Torment (1986)

A detective sets out to capture a psycho who kills women, but the psycho turns the tables and goes after the detective's girlfriend.

Directors:

Samson Aslanian, John Hopkins

Writers:

Samson Aslanian, John Hopkins

Stars:

Taylor Gilbert, William Witt, Eve Brenner

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Taylor Gilbert	...	Jennifer
William Witt	...	Father
Eve Brenner	...	Mrs. Courtland
Warren Lincoln	...	Michael
Najean Cherry	...	Helen, Mrs. Courtland's housemaid
Stan Weston	...	Bogartis
Doug Leach	...	Officer Tilman
Lisa Ramirez	...	Dianne
Dan Kosloff	...	Barry
Paul McCarthy	...	Officer Gilchrist
Kent Minault	...	Fort Point Officer
Sherman Brown	...	Coroner
Alan Droyan	...	Uniformed Cop #1 (as Al Droyan)
Pepe McIlvaine	...	Uniformed Cop #2
Michael Orloff	...	Cab Driver

Storyline

A detective sets out to capture a psycho who kills women, but the psycho turns the tables and goes after the detective's girlfriend.

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Plot Keywords:

psychotronic film | sadistic | weirdo | bad guy | villain | 

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Taglines:

He can only kill you once, but he can terrify you forever.

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Genres:

Horror | Crime

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Co-writer/co-director Samson Aslanian shot the bulk of this film at his parents' house. Moreover, Aslanian's father cooked all the food and catered for the crew throughout the shooting of this movie.

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Soundtracks

OH HONEY
Written by Pamela Rose
Performed by Pamela Rose and the Wild Kingdom

User Reviews

A 70s-styled American version of a European Giallo Thriller

If you didn't notice the year this takes place (1985) due to the cars and clothes, you'd probably think this was a film from around 1970-74, and likely a European Giallo thriller, but it isn't one because it's 1985 and set in and around San Francisco. However, it owes much to the influences of Argento and the other Italian and European directors of this particular type of horror film, called the "yellow" (Giallo) cinema. These really are films of terror, not horror, and they are typically slow-paced and languid, with a minimal music track that doesn't get in the way, a normal human killer (normal meaning non-supernatural) with definitely twisted psychological motivations or obsessions. The actors are also minimal, with only limited numbers of characters, and they are often well-rounded character actors who rise to the occasion to put in above average performances. These films also have rather grisly killings with a fair amount of gore. This particular film meets all of these standards, with the exception being that it is only moderately gory. As has been said in other comments, if you are a fan of the gory modern fast-paced horror films with flat stereotypical characters, you might be bored by TORMENT, but if you like nicely done, plot-driven Giallo terror thrillers, this will not be wasted time for you.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Spur der Bestie

Filming Locations:

Fort Point, Presidio, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$160,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Aslanian-Hopkins Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1