Fear (1990)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Rockne S. O'Bannon

Writer (WGA):

Rockne S. O'Bannon (written by)

Release Date:

15 July 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Horror

Tagline:

Your First Impulse Your Last Sensation

Plot:

Psychic Ally Sheedy helps police solve murders by mentally linking with the murderer. Then she discovers a murderer with the same talent...

Plot Keywords:

Psychopath

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ally Sheedy	...	Cayce Bridges
Lauren Hutton	...	Jessica Moreau
Michael O'Keefe	...	Jack Hays
Stan Shaw	...	Detective Webber
Dean Goodman	...	William Tarr
Dina Merrill	...	Catherine Tarr
Keone Young	...	Detective William Wu
Pruitt Taylor Vince	...	Shadow Man
Jonathan Prince	...	Colin Hart
John Agar	...	Leonard Scott Levy
Don Hood	...	Holcomb
Marta DuBois	...	Inez Villanueva
Raina Manuel	...	Salesgirl (Mall Victim)
Helen Brown	...	Agnes Reardon
Cyd Strittmatter	...	Stewardess (as Cyndi Strittmatter)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1989) | Finland:K-16 (1993) | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Vestron Pictures

Quotes:

Shadow man: [nervous] Casey... what are you doing?
Cayce Bridges: [calm, focused] You knew we were following you tonight... not because you could read my thoughts... but because you could read Jack's... Well, Jack ain't here any more...
[smacks him with a large torch]

Feeding off one's fear.

Since it's fallen into the cracks it's not to be confused with the more popular mid-nineties teen thriller of the same title starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg. Director Rockne. S O'Bannon's 1990 'Fear" is a by-the-numbers, but highly intriguing and low-key psychic / detective thriller with a maturely inspired and gallant lead performance by 80s brat pack star Ally Sheedy. There's no denying it's systematic with its developments, but the escalating psychological tension that's brewing between the two psychics' (the psychotic killer and the renowned tracker) unsettling connection is impulsively gripping and disorienting. The telepathic communication between the two is mentally nail-biting, and so is the linking POV imagery (blue tinting) of seeing what each other is doing. The harrowing material really does toy us around, drawing upon the threatening nature and adrenaline rush of creating a real sense of fear. Henry Macini's stomping, but eerie score truly gets under the skin and Robert Stevens' cinematography is sharply shot. O'Bannon keeps it sure-footed and taut; as he lets the story leisurely unfolds (giving time to explore the characters) to only break the ice with hysterically intense and twisted short pockets. Pruitt Taylor Vince's unnervingly immoral performance as the psychic murderer is nothing but convincingly good. The supporting cast featuring Michael O'Keefe, Lauren Hutton and Stan Shaw give collected and likable portrayals. Occupying an interesting cameo role at the beginning is the iconic John Agar.