La reencarnación de Peter Proud

Popular for about 6 months on first release in 1975 and never seen or heard of again, this sort of creepy thriller was effective enough for 19 year olds who thought they might need a warm up for AUDERY ROSE or a re-zap after THE EXORCIST. Michael Sarrazin was an interesting 30 something actor who looked as though he was about to be a big star. THE'RE'S ONE BORN EVERY MINUTE (check US title) with George.C Scott, THEY SHOOT HORSES with Jane Fonda, then FOR PETE'S SAKE with Streisand(!), this thing and then a slide into B movie oblivion. He acted with some of the biggest and most durable stars of the 60s and 70s. Nobody knows him today in current filmdom and I would be keen to see how he has fared. Like the co stars here: Jennifer O'Neill the gorgeous woman from THE SUMMER OF 42 (also a forgotten film, huge in 1972, as were her three young co stars) and the derailed Margo Kidder whose SISTERS to SUPERMAN rocket to fame was only matched by her plummet to earth. Maybe PETER PROUD cursed them all and nobody's career was reincarnated either. Sad for all concerned. Each were interesting actors and all their films worth seeing. Even this one.

The original novel was a very good (and spooky) tale of a man reincarnated (Michael Sarrazin) and falling in love with his daughter (Jennifer O'Neill) from his previous life. Unfortunately he was killed by his previous wife (Margot Kidder) and she's starting to suspect something...

The movie has a good cast and is well-done but it's slow-moving and seems more interested in showing sex, nudity and violence that giving us a good story. Heck,within the first 5 minutes there's gratuitous female nudity! Kidder masturbates in the tub, O'Neill has a nude love sequence with Sarrazin and there are disturbing shots of a man violently raping his wife. Also there are shots of the guy totally nude walking to a lake. But, then again, I saw it when I was 13...ANY nudity shocked me! I went with my mom, my younger sister and her friend--they all walked out pretty stunned (and embarrassed)...I walked out very interested! To be honest the book was more explicit, but it WAS well-written. The movie just didn't do it justice. Also Sarrazin's acting was pretty bad but O'Neill and Kidder were very good.

All in all it's OK. Avoid the TV version which is so heavily cut it's impossible to follow. It is available on YouTube uncut.

I recently watched "The Reincarnation of Peter Proud" on Youtube 40 years after I saw it in a theater.Reincarnation is a complicated subject, but the film does a fairly good job of explaining some of its intricacies.

Peter Proud (Michael Sarrazin) begins having strange dreams of people that he has never met and places he has never been to. In order to find some peace, he goes in search of the images in his dreams and finds them in a town in Massachusetts.

I really enjoyed the slow unraveling of the mystery and the performances are great, especially Margot Kidder as a widow with a terrible secret.

If I were rating this film on the usual criteria of script, acting, direction, editing and soundtrack, it would get a 5 or 6 tops. It suffers from many of the same faults as most '70s B movies. The cinematography had some good moments, but it was the originality of the plot line that piqued my interest. I've viewed many films over the years, and do not recall one with a storyline as unique as this one. Reincarnation themes usually deal with lives in the distant past. The novel concept of exploring a life reincarnated from a generation still living was interesting, to say the least, and allowed the screenwriter to weave in some intriguing detective work, as well as the hero's personal reinvolvement with the past life. Bravo, Mr Ehrlich... it kept my rapt attention throughout.

All - everyone - give outstanding performances in this terrifically terrifying story of reincarnation. I was about 3 years old when this film came out but was introduced to it as a pre-teen or teen. Anyway I saw it a handful of times as a teen and watching it again all these years later I have to say the film still gives me the chills.

Peter Proud has nightmares, he seeks help in a dream clinic and later he and a friend feel he must be experiencing flashbacks of a previous life - Jeff Curtis. Peter sets off on a journey to find out who Jeff Curtis was and why he was murdered before.

The film is a little graphic at times, mainly with sex, rape and murder - but that is NOT all there is to this film - it's mainly Peter "finding himself" or should I say "finding Jeff Curtis".

9/10