"The Sadist" was very scary - it was the role of Arch Hall Jnr.'s career. This role was such a departure for him and he proved he could really act.
The big difference that made this film stand out from his other films was having Vilmos Zsigmond as the cinematographer. He created a very claustrophobic and chilling film from the deserted junk yard.
Apart from Richard Alden - none of the other cast members had a huge career. Helen Hovey should have though. She was beautiful and apart from Arch Hall Jnr's mesmerizing Charlie, she was definitely a better performer than anyone else in the cast. She went from prudish school teacher to a woman determined to escape in a very effortless display of acting. Why didn't she make more films??? I have read that she was Arch Hall Jnr's cousin so maybe she was just helping out with the film.
The film starts deceptively simple. Three teachers pull into a garage with car trouble on their way to a baseball game. They find the garage eerily deserted so they decide to fix the car themselves. Suddenly they are confronted by the cretinous Charlie and Judy. The murderous pair have been responsible for a string of murders in Arizona and have killed the garage's owner and wife and are hiding out among the junked cars. From the moment they enter the suspense is high.
The older teacher (Richard Alden) is killed, thankfully disposing early of the most irritating character in the film. He talked and moralized non stop. Then there starts a game of cat and mouse as the two remaining teachers fight for their lives.
Arch Hall Jnr is excellent in his role (he apparently modelled his performance on Richard Widmark's role in "Kiss of Death"). Judy is played by Marilyn Manning, who also appeared with Hall in "Eegah!".
The ending with Doris (Helen Hovey) running over the hills and through the deserted stone house as she flees from Hall is extremely thrilling.
The big difference that made this film stand out from his other films was having Vilmos Zsigmond as the cinematographer. He created a very claustrophobic and chilling film from the deserted junk yard.
Apart from Richard Alden - none of the other cast members had a huge career. Helen Hovey should have though. She was beautiful and apart from Arch Hall Jnr's mesmerizing Charlie, she was definitely a better performer than anyone else in the cast. She went from prudish school teacher to a woman determined to escape in a very effortless display of acting. Why didn't she make more films??? I have read that she was Arch Hall Jnr's cousin so maybe she was just helping out with the film.
The film starts deceptively simple. Three teachers pull into a garage with car trouble on their way to a baseball game. They find the garage eerily deserted so they decide to fix the car themselves. Suddenly they are confronted by the cretinous Charlie and Judy. The murderous pair have been responsible for a string of murders in Arizona and have killed the garage's owner and wife and are hiding out among the junked cars. From the moment they enter the suspense is high.
The older teacher (Richard Alden) is killed, thankfully disposing early of the most irritating character in the film. He talked and moralized non stop. Then there starts a game of cat and mouse as the two remaining teachers fight for their lives.
Arch Hall Jnr is excellent in his role (he apparently modelled his performance on Richard Widmark's role in "Kiss of Death"). Judy is played by Marilyn Manning, who also appeared with Hall in "Eegah!".
The ending with Doris (Helen Hovey) running over the hills and through the deserted stone house as she flees from Hall is extremely thrilling.