The Psychotronic Man (1979)

A man discovers that he has psychotronic powers--the ability to will people to die. He begins exercising that power.

Director:

Jack M. Sell

Writers:

Phil Lanier, Jack M. Sell

Stars:

Peter Spelson, Chris Carbis, Curt Colbert

Cast

Cast overview:
Peter Spelson	...	Rocky Foscoe
Chris Carbis	...	Lt. Walter O'Brien
Curt Colbert	...	Sgt. Chuck Jackson
Robin Newton	...	Kathy
Jeff Caliendo	...	Officer Maloney
Lindsey Novak	...	Mrs. Foscoe
Irwin Lewin	...	Professor
Corney Morgan	...	S.I.A. Agent Gorman
Bob McDonald	...	Old Man

Storyline

Just as Rocky thinks the world is proceeding along quite well, he dashes out of his shop in a kind of trance, as though possessed. Once outside he is driven to hunt for a victim and after he has found someone, he kills them with whatever forces are latent in his subconscious.

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Plot Keywords:

psychotronic | subconscious | victim | psychic power | extrasensory perception | 

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Sell Communications

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

April 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bomberman

Filming Locations:

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

International Harmony,Spelson Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 81 min (Amazon Video)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Astrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Interesting little no budget sci fi horror/thriller

A barber drinks aftershave. A car explodes. Am I in heaven? Not quite, but not quite heaven still ain't such a bad place to be. The brainchild of multitasking visionaries Jack Sell (director, writer, cinematographer, producer) and Peter Spelson (writer, producer, leading man, background in insurance sales), The Psychotronic Man seems to have science fiction slasher intentions, but behind the scenes tussles grounded it in PG territory. This isn't such a bad thing though, in a curious way the lack of gore (a little bit of blood but nothing serious) prevents the film from ever getting cosy and for much of the first half as well as the final moments there's a dislocated feel to proceedings that contrasts well with the stark Chicago grit of the location. Dislocation is the best thing about this one, there aren't really any moments when it feels like an ordinary film. Repetitive soundtrack made mostly of weird noises and an ominous church bell, needless but rather cool helicopter shooting (something about lonely roadways rather evocative seen from up on high), freak outs made of clutching the hair and gurning intently to the aforementioned weird noises, its a heady brew. Regrettably the second half of the film deals more with the police on our titular villains tail and is taken up with a lengthy and fairly uninteresting chase scene, only enlivened by some fun tilted angles. Peter Spelson does a good job on the whole as the star, with a sub community theatre performance that ends up surprisingly convincing as a man with fried synapses. Sadly it isn't a very well written part, we learn nothing except that he is a sleazy loser grouch who cheats on his wife. One of the least sympathetic of psychic powered killers in cinema and I've seen a fair few, what's more I'm naturally disposed to like them. Of the rest of the cast Chris Carbis sports an Irish accent as the chief of police (don't really know why this stuck out for me), other roles seem to all be filled by locals of varying, mostly low level talents. They convince well enough though, this isn't a film that needed Olivier or anyone like that. On the whole I was well engaged by about half of this one and loosely for the rest. It isn't something I'd recommend to anyone other than weirdness connoisseurs (it being the film that led Michael Weldon to adopt the term psychotronic as a descriptor of cinematic style), but to those who have to see it (you know who you are) it should provide some pleasure. 6/10.

P.S. Peter Spelson's only other acting role was in the bonkers supernatural slasher gem Blood Beat. That one is an essential for weirdness fans, perhaps best watched in a double bill.