Starring - Klaus Kinski (Nosferatu the Vampyre, Venom), Donna Wilkes (Angel, Jaws 2), and Marianna Hill (Star Trek, The Outer Limits)
Release Date - 1980
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Dear Julia; Don't let me do it again..."
Format - UHD (Personal Collection)
Rating (out of 5):
It's not often that I get in movies to review from companies like Arrow Video, Vinegar Syndrome, and other boutique labels that I had previously seen before. When it does it for movies that countless other genre fans have seen and are mostly classic among the genres. However, this time its a little different. When Vinegar Syndrome announced the release of Schizoid and X-Ray on UHD I was excited and a little confused. Both films, if I'm not mistaken, received blu releases from Scream Factory several years ago. Not a lot of genre fans have seen these films and the Scream Factory releases were not the most popular releases. In fact, the release came and went with very little acknowledgment. I surprisingly snagged a copy during this time and watched it. I enjoyed both for the most part and wondered why so many slept on the release. I was looking forward to upgrading my copy with Vin Syn's release but I was also curious why they would put it out on UHD knowing that the blu didn't do too well. Anyway, I snagged a copy and after my Billy Blanks marathon I decided to revisit Schizoid and this time on UHD.
The film follows a woman who writes for an advice column in a local paper. She is currently going through a divorce and when other women in her therapy group goes missing only to turn up dead she uses her influence in the paper to try and draw the killer out. However, she soon learns who the real killer is and they are closer to her than she expected.
Schizoid is not a slasher that fits into one of the many sub-genres. When you toss in a slasher you expect to find a masked maniac stalking teenagers in the woods or a mentally unstable man or woman killing teenagers or college students on campus. Instead, Schizoid plays out almost like a made for television murder mystery with some slasher elements but lacking the tone and atmosphere that makes them so much fun. Don't get me wrong. Schizoid was a fun horror film but it's not what you expect when you hit play. The acting in this one is nothing special but its not bad. I liked seeing Christopher Lloyd in one of the film's many red herring roles. The same can be said for Klaus Kinski. The remainder of the cast is decent as well but almost all the performances are easily forgettable and blend into the background. The film doesn't have any stand out performances or characters that you actually enjoy. The story for this one tries too hard with the red herrings thrown at the viewer making them try to predict who the real killer is. It's not predictable like so many other slashers but these characters, like Lloyd's and Kinski's, were false flags that are obvious and took away from the actual story. I liked that you never truly know who the killer is and the reveal is worth the wait. Finally, the deaths are a huge disappointment. I love a slasher with deaths that fit the theme of the film. Schizoid doesn't really have a theme perse but the deaths could have been a little more imaginative. The effects are limited when we do get to see the deaths but for the most part they are off screen. Overall, Schizoid has it's flaws but I enjoy it. The Vin Syn UHD release looks absolutely fantastic. Collectors really need to snag this one while they can!
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