I, Madman (1989) User Reviews

Interesting

[GroovyDoom · 7/10 · 3 January 2005]

For fans of horror flicks, this movie might be a nice little surprise if you haven't yet seen it. Jenny Wright plays a woman who finds that the pair of obscure pulp novels she has been reading are beginning to cause very real events to happen in her own life, as the crazed doctor at the center of the stories begins to enter the real world with the intention of mutilating Virginia's friends in order to replenish his own missing facial features.

The gory premise allows for some great physical horror, while the actual story is interesting enough to keep you watching for more than just the shocks. There's even some interesting stop-motion animation for one of the weirder monsters in movie history, "Jackal boy".

On the downside, the film runs out of steam after the first two thirds, delivering a disappointing final act that does not live up to everything that came before it. Specifically, the character played by Jenny Wright suddenly goes flat. She starts out really interesting and seems intelligent, but toward the end of the movie she's whimpering and starts acting really dumb. For instance, why does it take her so long to figure out that the killer will target people she knows? One scene where the madman corners Virginia in an elevator is particularly laughable because of the botched delivery of the lines. Considering how strong her early scenes are, I suspect Jenny Wright was directed to act this way, and the film suffers for it.

Still, this movie has a great look. The sets are memorable, even if they're a little unrealistic (how could Virginia afford such a great apartment if she's a book clerk? Geez!). There's a great establishing aerial view of Virginia's noir-ish neighborhood, and the acting isn't that bad (except as mentioned above). The graphic violence is also memorable, reminiscent of "Dawn of the Dead" in the way that the gore comes off as cartoonish instead of realistic. Recommended, although be prepared for the film's third-act fumble.

Be Careful with What You Read

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 5 April 2015]

In Los Angeles, the librarian and aspiring actress Virginia (Jenny Wright) works in a bookstore of used books with her friend Mona (Stephanie Hodge) and her boyfriend is the police detective Richard (Clayton Rohner). Virginia is reading an horror book called "I, Madman" written by Malcolm Brand (Randall William Cook) and is impressed with the creepy story of Dr. Alan Kessler, a deranged doctor that takes pieces of his victims. Soon Virginia realizes that the book is non- fictional and everything that she read really happens. She tries to warn Richard, but his superiors believe that Virginia is nutty. But she is frightened since Dr. Kessler's next victim is her.

"I, Madman" is a cult-movie with a original story and the gorgeous Jenny Wright from "Near Dark" in the lead role. The movie deserved a better conclusion but anyway is a great horror movie with a wonderful music score. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Prefácio da Morte" ("Preface of the Death") - availble only on VHS Note: On 14 Jun 2022, I saw this film again.

Creative idea with some great creepy bits

[udar55 · 7/10 · 10 September 2013]

Bookstore worker Virginia (Jenny Wright) finds herself the target of a slashing madman (FX guy Randall William Cook) when she starts reading the horror books of Malcolm Brand. The killer is utilizing pieces of his victims in order to reconstruct his mangled face, so this means anyone around Virginia is fair game. Naturally, no one believes her story including her detective boyfriend Richard (Clayton Rohner). Director Tibor Takacs followed up his surprise hit THE GATE (1987) with this interesting horror tale. While it never fully delivers on its awesome premise, I, MADMAN has enough good bits to make it worth seeing and Takacs gets inventive with the camera at times. Look for an in joke where Wright passes a movie theater showing METAL MESSIAH, Takacs' first film. Cook, who also worked on the FX in THE GATE and would go on to win Oscars for THE LORD OF THE RINGS series, is good as the unusual killer and also provided some stop-motion work here. Lead Wright was a bit of a horror staple back in this time period, having done this and NEAR DARK (1987). She hasn't done anything since the late '90s and, sadly, it appears she has a bad substance abuse problem nowadays.

Great, creepy throwback with a nice Retro style. Atmospheric, old-fashioned, and entertaining... Rewatchability: High Blu-ray: Quite Good A:9 V:9

[lathe-of-heaven · 7/10 · 27 September 2015]

I fully agree with my pal WoodyAnders' review above. This is a nice, old-fashioned Retro style Horror Thriller with great creepy atmosphere and mood. The film uses an effective style with old-fashioned makeup and effects. YES, the stop-motion is a little rough, but if you are into films like this, you won't mind :)

You DO need a good imagination and ability to suspend disbelief to enjoy this film, since this has an almost Dark Fairy Tale type feel to it at times. I frigg'n LOVE how she comments that the book she is reading makes Stephen King look like Girl Scout stories (or something like that...)

