundtrack you can hear a song by the band The Birds, which featured a young Ron Wood before he joined the Rolling Stones.
Seven out of 10.