The Psycho Lover

Sexploitation whodunnit, in which a stocking masked creep commits a series of rapes and murders...but is the perpetrator the lothario doctor with a younger mistress and a ball busting, drunk wife? Or his patient? A raving misogynist who has been having a little too vivid dreams about the murders? Or the Edgar Allan Poe lookalike police inspector?

Around half way through the film tires of concealing the killer's identity and drops that angle in favour of lifting ideas from The Manchurian Candidate. A bit of pilfering that the filmmakers obviously felt guilty enough about to explicitly acknowledge the Manchurian Candidate influence in the dialogue. Director Robert Vincent O'Neil would soon after be making another sexploitation-noir "Blood Mania" for Crown International, and if anything The Psycho Lover feels like O'Neil's calling card to Crown International. It's very much in their slick, shot in L.A. style, with the rape-murder nastiness sharing the screen with trippy psychedelic flourishes, gyrating bewbs, T&A make-out scenes and romantic strolls around California beaches scored to soft rock songs. The screenwriter's idea of hip dialogue includes nuggets like "your ego hangs between your legs" and "the hairs on my ass stand on end every time I catch his scent". The doctor's flash car is also a sight to behold, and may temporary bamboozle you into thinking that The Psycho Lover is meant to be a futuristic film. The film overflows with so much love for that vehicle every time it's onscreen...you just know it had to be either someone's pride and joy, or that they'd been slipped a generous backhander to plug it in the movie.

The Psycho Lover (1970)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Rather interesting thriller has psychiatrist Kenneth Alden (Lawrence Montaigne) helping a patient who is having dreams that he is raping and murdering women. Pretty soon the doctor begins to think that this is guy who is actually raping and killing. Instead of calling the police he instead tries to get the psycho to murder his own wife who is refusing him a divorce.

If you're a fan of Something Weird Video then you know they saved all sorts of strange movies. I love watching the stuff they put out but there's no question that the majority of the movies were quite bad but entertaining. This one here is actually a gem as it manages to try and be something more than just your typical skin flick. THE PSYCHO LOVER isn't a completely good movie but there's no question that it's a lot better than most of its type.

What really sets this film apart is the fact that it really does try to be more like a Hitchcock film than just some quickie sexploitation picture. The kill scenes in the picture are built for suspense and I give director-writer Robert Vincent O'Neill a lot of credit for trying to build up some tension instead of just going for cheap shocks. The attack scenes are well-staged and for the most part they pack a nice little punch.

The film does have some pretty campy moments and mainly the "love" scenes between the psychicatrist and his lover. Some of these scenes with the bubby gum love songs are quite embarrassing and so more damange than anything else. The performances aren't the greatest but they're at least serviceable for this type of picture. There's also quite a bit of nudity to supply some sleaze so fans should enjoy that.

THE PSYCHO LOVER certainly has some flaws and it doesn't quite make it to what I'd consider a "good" movie but at the same time there's enough going on here to make it worth calling it a gem.

Dare I confess to admiring this misogynist wallow in depravity? Say what you will about its politics, THE PSYCHO LOVER is way above average of its type in terms of cinematography, editing and entertainment value. The plot concerns a psychiatrist who is treating a patient who police suspect of being a serial rape murderer. The film is punctuated by several almost psychedelic attack scenes, which bristle with an energy rarely seen in films of this budget. Ultimately the doctor tries to use the killer as a tool to release him from his miserable marriage, attempting to hypnotize his patient to do his bidding. This sequence must be seen to be believed: as the diminutive woman-hater sleeps he is plagued by visions of his victims. Acid rock cranks on the soundtrack, a woman with Gene Simmons makeup whispers "Kill...kill," another go-go dances. It doesn't get any better than this, folks. And hardly anyone lives happily ever after. The director also made the equally mean-spirited BLOOD MANIA which is worth a look, but PSYCHO LOVER deserves a cult following.

Lawrence Montaigne (Kenneth) is a psychologist who is trying to get to the bottom of the murderous dreams being experienced by Frank Cuva (Mario). In the meantime, there is a murderer on the loose who is killing women just as Cuva describes. Montaigne is also in an unhappy marriage with Jo Anne Meredith (Valerie) and wants a divorce so he can start again with his younger mistress Elizabeth Plumb (Stacy). Only Meredith won't co-operate on this front. Montaigne gets an idea to involve Cuva in a plan….

It's a 1970s colourful trash fest, so you get loads of boobs. However, the ending makes it stand out as we get a seriously good 'Tales of the Unexpected' twist at the end. Ha ha. Brilliant. The film keeps going on the body count but there is no gore, thankfully. There is, however, far too much sexual activity included – not full on shagging – but you get the picture and these scenes outstay their welcome. In particular, the love scenes between Montaigne and Plumb. OK, we get the idea, please move on from this gratuitous nonsense. I don't want to watch him getting his tongue in there.

Overall, the film is worth keeping onto for the ending and, outside of the love-making scenes which drag, there are tense moments and the music is cool.

Marco is a psycho lover,a misogynistic rapist and stocking strangler of some beautiful young women.He is suspected by the police of a series of shocking nylon murders.His psychiatrist Kenneth Alden wants to use Marco's insane personality to his advantage by helping him to murder his wife.Kenneth hypnotizes Marco into committing the perfect crime..."The Psycho Lover" is a scummy and psychedelic early 70's piece of exploitation.The murders are pretty intense and there are some brilliantly hypnotic sequences.This is a taut and quite suspenseful little thriller with plenty of delicious sleaze and a bit of nasty misogyny thrown in.I enjoyed it and you should too,if you are into Something Weird Video's exploitation.7 out of 10.