The entire film has a real Retro feel to it and the story is DEFINITELY created along the lines of old-fashioned Horror films. So, if you DO like that type of movie, then you will likely enjoy this one. BUT... If you like your Horror more like the modern films, full of Brutal 'Realism' and sadistic gore, you probably will find this one pretty boring. But, if you DO really like your Horror a bit more old-fashioned, then you might really enjoy this movie...

You feel it, more than you see it.

[savagerocks · 7/10 · 18 September 2007]

This review is assuming you've seen the movie. In case you haven't a woman releases a murderer through reading his books. The killer becomes infatuated with the woman. This movie has a nice simple feel to it, it is graphic at times. There is a creepy atmosphere created with shadows. It's like a Grimm's fairy tale to the nth degree. There is some really good transitions to what she thinks she is seeing versus what she is really seeing. A small simple scary movie, no big name actors but, has a good story to pull it all together. Interesting idea that the killer fuses his victims facial features to his own face. The story uses the familiar police don't believe the woman scenario.

Inspired and creative

[rivertam26 · 7/10 · 12 July 2020]

I remember seeing this as a kid in theaters and it just scared the crap out if me. I still find the whole thing quite disturbing but its also, clever, inspired and entertaining. The movie centers on a young woman working at a book store whom picks up an old, pulp novel entitled I, Madman. It scares the crap out of her and begins to manifest itself as it brutally murders the people close to her. The movie is wonderfully creative and to this day there still hasn't been anything like it. Jenny Wright has Virginia leaves much to be desired in the acting department but all these years later everything just works. It's got that really cool 80s retro feel making for an overly entertaining watch.

7.5/10

Reading violent books causes severe damage to the mind... Watch violent movies instead!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 8 January 2005]

Even though the premise sounds very ordinary and repetitive, this late 80's thriller features an unusually great deal of tension and slick elements. Tibor Tikács' (love the name) "I, Madman" focuses on a young woman – Virginia – obsessed by reading bloody horror novels. She recently discovered the oeuvre of a bizarre but stylish writer named Malcolm Brand. Especially his book "I, Madman" fascinates her as it describes the acts of a horribly deformed doctor who kills people in order to make an actress fall in love with him. But fiction turns into reality when Virginia finds herself chased by the book's eerie doctor and murders are committed all around her. This film contains a few very bloody sequences but it's not at all a gore flick like so many other similar productions from that decade. The power merely lies in the subtly build up suspense-scenes (with excellent depressing images of a nearly pauperized city) and, especially, the presence of an ultra-grim monster! This mad doctor/writer/hurt romanticist is a fine horror creation that'll certainly appeal to every fan of the genre. Jenny Wright gives away a fairly good acting performance as the petrified heroine. Horror fanatics will surely recognize her from the outstanding vampire film "Near Dark" and a few years after this, she stars in "the Lawnmower Man", next to Pierce Brosnan. The hunky guy who plays her boyfriend Richard isn't very convincing as the police detective, though.

Horror in the 80's got marked by a few obvious milestones (The Evil Dead, Day of the Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street…) and an overload of meaningless slashers. Between all those, there are a couple of worthy gems to discover, and "I, Madman" definitely is one of them. Tikács did a professional directing job here and he clearly controls the horror tactics well. This unquestionably is his best work as he later made the overly silly "The Gate" films

Unexceptional 80s horror.

[BA_Harrison · 5/10 · 2 August 2006]

Pretty bookworm Virginia (Jenny Wright) likes nothing more than to curl up in her flat with a good book and, in her opinion, a good book is anything written by Malcolm Brand, a pulp horror author with a decidedly mysterious past.

Virginia gets her paws on a copy of Brand's second and final book, 'I, Madman', which he wrote whilst in an asylum. The book tells the tale of a poet who, rejected by the one he loves for being too ugly, hacks off his features with a razor and replaces them with pieces from those he kills. Virginia soon regrets her choice of reading matter when the killer from the book appears in reality and begins to murder those around her.

