Paranoiac DVD, 1963

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Also available on Blu-ray

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MovieMail's Review

In a splendid Blu-ray transfer, Freddie Francis' lively Psycho-inspired entry from the legendary Hammer Studios is here available for the first time on home video in the UK, looking like it was made recently. The Ashby scions Simon (Oliver Reed), a brutal drinker, and Eleanor (Janette Scott), suffering from her nerves, arrive to collect their late parents' inheritance. Simon intends to have his sister certified insane and locked away, while Eleanor keeps seeing the frightening figure of their long-dead brother Tony around the estate. What is going on? An imaginatively shot horror piece in black & white Cinemascope photography, with a derivative but imaginative script by Jimmy Sangster.

Barry Forshaw on 11th August 2010
View all 513 of Barry Forshaw's reviews

An entertaining horror treat in the best English gothic tradition, this psychological thriller, in stunning black and white Cinemascope, features a fresh-faced, but particularly unhinged Oliver Reed. Julian Upton pays tribute to Hammer's magpie tendencies

Hammer Films, never one to buck a trend, dive-bombed into the wave of ‘mental illness’ thrillers that flooded the horror market after Psycho and gave its own spin to a run of punchy variations on the theme, from Taste of Fear (1961) to the suitably titled Crescendo (1970). One of the best of these is Paranoiac, which, true to form, shamelessly steals from Hitchcock, Clouzot and many others its labyrinthine plot twists and heady visuals.

Neurotic heiress Eleanor (Janette Scott) is haunted by sightings of her presumed-dead brother, Tony. Driven to suicide, Eleanor is saved when Tony (Alexander Davion) steps in for real. But is it really him? Her other brother, Simon (Oliver Reed), a wildly volatile character who spends his time madly playing the church organ and getting volcanically drunk, doesn’t think so. With fervent performances all round (the fresh-faced Reed is particularly unhinged), a rousing Bernard Herrmann-style score by Elisabeth Luytens, and a wave-crashing, cliff-top setting, Paranoiac is a fine example of what we might call ‘magpie cinema,’ offering some genuine shocks along the way.

Julian Upton on 25th June 2010
View all 136 of Julian Upton's reviews

Film Information

Director - Freddie Francis

Produced - 1963

Main Language - English

Countries & Regions - British Film

Cast - Oliver Reed, Maurice Denham, Janette Scott

DVD Details

Certificate:	12	Publisher:	Eureka / Masters of Cinema	Region:	2
Length:	81 mins	Aspect:	2.35:1 widescreen	Cat No:	EKA40325
Format:	DVD B&W	Subtitles:	English HoH

DVD Extras

Optional music & effects track
Long-unseen original trailer.

Film Description

A forgotten gem from the legendary Hammer Studios, available for the first time on home video in the UK, Paranoiac is a sinister classic that spins a gruesome web of unhappy families. It is three weeks before the Ashby siblings Simon (Oliver Reed), a brutish alcoholic, and Eleanor (Janette Scott), a nervous wreck, are to come into their late parents' inheritance. While Simon plans to have his sister certified insane and locked away, Eleanor keeps seeing the lurking figure of their long-dead brother Tony around the estate. Who or what is this apparition, and does he threaten to reveal skeletons in the closet (and elsewhere)?

A massively entertaining horror treat in the best English Gothic tradition, Paranoiac features a superbly oily lead performance from a young Oliver Reed, stunning black & white Cinemascope photography, an ingenious script by Jimmy Sangster, and gripping direction by the great Freddie Francis.