Schizoid (1980)

Title: Schizoid

Release Date: September 1980

Tagline: "There's no cure for what this maniac has in mind..."

Schizoid (also known as Murder by Mail) is a 1980 horror film directed and written by David Paulsen.

Julie is an advice columnist for the city newspaper who begins to receive anonymous notes threatening murder and worse. At about the same time, female members of the group therapy session she attends are being stabbed, one by one, by an unknown assailant. Is there a connection? If so, why do the notes talk about murder with a gun, while the murder victims are being stabbed? At first, the police, her ex-husband, her therapist and her friends all assure her that the notes are probably unrelated, and hoax; but with time, it becomes apparent that someone close to her is responsible. Is it her therapist, Pieter, who has sex with his patients just before they are murdered? Or Pieter's daughter, who resents Julie for Julie's romantic involvement with Pieter? Is it Julie's ex-husband, who never really wanted their divorce? Or maybe Gilbert, the eccentric building maintenance man whom many people believe is a little crazy anyway? Just about everyone around her seems mentally disturbed enough ... Written by Brian C. Madsen 

Plot
Julie (Marianna Hill) is an advice columnist for the city newspaper who begins to receive anonymous notes threatening murder and worse. At about the same time, female members of the group therapy session she attends are being stabbed, one by one, by an unknown assailant. Is there a connection? If so, why do the notes talk about murder with a gun, while the murder victims are being stabbed? At first, the police, her ex-husband, her therapist and her friends all assure her that the notes are probably unrelated, and hoax; but with time, it becomes apparent that someone close to her is responsible. Is it her therapist, Pieter (Klaus Kinski), who has sex with his patients just before they are murdered? Or Pieter's daughter (Donna Wilkes), who resents Julie for Julie's romantic involvement with Pieter? Is it Julie's ex-husband (Craig Wasson), who never really wanted their divorce? Or maybe Gilbert (Christopher Lloyd), the eccentric building maintenance man?

Review
"Schizoid" is a fair early-80's slasher flick that suffers from a distinct lack of personality. It boasts a somewhat name, B-list cast, and derivative yet effective stalking scenes. Writer-director David Paulsen tries, in vain, to make everyone a suspect, but you eventually stop caring because of the clumsy script contrivances he expects us to swallow. But there's nothing here you haven't seen before, except maybe Klaus Kinski, wildly miscast but still highly entertaining as a marriage counselor who carries on affairs with his patients! I'm not ashamed to admit he kept me watching the whole way through. 2.5 stars out of 5.

10 January 2003 | by Jonny_Numb (Hellfudge, Pennsylvania) –

Credits

 * Klaus Kinski as Pieter Fales
 * Marianna Hill as Julie
 * Craig Wasson as Doug
 * Donna Wilkes as Alison Fales
 * Christopher Lloyd as Gilbert
 * Richard Herd as Donahue
 * Joe Regalbuto as Jake
 * Flo Gerrish as Pat
 * Kiva Lawrence as Rosemary