Tibor Takács, who gave us the silly but fun monster movie THE GATE (1987), tries hard with this tragic tale of a writer whose unrequited love drives him to madness and murder, but he ultimately fails to deliver anything special. The film is fairly slow and has more than its fair share of dumb moments, which I would have been willing to forgive had the movie been much much scarier; but with the killer eventually sporting the red hair of an actress and the pouty lips of a bookstore assistant, I couldn't help but be decidedly unafraid. A dodgy looking stop-motion monster also brought a smile to my face, the supposedly terrifying creature looking like some kind of bow-legged dog-boy.

I, MADMAN is a good example of a nice idea trapped in a mediocre film.

A Different Kind of Slasher

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 5 July 2015]

Virginia (Jenny Wright) works at a used book store and is into horror novels when she discovers an engrossing book from an estate sale. It is called "I, Madman" and it is about an insane doctor (Randy Cook) who cuts off people's noses, ears, and hair and puts them on his face to please a girl he likes.

This film never achieved a wide audience in its day, which is unfortunate, and is not as well remembered as the other film featuring the collaboration of Randy Cook and Tibor Takacs, "The Gate". Heck, writer David Chaskin had previously done "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge" and "The Curse" (with Wil Wheaton), so he has a good pedigree, as well. Maybe with the new Scream Factory release, this will change.

The movie is a lot of fun, with all the slasher touchstones, plus some excellent cinematography that brings out a variety of lights, darks and vibrant colors (particularly in a flashback scene). Even early on, we have some visual cues to "Nosferatu" which were clearly intended: the mad doctor who looks like Max Schreck, and the hotel employee going up the stairs following his own shadow... not to mention Cook "ripping off Lon Chaney" (his words) in the creation of a villain.

The special features on the Scream disc really show how much work and love went into this. A short (roughly ten minute) behind-the-scenes feature has Randy Cook explaining how he had to act, apply his own makeup, and also be responsible for the animation. So after hours on set, he would still be up until two in the morning working on making the creatures fit the scene just right. It is impressive, especially the Jackal Boy, and shows a real dedication (no wonder the man has three Oscars).

If that alone was not good enough, there is also a full commentary track with Cook and interviews with various people involved with the picture. Scream has taken a better than average slasher film and made it one of the must-own Blu-rays of 2015: any horror fan will delight in seeing (and hearing) how films such as this are made.

Believe me it wasn't as cool as you remember it...

[kastrostophy · 29 April 2004]

I recently stumbled across a nice little shop where they rent all these old 80's horror flicks and was lucky enough to find a copy of "I, madman".

As yourself, I remembered this movie to be quite scary and since I never really saw it (only saw clips on the TV), I decided to rent it... I mean the idea behind it is cool. But the movie itself got a lot of plot holes, bad creature F/X and man oh man: lousy acting above all !!!! (they have about 5-6 actors in the movie) and I could go on and on... I'm pretty sure if they'd put in a little more work into it, the outcome would have been much better, because the whole idea with fiction vs. reality is pretty dope... In overall it's a pretty lame movie, but if your looking for a laugh and a trip back the memory lane, like I was, it's "okay". But if you are renting this movie believing it's gonna be a scary movie with lots of gore and scares, you better leave it on the shelf...

Cruddy-looking thriller--but Jenny Wright is fun

[moonspinner55 · 4/10 · 3 March 2002]

Jenny Wright is engaging as an offbeat young woman--a bookworm addicted to pulpy thrillers--who is stalked by a monster right out of the pages of her latest read. Nicely set in Hollywood, California, this B-flick unfortunately doesn't have the budget to cover its pulp-thriller aspirations. Director Tibor Takács attempts to build creepy-funny tension and atmosphere, but the script by David Chaskin is too thin, and lacks both the wit and panache for Takács to get the film over the top. And yet Jenny Wright is a lot of fun (she's like a kindred spirit to Joan Cusack). Comedic thriller has some memorable bits, but it needed more production finesse and substance. ** from ****

A nice little B-movie

[Polecat-2 · 8/10 · 9 July 2000]

Although everything about this movie (especially the title) suggests that it must be trash, surprisingly enough it isn't. The plot involves a girl who likes reading scary books and one day finds that the events of the book she is reading, called "I, Madman", start to repeat themselves in reality. It has the logic of a dream - that is, no logic at all, - but don't see this one for the sake of the plot. What lifts it out of the B-movie pit is the imaginative way the seedy world of trashy novels from the 50s is recreated on screen; the smartly executed shifts between fantasy and reality, past and present; Jenny Wright's appealing and intelligent heroine; and finally, the director's genuine feeling for the atmosphere of time and place. It is a little like a cross between Cornell Woolrich and a mad doctor horror movie. Do not try to figure out why things are happening, just enjoy the way this film is so different from anything else. A totally unexpected pleasure.

