Killing Obsession

Really, one wonderfully flimsy effort, this film, which in my country was released on DVD under the title 'A Killing Obsession'. And I might add that fans of John Savage and John Saxon will have some terrible fun with it (although I can't guarantee you won't shake your head in shame on several occasions). John Savage plays Albert, a mentally deranged thirty-something who spent most of his adult life in a mental health hospital. Released - as in: proclaimed "cured" - at the beginning of the story, because of the government cutting budgets, John Saxon repeats himself from the start to everyone (not) willing to listen that Albert is not sane after all and will kill again. And again. And again. Saxon is simply so funny, taking his role very serious while going through the motions (often also sporting tremendously over-sized glasses).

But the real star, of course, is John Savage. Within the first ten minutes, he already manages to stab two people to death, steal a whole bunch of cash and a getaway car. And he's clearly not going to stop, because he's got a killing obsession. We know from the get-go that he's determined to find a certain Annie Smith, a girl he once sickly loved when she was a mere nubile teenager. The thought that she's now a fully matured woman in her early thirties, doesn't cross his mind, of course.

What does he do? He picks up a phone book and heads off to pay a visit to every single Annie Smith listed in it. So, this film is pretty much 'Terminator' with John Savage replacing Arnold Schwarzenegger. Of course, this modus operandi will have Albert encountering many disappointments on his path, so he mostly ends up killing the Annie Smiths that don't fit the bill. I don't think I've ever seen John Savage act so weird in a film before. He pulls off some exquisite berserk grimaces throughout the film and his dialogue mainly consists of repeating the lines "You are not my Annie" and "You're a whore."

While Savage is already on a roll within the first ten minutes of the film, we're also treated to at least two women bearing their breasts in the following twenty minutes (attractive leading lady Kimberly Chase included). And just like Albert, writer/director Paul Leder isn't going to stop repeating this whole cocktail we're treated to in the first act already. Plus, during the last twenty minutes or so, Albert suddenly decides to take the plot of the film into a different direction, leading us towards a laughably underwhelming finale.

Add to that some lousy sound design and incompetent audio recording (the cuts between scenes with phone calls on different locations will have you noticing zooming refrigerators all of the sudden, and other scenes feature annoyingly squeaky stairs or shuffling sofas). The cheap synthesizer score is an entertaining hoot as well and the cinematography and directing, while perhaps not the worst you'll ever encounter, is as bland as it gets. But, surprisingly so, I would be lying if I'd say I didn't have fun watching this ridiculous attempt at a 'psychological thriller' for the various reasons mentioned above.

This is one of the worst movies i ever saw. Well, *attempted* to see, anyway. Corny plot, horrid actors and it gets dull by the first 15 minutes [even with all those murders going]. I'm not sure if the rest of the film got any better [cause i just gave up and slept after the, like, 5000th murder], but i dont really care anyway. Try to do something decent with your time and skip this movie. Unless you like comedies...bad ones, that is.

The title promises cheap thrills, but there aren't any. The script is stupid, the direction amateurish, the cops dopey (not only do they fail to capture a slow, dumb serial killer, but they also fail to provide even the slightest protection to the victims), the psychiatrists ignorant and the actors portraying them (and everybody else) slumming (John Saxon, what happened to you man?). But in case you still didn't get the idea, let me just say this: even the average "Friday the 13th" film is made with more artistry. (*)

In spite of a relatively possible story, that should at least create apprehension in an average viewer, this one will leave you snoring in your armchair, in minutes. Although the director is no longer among the living to defend his name, this movie would be something better left off his obituary.

This is theoretically billed as a thriller. However, the plot, (I mean the WHOLE plot) is revealed in the first 15 minutes, and it goes no further. The Killer, Albert (John Savage) is released from a mental institution, in spite of the head psychiatrist's (John Saxon) repeated warnings that he will KILL AGAIN.

Needless to say the psycho killer is released and goes from phone book listing down the page looking for his "Annie Smith". He leaves a predictable string of bodies.

This movie is plagued from the start by some of the worst performances ever to grace modern film, with the possible exception of John Savage, who might be believable if all around him were not so lame. They barely mouth their lines, which incidentally, also makes this movie memorable as having possibly the worst working script ever written. Top it off wiith some mediocre camera work, and a hokey sound track and voila, you have the perfect gift for someone you detest. My ex may get this one as a Christmas gift this year.

My advice: Don't bother.