Anatomy of a Psycho

The son of Burns and Allen plays a cold, messed up 25 year old teenager with a group of 25 year old high school friends. His brother is sent to the electric chair and he gets tunnel vision concerning him. There is nothing wrong with the premise. It's just that the acting is atrocious and the plot so stupid. There are two kinds of kids: the punks and the Leave It to Beaver crowd. The scene where the psychotic guy is invited to a party by his sister's boyfriend is absolutely ludicrous. You almost expect him to say, "They're going to have a clown and everything." Anyway, the good guy gets framed and the movie is about how that is handled. One thing I've noticed in watching all these films of the forties and fifties. If you kill someone, no matter the circumstances, they send you to the chair. They try really hard to make this one social commentary, but it's beyond help.

some of same music as "Plan 9" scar came and went as well as changed size killed guy--made it look like another guy killed him.

The title "Anatomy of a Psycho" would certainly lead you to believe this would be an exciting and most likely salacious film. I was very surprised, as the film was anything but like this. It was, surprisingly, a bit dull. The story is about a screwed up young man whose older brother was convicted on murder and was executed. However, the guy won't believe that his brother was guilty and he's sworn to get revenge on those who convicted him. Now considering that much of what he does for revenge requires planning and a cool head, this isn't exact what anyone would term psychotic! Sociopathic....sure...but NOT the behaviors of a psycho. So, I was expecting a wild-eyed and over the top performance by the guy...but got very, very little of this. What a disappointment. In addition to not living up to the title and being a bit dull, the film also suffers from occasional poor acting and a moving and disappearing scar! What do I mean by this? Well, the troubled young man gets his face slashed in the beginning of the film but the continuity is so bad that in some scenes it's gone and in later scenes it's back! And, often the scar grows and shrinks before your eyes! It should also be noted that some of the music was previously used in "Plan 9 From Outer Space"--need I say more?

The bottom line is that this is a bad though not horrible film. And, it's not bad enough to be funny--just pretty dull. Probably not worth your time.

Ronnie Burns, the star of this movie, is the adopted son of George Burns and Gracie Allen. He guest starred on their TV show many times but I guess he wanted to branch out on his own. Unfortunately this movie, directed by the same guy who did THE UNEARTHLY, is as far as he got. Actually it is quite good as JD films go. Ronnie is a kid bordering on psycho already whose older brother is sent to the gas chamber for murder. Ronnie does not know, or does not want to know, that the brother he used as a role model was a thug, robber and general no-good. Instead he decides to avenge his death by getting rid of everyone responsible for the trial and sentencing. This would be okay if Ronnie's character were any good as a delinquent but in truth he is just an amateur. Early in the film he tries to beat up a guy who insults his brother but only ends up getting slashed with a broken bottle. For the rest of the movie you can watch the scar change size and location. He does manage to burn down the house where his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend lives and surprisingly no one catches on that he did it. We think the whole plot will be about him seeking revenge but the movie takes a turn when Ronnie kills his best friend and frames his sister's boyfriend for the crime. Will goodness win out? Hey. it's just a 73 minute picture, it won't be long before you find out. One thing you will notice right away is how very low the budget was. For key dramatic scenes the music is instantly recognizable as coming from PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE (1959). A fight scene is backed up by the music where Tor Johnson rises from his grave. That is sure to distract all B movie fans.

Chet has a strange attachment to his older brother that was executed. He has a sister, Pat, that will reveal more about the older brother - reminding Chet of who his older brother was but Chet feels differently about him. In the film, we watch Chet spiral into madness and built up anger over the death/execution of his older brother.

It is true this film is slow at times but the film is better than it's given credit for. I do believe this film will bore some crowds - in particular the younger crowds that want a lot of action. This film is little action and all crime-drama with a few thrills. Worth a watch for fans of the older crime-dramas.

5.5/10

"Anatomy of a Psycho" has a premise that I'm pretty surprised that hasn't been copied to death by other movies - someone swearing revenge against those who were responsible for sending his brother to the gas chamber. There could have been a lot of perverse pleasure seeing judges, district attorneys, and jury members get snuffed. Unfortunately, the filmmakers don't seem to understand the potential they had. Despite a 73 minute running length, the movie is really slow- moving, and the central character only enacts revenge on three people - and two of those people are just RELATED to the people who were actually responsible for the central character's brother's death. With that in mind, the only way the movie could have been saved would be with unintentional humor. While there are some laughs here - miscast actors, bad acting, dopey dialogue - for the most part the movie is just drab and dull. If you want to see a more successful telling of the movie's theme, watch "Law Abiding Citizen" instead.