Good, but still over-hyped by viewers.

[jonathanmckenna · 7/10 · 5 September 2005]

This innovative low-budget effort is about an avid reader of horror novels. Whenever she reads from the pages of a horror book entitled "I, Madman" she wanders off into a dreamland and witnesses lurid murders being committed by a grotesque figure in a black robe and scarf. Only then she discovers that the murders are occurring in real life exactly as it occurs from the novel.

Ultimately I found this film quite enjoyable, and only has a few minor flaws and the acting is above average from everyone involved. The most intense and quite chilling scene in the entire movie is the woman being drugged and scalped in a semi-conscious state. That was quite brutal to watch I admit and a well illustrated death. Most of the "shock" scenes and red herrings are predictable however (esp. the killer's appearance in the elevator). The gore factor is adroitly used and convincing, the removed lips and nose effects on the killer and victims are shockingly effective and the suspense never lets up after it's initial tedious 30 minutes. Jenny Wright is well used in this horror outing and is way above the caliber than the depressing "Near Dark" ever thought of being, in my opinion. Mind you, after reading the rave reviews from other fellow IMDb viewers, I don't find this one the "cream of the crop" of B-Horror films, it has the same standard elements of B-Horror films such as graphic gore, OK Acting, and contrived (although still fun) occurrences throughout the movie. By no means am I trashing the movie, I really enjoyed it much and the suspense held my interest throughout the film. What ruined this one from being a superior B-Horror classic was Tibor Takács's poor choosing of using his idiotic monster from "The Gate" which is not the least bit frightening as the scalpel killer was. I also wished that Wright was the heroine of the story who saves the day instead of that silly looking creature. A bad ending to an otherwise creative and intriguing horror story. "I, Madman" didn't knock me out of my socks, but it is still a gem for the horror genre fans to check out and have fun with.

To say this movie was dumb would be a compliment.

[qormi · 3/10 · 30 April 2021]

Of the slasher genre where you try to make it scary regardless of absolute nonsensical stupidity and ridiculous concepts. On the plus side, the cinematography dwelled on the seedy side of Hollywood... flop house apartments in desperate need of cleaning and renovation. An old bookstore inundated with boxes of accumulated, dusty books...I've seen these two level bookstores with about a million books. Acting by the main characters was pretty good... too bad the.plot made about as much sense as a jar of jellybeans in a diabetes ward.

Where's all the Cult Love?

[hazzah1 · 7/10 · 17 January 2023]

I'm shocked - SHOCKED that this is not a more popular cult horror movie.

Yes, the performances are not Oscar Caliber. They aren't even regional playhouse award caliber.

But! There is definitely a very strong atmospheric feel and some fantastic makeup and set decoration. How many avid readers in your life would be in absolute heaven getting lost in the bookstore that's in the movie? Spoiler: all of them.

The books on which the plot hinges truly feels like a book that's as used and battered as the main villain.

The biggest weak point is, unfortunately, the main actress, Jenny Wright. I just watched her in Near Dark and she was fantastic. This movie came out later. So, perhaps it lies in the directions she was given?

Additionally, the police in this movie act like what I believe real police would act like. They work on what few clues they have and aren't treating the main girl as a looney.

Again, not the best horror, and it is a tad goofy, but as a cult movie? You could do a lot worse.

Cool premise that could have been pushed a little further

[acidburn-10 · 7/10 · 9 November 2022]

'I, Madman' is a fun yet often overlooked supernatural slasher flick with a cool and unique premise that's decently paced and maintains your interest throughout, along with sharp direction by Tibor Takacs with an excellent gothic sense of style with each murder set piece drenched in a cool morbid atmosphere.

The plot - Virginia (Jenny Wright) a bookstore clerk whose obsession with a horror novel turns deadly as the mad doctor (Randall William Cook) comes to life and starts murdering people around her in the same way depicted in the book.

