Il messaggero della morte

Fitfully effective creep-out, one that sneaked in and out of theaters but managed to find a small audience once it premiered on cable in the mid-1980s. Lovely Kathryn Harrold is very good as a dedicated doctor attempting to understand a handsome young mental patient (Zeljko Ivanek) who is both telepathic and wildly unbalanced. An odd, off-putting piece, though certainly a curious one filmed quite well on a low-budget; its predilection for smashed glass and marauding insects and rodents may turn many viewers off however, and Shirley Knight's performance as the sender's mother nearly lapses into camp (though I actually welcomed this!). ** from ****

A young amnesic man is admitted to a mental ward following a suicide attempt. Dr. Gail Farmer is called upon to help him try and regain his memory. She soon discovers the young man possesses frightening telepathic abilities.

This film starts off extremely well and builds up a strong tale full of mystery, suspense and horror. A number of overdone shocks and the final ending however hurts the film. Kathyrn Harrold does provide a tremendous performance as Dr. Gail Farmer.

My review was written in October 1982 after a Columbus Circle screening in NY.

"The Sender" is a superbly-crafted modern horror picture, credibly using telepathic communication as its premise, for creating nightmarish situations. Boasting spectacular, realistic special physical effects by Nick Allder, the Edward S. Feldman production is certain to engross and frighten terror-film fans and stands a chance to break out into general audience acceptance, along the lines of "The Omen".

Thomas Baum's screenplay, unfolding with almost no subplots or distractions, concerns a suicidal young amnesiac (Zeljko Ivanek) picked up by the police after attempting to drown himself in a lake near the fictional town of Corinth, Georgia. Taken to a psychiatrist clinic, he establishes a telepathic link with the [psychiatrist Gail Farmer (Kathryn Harrold), causing her to experience involuntarily his violent nightmares.

The "sender" cannot control his telepathic powers, and when Dr. Denham (Paul Freeman), Farmer's superior, subjects him to shock treatment and surgical experiments, he sends telepathic images of horror which disrupt the entire hospital. Farmer, who is visited by the sender's mysterious mother Jerolyn (Shirley Knight), tries to cure him by tracing back to what caused his nightmares and telepathic outbursts, with Jerolyn the link to a solution.

Roger Christian in his debut as a feature director marshals the material into a very serious, portentous film, punctuated at irregular intervals by shocking and graphic special effects set-pieces. The basic gimmick of telepathy plays well, since on-screen it amounts to hallucinations. By stressing low-key, underplayed performances by his lead actors. Christian scrupulously avoids the potentially risible moments which have caused many major horror films to lose the audience's involvement.

One problem with "The Sender" is that its trim, no-nonsense approach is a limitation as well as an asset. Various religious angles ad =vanced in the opening are downplayed, as well as the "Shock Corridor" group of fellow patients. Even lead doctors Farmer and Fenman have no relationships or characteristics apart from their contact with the sender. This streamlined, basically "safe" approach denies the film the mythic or romantic potential present in its supernatural predecessors.

Cast is good within script limitations, as Harrold represents an attractive, sympathetic heroine and Ivanek is a mesmerizing, troubled youngster in contrast to his overt loonie debut as the hitchhiker in "Tex". Acting honors go to Knight as the mother who is not what she appears to be, creating a chilling, spooky presence with a minimum of fuss. Technical credits all support the realism established by Nick Allder's effects outbursts, which were executed on the set rather than via post-production opticals or animation. Dynamic use of sound, plus Trevor Jones's ethereal score, drives home the scares.

The Sender has some interesting concepts of the supernatural being housed in science and psychology. The picture unfortunately suffers from the rigors of making monsters out of science and doctors as they ignore and disbelieve the supernatural. The depiction of mental illness is poorly conveyed, but for a film made in 1982, this could have been progressive at the time. The film lacks the larger structure and bite that the Dead Zone was able to capture but a year later. (And no doubt due largely to Stephen King's superb story and Cronenberg's talent to maintain the story but transform it into film.) Acting is generally decent and rises to the occasion. This, and the unsuspected reveal at the start of the 3rd act brings this film to a 6 given the "movie of the week" nature of the story and plotting, as well as the lackluster ongoing tension that wasbnot sustained in this film. Tired of watching the Dead Zone? This one is worth a watch, but don't expect too much from it.

This film was released with a glut of really bad horror films in the early '80s and got lost in the shuffle. That's a shame--it's one of the best of its type. There's no masked killer chasing down brain dead teens. It's about a young man (Zeljko Ivanek) committed to an institution because he tried to commit suicide. He believes his dreams can kill. A kind psychiatrist (Kathryn Harrold) tries to help him. Then his creepy mother (Shirley Knight) shows up insisting he be put in her care--but she keeps disappearing.

There's very little violence or blood and guts but it's very scary and suspenseful. The ending is (now) old hat but was pretty original when this film was released. Any movie that can scare you silly with a shot of a middle-aged mother walking to her son (see the movie to find out why it's scary) is one hell of a horror movie in my book! Add to that a beautiful music score and excellent performances by Knight and Ivanek (who has gone on to be a top character actor). The only debit is Harrold who's pretty terrible. Still it's well worth seeing.