Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This British-made "imitation Giallo" was the only one of director Walker's 8 horror outings that I had yet to catch up with; in fact, I had also watched his 3-D sexploitationer FOUR DIMENSIONS OF GRETA (1972) and own the as-yet-unseen and equally non-horror titles THE BIG SWITCH (1969), MAN OF VIOLENCE (1971) and HOME BEFORE MIDNIGHT (1979)…not bad for a film-maker who has got only 16 movies under his belt and whose work I was completely unfamiliar with (apart from what little reading material I had at my disposal) before Anchor Bay UK unveiled their 5-Disc Set in 2005! Obviously, the film under review was not included in that collection but has received comparatively muted DVD editions on both regions. Although the film reunited Walker with the screenwriter, David MacGillivray, of his two best films – FRIGHTMARE (1974) and HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN aka THE CONFESSIONAL (1975) – not to mention his most notorious one – HOUSE OF WHIPCORD (1974) – the mixture fails to rise to the expected heights this time around.Indeed, the film tries too hard to be the English version of DEEP RED (1975) but, in spite of the best intentions on display and some decent murder sequences of its own, cannot hope to approximate the visceral impact of Dario Argento's classic slasher. The simple enough plot belies the close similarity between the two films that ultimately undermines SCHIZO: lovely Lynn Frederick is a famous ice-skating star about to wed carpet-producing businessman John Leyton who starts to be hounded by brutish ex-con relative Jack Watson as best friends Stephanie Beacham and psychiatrist lover John Fraser investigate. However, Frederick (just like musician Gabriele Lavia in DEEP RED) is a professional concealing a skeleton in her closet and is not quite the victim as she would have us believe; the spunky character played by Beacham is also very similar to that of intrepid reporter Daria Nicolodi in the earlier Italian film and her uninhibited relationship to first Fraser and then Leyton brings forth memories of the one enjoyed between Nicolodi and David Hemmings; just like DEEP RED's psychiatrist, Fraser too gets to expire via a violent death here; most prominently, there is even a séance with a murderous outcome (with the victim here bowing out the very same way that Lavia did!) and a traumatic childhood event that unbalances the beholder and turns her (or him, in Lavia's case) into a serial killer as an adult. However, Walker remains true to his exploitation roots by making the latter not a marital squabble ended by the knife-wielding youngster but a seedy, foul-mouthed and incestuous coupling between her mother and uncle!!Needless to say, Stanley Myers' serviceable score is also no consolation for missing out on Goblin's tremendous music but the film has other faults besides that smack of carelessness: although Watson is played up to be the red herring from the outset, he is too much of a character actor to be believable as a potential protagonist and, when the twist of the killer's identity is eventually revealed in the film's latter stages, it comes as no surprise at all (although it was clever to have Frederick misremember her childhood recollections to Fraser to avert any suspicions); for being a celebrated skater, there are precious few people present at Frederick's wedding ceremony and, bafflingly, no photographers at all!; similarly, why would a star spend so much time alone at home (thus making her such an easy target) and, when she gets to go out, she only does so at the instigation of her maid – who, of all places, takes Frederick to her psychic daughter…with all the potential for embarrassing disclosures that such a public visit entails?! Although Frederick is not bad in the lead (and, thankfully, gets to be naked a few times, too!), the major trouble with her characterization is that the inherent schizophrenia is not quite believable because she never acts all that rationally when in a 'sane' frame of mind anyway! Although, as intimated earlier, the murders of Fraser (complete with an extra red herring in the shape of an uncredited bit by John McEnery – Beacham's then-husband – as a threatening suicidal patient!), Watson (in Leyton's plant), the maid (a most irreverent reversal of Christ's "eye of the needle" speech) and her daughter deliver the goods, they most certainly do not make up for the lamely unresolved "will she/won't she (revert back to her evil side)?" ending at the airport!! Some final comments should go to the actors since they are the film's ultimate mainstay: after a not insignificant contribution to the horror genre – VAMPIRE CIRCUS (1972), THE AMAZING MR. BLUNDEN (1972) and PHASE IV (1974) – Frederick went on to marry (and, eventually, inherit) Peter Sellers but also, sadly, to an early grave from alcoholism at just 39!; the partially-deaf Beacham herself did her own stint in British horror courtesy of THE BALLAD OF TAM LIN (1970; which I just watched the other day), THE NIGHTCOMERS (1972), Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), …AND NOW THE SCREAMING STARTS! (1973) HOUSE OF MORTAL SIN itself and INSEMINOID (1981). John Leyton is here a flabbier version of the one we remember from THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963) and, in fact, this was his first appearance in a theatrical film in 10 years and of which there would be just 3 more in the next 35 years!; likewise, SCHIZO proved to be John Fraser's first appearance in a theatrical feature (which had previously included 1965's REPULSION) in 8 years and his last…even though he is still alive today! Watson's film career was much more varied and prolific than that of his younger male co-stars but also included its fair share of horror outings: PEEPING TOM (1960), KONGA (1961), THE GORGON (1964), THE NIGHT CALLER (1965), TOWER OF EVIL (1972; the only one I am not familiar with) and FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE (1973).

