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CRAZED (1982)
aka BLOOD SHED
Directed by Richard Cassidy
Trans World Entertainment VHS
Reviewed 02.09.06
Review by Joseph A. Ziemba
THE FILM
This is an official warning. Stay
away from boarding houses. Don't
live in them, don't visit them,
and most importantly, never fraternize
with their residents. You just never
know.
From Carnival Of Souls
to Mongrel,
the thrifty horror film has always
made good use of dilapidated rooming
houses. Makes sense. The shadowy
crevices, the temporary status...a
sinister mind reels with possibilities.
In 1982, the short-lived career
of writer-director Richard Cassidy
shot off with a cannon. Crazed
slowly attacks your personal space
and doesn't let go 'til the end
credits roll. This is a consuming
account of sadness, violence, and
disturbing themes. Never has a boarding
house seemed so woefully rotten.
And no, Boarding
House doesn't count.
Karen suffers from diabetic seizures
and a case of the dumps. Leaving
boyfriend Rodney on good terms,
she makes her way to Los Angeles,
with plans of enrolling in a creative
writing course. After visiting a
couple of fleabag hostels, Karen
settles on a room at old Mrs. Brewer's
place. Mrs. Brewer has metal legs;
stair climbing is out of the question.
The delightful old fogie hasn't
been upstairs in twenty years. Too
bad. That's where Grahame, ex-G.I.
and star tenant ("He's like
a son to me...") has staked
his claim. Grahame has the top floor
souped up to fit his needs. Two-way
mirrors. Secret passageways. Karen
fits right in, fueling Grahame's
voyeuristic tendencies with sex,
drugs, and even a little rock 'n'
roll. As an individual, we learn
that Grahame is absolutely fucked.
Only it's not his fault. His Daddy
was disturbed. Naturally, Grahame
is in love with Karen. Unnaturally,
he's going to make sure it stays
that way.
Within the framework of low budget
horror-thrillers, Crazed
is two credits short of a sicko
triumph. Get past the TV movie soundtrack,
rubber knife, and agitated, but
highly entertaining college professor.
Once you do, there's no looking
back. The film builds its tension
from psycho-sexual emotional scars
and the effects they can have on
a garden variety lunatic. As Grahame's
mumbling, day-to-day activities
become increasingly difficult (Catholic
angst! Prostitutes! Other stuff
that's too terrible to mention!),
the film's sad 'n' sick plot points
laterally escalate. The dirty, old
Los Angeles locations and exceptional
acting chops are both perfect compliments
for the subject matter. Before you
know it, you're completely involved,
whether you like it or not. That's
a good sign.
Crazed could've been a
trashy joke. Instead, it's a downbeat
case study that builds slowly, rarely
deviates, and dishes out an excess
of perversion. Boarding houses.
Beware.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Trans World, a hi-fiver to you.
This tape is a couple of grades
younger than me and it still looks
fantastic. The print is bright,
filled with pleasant contrast, and
pretty much spotless. Crazed
was reissued many times throughout
the 1980s, under the titles Blood
Shed and Slipping Into
Darkness. Trans World was the
first and they did it in style.
I've never seen another case like
this one; plastic and gigantic.
EXTRAS
Check the classifieds.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Crazed is a very effective
dollop of dirty secrets and alarming
events. You won't know what hit
you. The film continues to lapse
into deep obscurity as the years
go on, so if you find a copy, pounce
on it. |
Karen the snoop
Grahame Vs. Grahame
This means you
College sucks
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