There are some terrific sequences on display here and also love the homages to the 40's style, but of course they're a bit more stylish colourful. The costumes and production designs are top notch for a relatively low budget 80's horror flick.

But there are a few glaring issues that stops this from being a classic such as the weak performance of the lead actress Jenny Wright whose a bit bland .and lifeless in the role. The stop motion effects are also horrible and incredibly dated which really lets things down during the final climax. But other than that the other performances were decent such as Clayton Ronner as the cop boyfriend was serviceable in his role, but the real star of this movie is Randall William Cook as the mad doctor who clearly steals the show with his grotesque appearance and chilling performance.

Overall 'I, Madman' is an enjoyable 80's b-movie that could have pushed its idea a little further, but it's a fun ride nonetheless.

Bizarre little oddity that doesn't seem to know what it wants to be

[The_Void · 6/10 · 24 October 2006]

I, Madman is a rather odd little film. The story straddles a line somewhere between art and absolute rubbish, as we have the idea of fiction and reality coming together; but the fiction side of the story is far from art, as we follow a psychopath who has seen fit to tear his own face off. Furthermore, the production values are really good considering the sort of film; yet it doesn't do it any favours, as it always feels like a high quality B-movie, and films like this do better with an appropriate style to them. The plot is pure hokum and unlikely to be taken seriously by anyone. We follow Virginia; a young woman who works at a used book store. She's into horror literature, and is pleased with herself one day when she happens across a certain book. She soon wants to read the author's only other work, and is surprised when it ends up on her doorstep. She begins to read the novel entitled 'I, Madman' - a macabre tale about a man who ravages his own face in the hope of getting a girl to like him (...). However, the horror of the book becomes more real when Virginia begins to see the title character murdering people for real...

Director Tibor Takács made the silly horror flick 'The Gate' two years prior to this film; and if you asked me he should have stuck to films like that. It's not that I, Madman is essentially not fun; but the way it comes together doesn't feel very fluid or logical. The acting is decent, however, with Near Dark's Jenny Wright taking the lead role and doing well with it, while supporting cast members provide decent feedback. The central villain is a fairly clichéd creation, as similar ideas of deformed maniacs killing people have been used many times before. The special effects aren't too bad for most of the film, and it's nice to see a few gory sequences in any horror film. At the end, however, a sub-plot involving a half man, half jackal comes into play; and we get treated to some spectacularly awful stop motion effects, and it brings the film crashing down on it's head as any credibility it has built up so far is lost. Still, most of the film isn't too bad; and while there are a lot of inconsistencies and unlikely character choices - I, Madman is worth seeing if only to marvel at how bizarre it is.

A story with great potential hurt by the delivery

[smccar77 · 6/10 · 3 March 2011]

"I, Madman," is a lower budget horror film that plays with the idea that reading can draw monsters into the real world. The story attempts to blend a dark and horrific tale with the sleazy conventions found in pulp novels. While the goal definitely has potential, the execution is lacking. IM is bogged down by slow pacing and an unfulfilling development of the main antagonist. The failings are very unfortunate because this film had the potential to be scary, innovative, and engaging.

The premise of the film is not really new. The plot is based on the idea that reading and interacting with a text has the ability to make the subject of the text a reality. Essentially, this is a theme explored by European mystics over the centuries. This film tried to take a "magical" assumption and apply it to the horror movie genre. In the past, this idea has usually been used in demonic film, for example, "The Evil Dead." The ingenuity here is contextualizing magic in the more mundane. The magical books are not esoteric religious. Rather, they are pulp novels written by a demented mystic and alchemist. The situating of dark magic within a mass produced yet poorly distributed article of mass consumption is creepy. The problem is that this part of the story is left mostly untold. The film seems to rush through any background setting so as to allow more shots of dimly lit corridors and shadows. Needless to say, the lack of development hurts the film far more than the "spooky" scenes lead to enjoyable mood. A second shortcoming is the story's reliance on characters to act stupidly when confronted with desperate situations. The assumption that humans react with less thought when pressured is valid. The assumption that humans become incoherent stupid messes when pressured is spurious. The film makers advance the story a great deal by relying on stupid characters as a plot device. This second assumption causes the film to overly distance itself from reality. In essence, the film lures people in with questions about horrifying occult evil placed in plain sight and then never answers those questions in a plausible way.