Despite its inclusion in the EuroShock Collection DVD series, this British number borrows more from Hitchcock than Argento, though it never builds the sustained tension of the former or the grand guignol wetwork of the latter, nor explores the dizzying and inventive camera work of either auteur.In true British style, this film is very dry, never trying to reach beyond the stilted limitations director Pete Walker seems to think the genre carries with it. It's also way too long, nearing the 2-hour mark, with nary a murder to be found until about 60 minutes into the affair. The pacing becomes a bit frustrating, especially with bits like a trip to a "psychic brotherhood" meeting, which introduces a supernatural subplot that isn't subsequently explored. This 10 minutes of run time is an excessive space-filler that merely introduces a victim and mistakenly offers a revelation that is rendered a confusing gaffe when the murderer is revealed.The pretty basic plot involves a newly-married woman being stalked by a paroled man who murdered her mother several years before. Since we see him from the start, the scenes where he lingers on the street near her house and spies on her while she shops for produce don't have much impact... old British men don't imply the same menace that masked boogeymen like Michael Myers do. When the murders begin to occur (and don't expect much here; this is one of the more conservative body counts you'll find in a slasher movie), the film picks up a bit, but the extended stalking that dominates the first half of the film is rendered moot and perplexing when the murderer is unveiled in the final act.The twist ending isn't surprising, and if you know in advance this film is supposed to have a twist ending, you'll probably guess it on the first try. The final showdown between our heroine and her stalker is limp and over before any tension is built, leaving the climax a bit stilted. However, the last moments of the film do finish things out in a nicely subdued fashion, and leave plenty room for viewer's imaginations to concoct the nastiness that seems apt to unfold after the curtain drops.There is some diverting gore to be had, and a shower scene that seems tacked on just to establish that the female lead is pretty cute (as reported before, the horror elements in this scene only become confusing after the final revelation), but largely the film relies on a cat-and-mouse approach that would be more effective if the final reel actually built to something substantial. Best scene in the film honors undoubtedly go to a particularly well-executed and edited bit of grue with a sledgehammer, and nice details like the victim's shattered and bloody glasses on the ground next to their body are what keep this film viewable despite its unnecessary length. There are also a few fun unintentional laughs, like a scene where a victim in a car looks over his shoulder directly into the back seat where the killer is... and somehow doesn't see the black-clad wraith clutching a butcher knife sitting behind him. Overall, this is an interesting piece for those who prefer suspense and acting over splatter money shots, but despite its best moments, Schizo is miles away from essential.

Ho-hum.............what to make of Pete Walker's "Schizo"? Considering the 70's period, and its tightish budget, it's got to be said that it's not a bad effort overall. In fact, it could easily be looked upon as a fore-runner of similar less effective efforts in the years that followed. The scenes are good generally, and the pervading sense of menace is quite effective for most of the time. Best scene of all is the creepy seance, when the medium's reactions suddenly catch the viewer by surprise. Performances, however, are somewhat mixed. Lynne Frederick provides a nondescript lead who seems to drift through the whole thing, whilst trying to remember where she's left her shopping list! Better are Stephanie Beacham, John Fraser and John Leyton. Top performance, however, comes from Jack Watson, and he alone makes the film seem better than it probably is. All in all, a worthwhile viewing for fans of the slasher-type movie, but don't expect any subtle nuances or frills!

Samantha's wedding day should be one of the happiest days of her life. But Samantha is convinced she has seen the man she help convict of brutally murdering her mother 15 years previous when she was 7 years old. No one seems to believe that a killer is stalking Samantha, but she sees the man everywhere. Soon enough, anyone close to Samantha who knows anything about her mother's murder turns up dead. Is the man she has seen the killer, or is it someone else? I really don't understand the IMDb rating of 4.3 for Schizo. The movie is much better than that rating would indicate. I found it to be an entertaining little thriller in the Italian Giallo style. A few good kill scenes, a deranged looking stalker, and an incredible séance make this one above average for me. Director Pete Walker threw in just enough of the red herrings to keep me doubting the killer's identity throughout. Like Walker's other films, Schizo has a downbeat look to it that adds a lot of gloom to the proceedings. I don't think the sun ever shines in a Walker film.