Memorable, crazy movie

Good concept, poorly executed.

Fantastic!

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Growing up there are familiar faces you recognize from TV and movies that for some reason always seem to be around and yet never fall into the category of major movie stars. For me growing up in the sixties and seventies there were a ton of actors like this. You'd see them on nearly every TV series around and they offered solid performances but for some reason never found fame and fortune in film. For me Michael Callan was one of those actors. I'd first seen him in film, actually, in one of my favorites MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. But after that it was mostly TV.In the mid-eighties I opened a video store and we stocked our shelves with not just the major releases of the time but with side items as well, movies that went straight to video for lack of interest by major studios or produced by smaller companies for just that reason. These films were often good movies but for some reason overlooked. One of those movies I ordered was DOUBLE EXPOSURE. While I didn't recall much of it from that time I did remember it as being a decent film. Watching it again with this new release I found it much better than I'd remembered.Callan stars as Adrian Wilde, a professional photographer for men's magazines that is having some problems. It seems he continues to have dreams of women being violently murdered in various gruesome methods. At the same time a murderer is on the streets where he lives, killing women much in the same way his dreams show. Not only that the women being murdered the same as well.Unsure of whether he is committing the murders or just losing his mind Wilde looks for help. His brother offers all the support that he can. A stunt coordinator who lost and arm and a leg on the job, he seems bitter but more positive than Wilde. He also gets help from his psychiatrist Dr. Curtis (Seymore Cassel) as well as medication. But the dreams persist as do the murders.Along the way Wilde meets Mindy (Joanna Pettet) and the two begin seeing one another. The fall in love and eventually into bed as well. Wilde is drawn to Mindy and finds her to be one of the only women in his life he truly loves. But with the fear that he may be killing women without knowing it has him take on a guarded approach to her as well. Fearful of losing his mind the truth has to be found.The movie is a nice mixture of slasher film that was popular at the time and giallo which was just being discovered by American audiences around that same period. The killer's point of view seen in many giallo films is there as is the questioning of the innocence of the main character who wants to find the killer. It works well and plays out smoothly by the end of the film.Everyone involved does a fantastic job. There isn't a bad performance here. The cinematography for a low budget film is exceptional. And as with all of the other films they've been putting out Vinegar Syndrome has outdone themselves here with this one offering a restored 2k version from 35mm original camera negative.Extras? Once again Vinegar Syndrome outdoes themselves. They include: a commentary track with Director William Byron Hillman; "Exposing Double Exposure" Interview with Cinematographer R. Michael Stringer; Staying on Task" Interview with Script Supervisor Sally Stringer; an isolated score by Composer Jack Goga; the original theatrical trailer; promotional still gallery; and reversible cover artwork by Derek Gabryszak. All for less than most special editions like this would costs.For slasher fans, fans of 80s movies and fans of giallo this is a movie worth adding to your collection. Not only will you find an enjoyable movie in the genre to watch but you'll get it in the best format possible with the most extras found on the movie. Along with companies like Arrow, Twilight Time and Shout Factory, Vinegar Syndrome is showing that they are a company to be reckoned with when it comes to titles like these. And for fans that's a good thing.

When judging the cover of this video, you could get the idea this film is trashy and sleazy. What a façade? Double Exposure is a very well constructed thriller, where you must give thanks to Callan's fantastic performance, for it. He had a bit part as a nasty sleazy businessman in the B prison cult slasher, Chained Heat. He could be the psycho killing beautiful women, snapping shots of them or is the angry, bitter stuntman brother, minus a leg and an arm? Meanwhile Adrian (Callan) is having these really awful dreams, that are practically killing him, all so familiar, are the victims in real life who are being knocked off, justice in those horrible dreams. I like psychological thrillers, which are carefully thought out, motives and all, which can you have you double minded, or where other red herrings are thrown in. Excusing the latter, Double Exposure is one of those movies, where the writer simply just didn't put pen to paper. Like with serial killers, who like, premeditate stuff, this is what the writer's done here, and it's payed off beautifully. Callan's new love interest is one beautiful lass too. Performances here really impressed me, more so Callan's as the troubled and disturbed Adrian Wilde. Callan's presence here is fantastic and has you in, every scene he's in, and you don't know when he could just go off, as being a hyped up character. He has you on edge a lot, really trying to grip on his day to day torment, which has him seeing a shrink (Cassell) who at one stage near it's finale, has to make a choice. Here, the tension really mounts. Although made in 83, the movie has a Seventie's look. But if you love psychological thrillers, and you want to go back in time a bit, this taut little gem, will make your night literally.

Troubled men's magazine photographer Adrien Wilde (well played with considerable intensity by Michael Callan) has horrific nightmares in which he brutally murders his models. When the lovely ladies start turning up dead for real, Adrien worries that he might be the killer. Writer/director William Byron Hillman relates the engrossing story at a steady pace, builds a reasonable amount of tension, delivers a few gruesomely effective moments of savage misogynistic violence (one woman who has a plastic garbage bag with a rattlesnake in it placed over her head rates as the definite squirm-inducing highlight), puts a refreshing emphasis on the nicely drawn and engaging true-to-life characters, further grounds everything in a plausible everyday world, and tops things off with a nice smattering of tasty female nudity. The fine acting from an excellent cast helps matters a whole lot: Joanna Pettet as sunny, charming love interest Mindy Jordache, James Stacy as Adrien's macho double amputee brother B.J., Seymour Cassel as Adrien's concerned psychiatrist Dr. Frank Curtis, Don Potter as Adrien's feisty gay assistant Louis, Pamela Hensley as gutsy homicide detective Sergeant Fountain, Cleavon Little as a hard-nosed police chief, and Misty Rowe as sweet, bubbly model Bambi. R. Michael Stringer's polished cinematography makes impressive occasional use of breathtaking panoramic aerial shots. Jack Goga's ominous rattling score likewise does the trick. Popping up in cool bit parts are Robert Tessier as a gruff bartender, Sally Kirkland as a saucy hooker, Kathy Shower as a fierce female wrestler B.J. grapples with in the ring, and Frances Bay in one of her standard old woman roles. A solid and enjoyable picture.

Michael Callan plays a smarmy photographer who seems, nonetheless, to be regarded as a perfect "catch" by any woman that runs across him; could this have anything to do with the fact that he also co-produced the film? He's a "hero" whom it's very difficult to empathize with, so the movie is in trouble right from the start. However, it's troubles don't end there. It has the production values of a TV-movie (check out that head made of clay or something, near the end), and the ending cheats in a way that I can't reveal, in case anyone wants to see the movie (highly unlikely). Let's just say that the killer knows more than we were let to know he knows. (*1/2)