On the whole, this is a devilishly fun idea involving off beat and unique antagonists. The film falters due to slow pacing, lack of background, and stupid by definition protagonists. The degree of negative criticism found here is unfortunate. IM really did have the potential to be a fresh take on some tried and true genre motifs. The lack of thought by the film makers led to a movie that is barely mediocre. With the current vogue of remaking films, IM would benefit from fresh eyes and a better thought out story line. However, the possibility of this film ever getting such a chance is vanishingly small.

On a personal note, I loved this film as a kid. Watching it again provided that warm and fuzzy feeling typical of nostalgia. It also informed me that, as a child, I had some very lax criteria for evaluating movies. Should you choose to see this film, it makes a pleasant prequel to a nap after a large greasy meal. 5.5 stars out of 10.

Watch out

[doyce4sub · 1 May 2004]

I won't go into a complete plot summary, as other reviews have already done that. This film will scare you!! I watched it late at night and did think about it when going to bed! There are lots of unexplained happenings... like how the killer gets into locked rooms. At the end how did the "madman" survive being shot three times in the chest by the policeman boyfriend? Also, how did the boyfriend get into the bookstore when the girl couldn't get out because of the chained front gate at the front door? Lots of things like that but still a scary film if you don't dwell on the questions. There's some humor as well. The girl that was killed for her hair seemed to be over acting much like she did in the acting class. Also, I didn't note a lot of customers in the bookstore, how was it able to pay two full time clerks with an absent manager and with mountains of books everywhere that seemed to be just stacked up?? It was funny when Jenny was looking for a book in her own store and couldn't find it. (DO YOU KNOW the Dewey Decimal System?) Still worth watching for a late night scare.

Twilight for housewives?

[cpu-4 · 2/10 · 18 September 2017]

The trailer made this flick look like fun - it seemed like I had stumbled on some forgotten 80s horror gem - but what a piece of crap it turned out to be! It sucks on so many levels, that while watching the movie, I was already looking forward to reading a couple of funny reviews on IMDb completely trashing it. However, even this turned out to be too much to ask.

Who was the intended audience? The arty farty crowd will probably find it too stupid, while the average horror fans will be bored out of their minds by the pretentious arty crap and the complete lack of nudity and real gore. Perhaps it was for lonely women, who may identify with the annoying bookworm girl? Twilight for housewives?

The script is very, very dumb, yet it seems to takes itself quite seriously... infuriating! This was made in 1989, before the advent of hipsters, but it pisses me off in a way that only hipsters tend to. Perhaps they will like this flick then. It has this kind of "ironic" half arsed pussy vibe over it, and for sure they will love the stop motion clay crap that shows up in the final scene to magically save the helpless bookworm girl and her pussy ass boyfriend. That's right, the flick ends with a shot of the stupid girl staring satisfied and romantically out of the window that the villain and the clay stop motion crap just crashed out of minutes before she was about to be killed.

Atmospheric and stylish throwback!

[lowlandermg · 7/10 · 31 August 2023]

A whiskey stream of consciousness review.

Main character Virginia (Jenny Wright) is a bookseller who seems to be into- no, really into pulp horror and has a bit of a Pricilla Presley thing going for her. Movie feels like a Bad Moon production with poor man's Sam Raimi directing (just looked up and see that it is Tibor Tacacs director of The Gate-a movie with a special place in my heart. Whatever happened to him I wonder?) Plays a bit like a new version of The Phantom of the Opera, but more. Movie moves back and forth between fantasy and reality and picks up once Virginia really digs into the book and the madman begins to, well, madman is gonna madman. There is some slight unbalanced work when the cops become involved, however fans of the gate will love the ending. Love the throwback atmosphere and feel of the film. Although slow at moments, it is well worth a look as this one has been overlooked. Screened with a dram of Knob Creek 9 and my parrot Squatcho. Cheers!

One of a Kind Supernatural Slasher Flick.

[hu675 · 8/10 · 3 August 2005]

An young woman by the name of Virginia (Jenny Wright) is a fan of horror novels. She works in a used book store. When she reads a novel titled "I,Madman", which is a non-fiction novel. The villain of the novel seems to come out of the book to stalk the young woman and killing the people she knows.

