Tödliche Visionen

I first saw this film a few years ago when I was viewing Dom d Louise's early works, and became interested in other actors who had once had their names written in the stars, but were now little more than B-vehicle and up-staged stars of bad sit-coms.

Malcolm, of course, was one of the first to make the leap from a rather desperate film career to mediocre sit-com, and has since been followed by such lights as: Cybil Shepherd (Cybil), Joan Cusak (Joan), Bette Midler (Bette), and Courtney Cox (Friends).

I hadn't realised this was his first film sporting the future-villain hair-style, but this only adds to the value of my ex-rental copy of the film.

Much has been said of the camera work in this film, as a sort of a chart of a man's descent into madness, but few people mention the shot that, I feel, is the key to the entire film. When one of the patients exposes himself to a nurse, we get a - filmically - rare penis POV. I have never seen such a thing attempted in a movie, and if you add this to the tremendous whirling tracking-shots, you end up with a film that I think proves beyond doubt that Scorsese owes more to Winkler than he dares reveal.

Brilliant, and standing up to multiple viewings, I have seen it several times, and truly covet my copy of this obscure American classic.

BTW, watch out for the genuinely "disturbing" scene, after the closing credits, where Malcolm "interferes" with the camera, raising all sorts of philosophical questions on the nature of madness, the truth of film, and Crossing The Line (on several levels). Once again, Brilliant!

obviously doesn't understand about mind-trip movies. This movie was completely awesome and the suspense and visual mastery of this movie is superb. A 6 thumbs up!!! (me and 2 of my friends.) Watch this movie...watch it lots...

I love this movie. It's hilarious, hellishly titillating, great at messing with the mind, and even enjoyable on its cheezier merits. In it, Malcolm McDowell plays a crooked psychiatrist who has made a habit of periodically abducting pretty patients from their rooms and raping them. At one point, he ends up making a major mistake and it looks pretty much like he and a patient of his have actually killed the sexy new patient he was going to ravage next. Soon, this corrupt scumbag starts to really flip his lid, not able to tell if the woman they killed is actually dead or not. The photography, the music, the sound, all of it was PERFECT! These filmmakers really know how to capture feelings of paranoia and utter dementia. Also, this movie is anti-psychiatry in all the right ways. Believe you me, I've been to some of these places! I know how those @ssholes really are, and it looks like Charles Winkler and company know, too. I do have to admit that there are a lot of typical "nut" cliches going on here, seeing as how mental patients are often portrayed as retarded people when they actually give off the appearance of being "normal" about eight times out of ten. Still, even this can be forgiveable because this movie was so much warped fun. The opening scene is pretty depressing and the end scene does have the director yelling "Cut it!", but one of the great things about this movie is watching it make a frenzied transition from dead-seriousness to absurdist hilarity with every further minute that passes. "Disturbed" is a minor classic that is tragically, painfully overlooked and underrated. It must be seen, so go watch it.

I think this movie was totally underrated. Malcolm McDowell's performance as Dr. Russell was brilliant. His personality transition during the course of the movie added a wonderful level of humor. I enjoyed the story line and found that the whole plot wasn't given away too early. To me, the movie was just what I think it was intended to be--light entertainment. Also I felt the Geoffrey Lewis's part as Michael added much to the overall story. He was the "straight man" and pulled of some great deadpan lines. One other bonus is that the movie shows that very fine line between sanity and insanity. I could watch this production a second time and be just as entertained.

The importance of this film must not be underestimated. It was the first EVER time that Malcolm McDowell sported the 'futuristic' spiked hair-do. It has since become his acting trademark. It is the 10th anniversary of the famous hair-style, and you should show your respect by renting this film.