The Psychopath Blu-ray - Margaret Johnston

Search DVDBeaver

S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "The Psychopath")

Directed by Freddie Francis
UK 1966

Legendary horror director and 2-time Academy Award®-winning cinematographer Freddie Francis (The Skull, Tales from the Crypt) directed this classic Amicus chiller which is filled with surprises and keeps its viewers on the edge of their seats. With a serial killer on the loose, Police Inspector Halloway (Patrick Wymark, Where Eagles Dare, Repulsion) investigates a pattern of grisly murders whose perpetrator leaves a small doll by the body of each victim. The four victims are all brutally murdered in different grotesque ways… a knife, a blow-torch, a rope and a car. The case leads Halloway to disabled doll collector Mrs. Von Sturm (Margaret Johnston, Burn, Witch, Burn) who knows a set of dark secrets that may hold the key to the shocking truth. Beautifully shot in Scope by John Wilcox (The Evil of Frankenstein) with a screenplay by Robert Bloch (Psycho) and co-starring John Standing (The Legacy), Alexander Knox (Woman of Straw) and the lovely Judy Huxtable (Scream and Scream Again).

***

Though scripted by Psycho author Robert Bloch, this is neither a sequel nor a variant on the Alfred Hitchcock classic. Instead, we are presented with a more subdued British version of an Italian "giallo" thriller, as interpreted by acclaimed director Freddie Francis. The plot involves a pattern of grisly murders whose perpetrator leaves a small doll by the body of each victim. The plot thickens as police eventually link each of the victims to the lost fortune of a German tycoon, whose dirty business dealings were uncovered shortly after World War II; what seems at first to be the work of a single revenge-minded maniac hints at a wider-reaching and more devious plot. Bloch's script, though lean and filled with surprises, is a bit too overloaded with manipulative twists, red herrings, and futile attempts to outdo Psycho's manic intensity, but Francis still builds sufficient momentum to keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

Excerpt from Barnes + Noble located HERE

Posters / VHS Cover

Theatrical Release: February 4th, 1966

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:41:05.768
Video	Disc Size: 22,442,849,599 bytes Feature Size: 20,141,549,568 bytes Average Bitrate: 28.83 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 1557 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1557 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kino Aspect Ratio: Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 Disc Size: 22,442,849,599 bytes Feature Size: 20,141,549,568 bytes Average Bitrate: 28.83 Mbps Single-layered Blu-ray MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • Audio commentary with author, Troy Howarth • "Trailers From Hell" with Joe Dante on "The Skull"(2:35). • Trailer for "The Psychopath" (02:13) • Trailers for "The Oblong Box", "The Crimson Cult", "Twice-Told Tales", "Black Sabbath" and "The Premature Burial" Reversible Art Blu-ray Release Date: April 10th, 2018 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters: 8

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Kino Lorber bring us "The Psychopath" on a single-layered Blu-ray disc with a strong bitrate. As Howarth mentions in his commentary, this film has not been available on physical media in the US before, and the damage evident on this print might explain why. There are vertical scratches (sometimes many at a time) clearly evident for the first 20-minutes or so, after which they are briefly seen. This is probably due to the source print. Barring some expensive and labor-intensive restoration, this is probably the best this film will look for the time being (unless another, more pristine print is unearthed). The rest of the film looks decent, with fairly good detail in close-up shots, and a decent amount of grain. Colors come through looking deep and rich.

We have learned that the 4K scan for THE PSYCHOPATH was from the techniscope original camera negative. The first reel of the OCN was damaged and included vertical lines throughout, they did what they could to improve it. A full restoration would've cost high six figures. This explains the condition issues.

The DTS-HD Master audio track here is presented in 2.0 audio track (16-bit). There is another strong score by Elisabeth Lutyens' (Never Take Sweets From a Stranger, The Skull, The Terrornauts, Paranoiac, The Earth Dies Screaming) There are optional English subtitles on this Region 'A' Blu-ray Disc.

First up we have a great audio commentary with author, Troy Howarth (Author of the "So Deadly, So Perverse" trilogy of books on Giallo films. Howarth mentions that "The Psychopath" is Amicus's rarest of films, having never been released on VHS, DVD or Laserdisc in the USA. Howarth also credits this film for quite-possibly being the first example of the Giallo style of film. Aside from the commentary, we get a "Trailers From Hell" with Joe Dante on "The Skull"(2:35). The trailer for "The Psychopath" (02:13) is here as well as trailers for "The Oblong Box", "The Crimson Cult", "Twice-Told Tales", "Black Sabbath" and "The Premature Burial". The package has reversible art (see below).

Robert Bloch, of Psycho fame, penned the screenplay for this precursor to the Giallo. Horror fans can finally get their hands on a copy of this rarely seen film. Although the damage to the film is prevalent throughout the first 20-minutes or so, the rest of the film is in much better shape. Highly recommended to anyone interested.