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THE PSYCHOPATH (1975)
Directed by Larry G. Brown
Family Tyme VHS
Reviewed 05.24.07
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
Milo Aukerman and The Descendents
once spouted off about "Parents":
"Parents! Why won't they shut
up? Parents! They're so fucked up!
But little do they know, one day
I'll explode!"
I wonder if they had taken in a
showing of The Psychopath?
The Psychopath is a disturbed
motion picture. It involves children,
parents, and the unsettling realities
that can occur between the two.
That's part of the story. Then,
there's Mr. Rabbey, resident psychotic
and host of a local kids' TV program
called "The Mr. Rabbey Show".
"If you pretend enough and
make your fantasies real enough,
then it can come true!"
Good God. Forget Devil
Times Five and Horror
High; they were just screwing
around. The Psychopath
is a child abuse themed horror film
with a mission -- one that is both
blunt and unnatural. Directed and
written by Larry G. Brown, who bucked
trends a few years earlier with
the gay biker anomaly The Pink
Angels, this film seeks revenge
against horrible parents. That it
chooses to gain such requital --
placing an asexual, man-child, kids
show host within the context of
a fuddled slasher -- isn't just
ridiculous. It's completely deranged.
If you're feeling light-headed,
don't fret. The puppets, lawn mower
death, and karate cops are instant
equalizers.
Tommy aka Mr. Rabbey (the uncomfortable
Tom Basham) keeps his ears and mascara-eyes
open. When he's not busy enacting
uneasy puppet shows on television
("I'll chop your head off!"),
Rabbey can be found on the playground,
in the hospital, or riding his bike.
With little kids. But sometimes,
he hears things. And sees things.
A drunken couple beating their five
year old child to death, then covering
up the murder; a mother slapping
her young daughter to the ground
while screaming, "Ya rotten
little bitch!" Rabbey and his
"blankey" don't like these
things. There's a reason why. Time
to get even.
If the initial novelty of The
Psychopath is what drives the
film, the resultant taboo forces
define it. Shabby, inconsistent,
and seemingly edited by a conflicted
mind, the film's presentation is
utter 1970s junk. Which, of course,
is top drawer to me. The soundtrack
jumps from stark, ass-shakin' drum
kits to out-of-tune schmaltz to
country hackjobs without reason.
Frequent inserts of Rabbey's bug-eyes
fill the screen. Sudden bursts of
unintentional humor break the wall.
Carnival footage pads the final
third. Yet, these random intrusions
rarely align with the emotional
content, be it chilling (Rabbey's
alone time), tense (the stalk scenes),
or jolting (parental behavior).
Is all of this detrimental to the
whole? Hardly.
The Psychopath is so steadfast
in its angst that a little variety
only benefits the film. In effect,
that irregularity is what solidifies
the movie's promise as a bizarro,
socio-trash delight, all the way
through to the unbelievable ending.
Disturbing subject matter. Deficient
organization. Genuine intensity.
Puppets which decapitate each other.
I wouldn't have it any other way.
Immediately following each act of
violence, Mr. Rabbey returns to
the darkened TV studio, plays the
piano, and quietly weeps. The
Psychopath. It's a disturbed
motion picture.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Despite being extremely rare, The
Psychopath exists on home video
in two forms: bloody and not-so-bloody.
It took me many months to track
the film down, so when a copy from
Canadian company Family Tyme presented
itself, there was no room for indecision.
As it turns out, this 84 minute
version appears to be cut. There's
just a bit of blood. The dark, overly
tweaked print played out just fine
by itself, but I imagine some added
violence would only sweeten the
film's impact. The original Media
Home Entertainment tape appears
to be The One. Good luck finding
it.
EXTRAS
Family Tyme? Beautiful! That's almost
as good as a company called Hollywood
Family Entertainment releasing Blood
Frenzy.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Parents! They're so fucked up! And
so is this movie. Like My
Brother Has Bad Dreams,
The Psychopath is a powerful,
unnerving 1970s obscurity which
succeeds because of its bizarre
individuality. Do whatever you can
to locate a copy. And let’s
just hope that Mr. Rabbey and El
Griego from Al
Filo Del Terror never,
ever cross paths. |
It's Mr. Rabbey time
They'll chop your head off
The chills
Head mower
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