WICKED WICKED - 1973

WICKED WICKED - 1973

"Wicked Wicked That's The Ticket...You Gotta Make Me Feel So Wicked..." No those are not the lines from the musical "Wicked" but it's the theme song from the movie "Wicked Wicked". Why is it titled "Wicked" twice? Because this flick was done in "ANAMORPHIC DUOVISION" - Wow a whole new technology in film making! Basically it's all done in a split screen gimmick where you get to see 2 things happening at the same time, it the "AVATAR" of 1973!




This slasher movie takes place in the beautiful Coronado Hotel in Coronado Island, San Diego, where single women check in but they don't check out. So the hotel dick; Rick Stewart (David Bailey) is assigned to solve the mysterious disappearances. Turns out these women were brutally murdered and cut up by a serial killer wearing a monster mask and dressed as a waiter.

Randolph Roberts is Jason Gant the young peeping tom castodian of the hotel. Jason is very fond of a has been actress; Lenore Karadyne who's been living in the hotel fore over 20 years. As Jason connects with Lenore the split screen takes you back to Jason's childhood as a neglected abused child of a single mother, the gate way to a typical Norman Bates background.




This could've passed for one of William Castle's movie; a homicidal killer on the loose, graphic violence and a gimmick called "Duovision". The split screen really doesn't serve any purpose other than it made me feel dizzy watching 2 things happening at the same time. But it's fun to see this low budget slasher flick where the actors take themselves too seriously; all the women looked like Karen Black, a touch of '70's sex kitch; and the organ playing the music of "Phantom of the Opera" as background music.

HOMICIDAL- 1961

HOMICIDAL - 1961

Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho", "Homicidal" is almost a direct copy of the slasher classic. Except "Homicidal" is a accompanied by the "William Castle Touch", with gimmicks like the Coward's Corner and the "Fright-O-Meter", this movie was designed to be some tongue and cheek entertainment than to frighten the audience.





Without going into too many details or giving out spoilers, the secret of "Homicidal" is a lot more disturbing than the one of "Psycho". Also it did not contain the long boring explanation of the difference between a transvestite and a cross dresser, it hold a pretty interesting story and also has a very creepy looking cast and atmosphere. If they were to remake "Homicidal" today it will surly launch a cult following.