Directed by Tibor Takacs (The Gate 1 & 2) made an entertaining horror fantasy thriller with an sharp performance by the underrated actress-Wright. The film was barely released to theaters in 1989. The film went on to be a Cult Classic. Clayton Rohner (From "April's Fools Day" and the T.V. Short-Lived Series "Good Vs. Evil" fame) co-star as a Police Detective. This is one of the most rarely seen and most underrated horror films of the late 80's. See it. Written by David Chaskin (A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2:Freddy's Revenge, The Curse). (****/*****).

An infatuated Frankenstein-like killer is loose in the City of Angels

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 25 December 2022]

A secondhand book store clerk & aspiring actress (Jenny Wright) becomes aware that what she sees in her imagination while reading books by a weird pulp author is coming to life in the form of a madman who murders people for body parts. Clayton Rohner plays her detective beau and Stephanie Hodge the owner of the book shop.

Shot in November, 1987, but not released until 1989, "I, Madman" mixes elements of the Frankenstein story with the popular slasher genre along with the milieu of an attractive bookworm in downtown Los Angeles. In short, don't expect a formulaic or one-dimensional slasher.

Also, while the titular madman is grotesque and his slayings are shocking, don't expect grim seriousness. The artistic proceedings are decidedly cartoonish, which is to be anticipated with the colorful pulp fiction angle. The remake of "Maniac" (2012) was obviously inspired by it, just grimmer and more arty.

Jenny Wright is a highlight as the protagonist. She was a rising star in the 80s with "Near Dark" (1987) to her credit, but "I, Madman" was her last major role, although she had a memorable part in "Young Guns II" (1990). Her career fell apart shortly after due to substance abuse, but she thankfully overcame eventually, although she lost interest in acting.

Michelle Fozounmayeh is notable in a bit part.

The film runs 1 hour, 29 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles.

GRADE: B-

I, Mad Viewer

[NoDakTatum · 3/10 · 5 October 2023]

Jenny Wright is Virginia, a mousy bookstore worker/wannabe actress who gets caught up in a horror novel by an author named Malcolm Brand. The books are so vivid that Virginia often pictures herself in the books. Director Takacs' reworking of this familiar theme fails due to his reliance on some very old horror film conventions. Virginia searches for Brand's second novel, "I, Madman," after finishing the first, which involved a demonic creature who takes its revenge on its creator. In the second story, the madman of the title has razored off his own facial features in order to please the woman he loves. He then tracks down better features, using the woman's friends as his own personal parts store. Meanwhile, in Virginia's world, a competing actress is killed and scalped. The madman shows himself to Virginia wearing the other actress' red hair, and Virginia is troubled. Luckily, she has a cop beauhunk who likes to come over without knocking and scaring the living daylights out of her (and supposedly the audience). Soon, the piano repair guy across the street has his ears removed, and Virginia goes to the police, who poo-poo her story and send her packing. Virginia gets more involved in the murders, or are the murders getting more involved with Virginia? The film limps along to it's silly conclusion.

The villain is very good. Lots of shadowy and backlit shots really make him effective, as does the bizarre facial reconstruction he decides to attempt. The gore is very convincing, but the stop motion animation Takacs used to better effect in "The Gate" is not. No one ever explains why the villain is haunting Virginia, and no one else. I coasted along with "I, Madman" on its good intentions for long enough, but eventually the whole thing strayed into familiar territory, and then tried to convince me they were up to something completely new and different. Some of the decisions made by the characters and screenwriter are so ludicrous, they negate the suspense. In the end, I cannot get too manic about "I, Madman."

From what I remember it was good.

[Aaron1375 · 7/10 · 10 February 2004]

I have only seen this movie once, and it was some time ago so I do not remember it too clearly. From what I do remember it was good. This one has a gal reading this book about a guy who is killing people for their body parts to impress the woman he loves. The strange thing is though, people are turning up dead and they are dying just as it was written in book. If that isn't strange enough seems the guy who wrote the book was a bit crazy and he even went so far as to say the book was not a work of fiction, but rather a true story. He said this of another book he wrote as well. This one is rather good, but the ending is a bit strange as something from his other book comes true too. If I ever got the chance I would love to see it again because it was most definitely worth a look.