Many reviewers write here about how the professor is smitten with the female role of this film. Well, I suggest we all have another look, and realize that the professor is actually madly in love with Ted, her fiancée. This very clever B film is all about possessive manipulation and unrequited lust... and the thief of hearts is a metaphor for the clearly gay professor lusting after enthusiastic cute blond Ted. It is indeed fortunate that the woman instead loves Eric the piano player, and all this allows the professor to repeatedly use and abuse every character in the film for his own ends... mainly which involve manipulating Ted for his own grisly needs. It is quite and evil premise and well carried out, and as a gay theme of use and abuse it is one of the most definite explicit examples of Hollywood's demonising of a cultured gay character. See the film again and realize the real evil of the film is Hollywood once again telling a straight audience how horrible gay men are and how nice bland people can be used. The film is quite creepy and well worth a look.
Review of The Mad Ghoul
