Double Exposure

Director - William Byron Hillman (Ragin' Cajun, The Adventures of Ragtime)
Starring - Michael Callan (Leprechaun 3, Swamp Thing), Joanna Pettet (Knight Rider, Tales of the Unexpected), and James Stacy (Something Wicked This Way Comes, Gunsmoke)
Release Date - 1983
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Smile and say "die"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     With October in full force social media is full of Halloween eccentric posts and images.  I love Halloween, I truly do, but sometimes I get carried away and over do it which results in me being sick of Halloween.  This month I decided to keep my typical horror and exploitation viewing before switching it up to Halloween films as I get closer to the actual holiday.  I decided to check out one of the recent releases of Vinegar Syndrome.  The last film I watched was the fun supernatural b-movie Nurse Sherri.  I wanted to keep the Vin Syn going with their thriller/slasher Double Exposure.  This is one of those films that I had never heard of before but knowing Vin Syn's record in the past I knew I was going to have a good time.  I want to once again thank Vin Syn for sending this one my way!
     The film follows a professional photographer who is having recurring dreams that he is murdering women.  His therapist and brother reassures him that he is not killing people but when his models are found murdered they start to question his sanity.  Is it him or is it someone close to him pushing him to the brink of his sanity.

   
     I didn't know what to expect from Double Exposure.  The film's artwork made me think it was a sleazy thriller centered around a photographer.  When they announced the film several fans took to social media and compared it to the giallo murder mysteries of the 70s.  Personally, I don't see that.  I did see a rather unusual slasher with a twist that you could see coming a mile away.  The acting in this one is fun but has room for improvement.  I really enjoyed the cast an the characters they created.  They really brought their scenes to life but they did over do it at time taking away from the seriousness of the film...almost cheesy.  The story for this one does feel like a slasher but I can see why so many people compare it to giallos.  The murder mystery angle was well written but once we reach the mid-way point in the film you can see the twist coming especially if you pay attention to the dialogue.  The film has great pacing and all the scenes are fun.  Finally, the film has some of the same slasher type kills we saw in the late 70s.  The kills rely heavily on camera tricks and insinuation but are still fun to watch.  The effects are very minimal but is still fun.  Overall, Double Exposure is a decent late night watch.  It was fun to say the least but there was room for improvement.  Fans of 80s flicks or slashers should check it out.