The Courtyard

A young building designer re-locates from N.Y. to L.A., moves into a posh apartment complex, and thinks he's is heaven. Until he encounters his ominous neighbors, spaced-out landlord, screams in the night, and a savagely bloody murder...A wonderful premise for a thriller is quickly demolished by a ridiculous, incoherent, nonsensical script that makes absolutely no sense at all. And the over-the-top denouement is laughable. A few eerie moments, a stylish production, and an appealingly valiant performance by Andrew McCarthy rescue this mystery-misfire from total disaster. Still, skip "The Courtyard" and watch "Rear Window" again...and again...Hitchcock, where art thou?

Mystery fans may be intrigued. A New York City architect relocates to Los Angeles to design a new strip mall. He finds what appears to be the ideal place, a stylish apartment complex with a beautiful courtyard. Problem is that it has a lot of strange people living there and a pizza delivery man he became acquainted with is violently murdered near his apartment. The architect then does his Agatha Christie imitation and investigates the crime himself. In the process, he has an affair with the pretty sister of the murder victim. There is nothing out of the ordinary in this film except that it's sometimes illogical, though it's done with some style and atmosphere. The cast is adequate. Andrew McCarthy and Madchen Amick making an attractive couple and they co-starred again in the film "Dream Lover" several years later. However, the ending is so stupid and unbelievable, you'll want to murder the screenwriter or at least take an ax to your television set.