The Clairvoyant (1982)

Director:

Armand Mastroianni

Writers:

Armand Mastroianni (writer)
B. Jonathan Ringkamp (writer)

Release Date:

24 October 1982 (France)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Beyond the five senses lies a sixth. To possess it is to see the unseen. If she sees you...you're dead.

Plot:

Two uneasy friends, a police officer and a TV talk show host, each pursue the mysterious "handcuff killer" with the aid of an artist who sees - and draws - the killer's crimes before they're committed.

Plot Keywords:

Artist | Handcuffs | Serial Killer | Suffocation | Comedy Club

Cast

Perry King	...	Paul 'Mac' McCormack
Norman Parker	...	Larry Weeks
Elizabeth Kemp	...	Virna Nightbourne
Kenneth McMillan	...	Cullum
Jon Polito	...	Sporaco
Joe Morton	...	Rich
Antone Pagan	...	Willie Gonzales
Barbara Quinn	...	Muriel
Thomas DeCarlo	...	Teddy Gallagher
Lou Bedford	...	Werner Armstrong
Tom Stechschulte	...	Jim Deardon
Louisa Flaningam	...	Leanna
Olivia Negron	...	Betty Mercer
Steve Beauchamp	...	Harvey Dean
Helena Carroll	...	Bag Lady

Also Known As:

The Killing Hour (USA) (video title)
The Killing Kind (USA) (video title)
American Killing (West Germany) [de]
L'ora che uccide (Italy) [it]
Un tueur dans la ville (France) [fr]
Zeit der Geier (West Germany) [de]

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | France:-12 | USA:R | Australia:R

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Hour

Trivia:

Dennis Wolfberg's first filmed acting performance.

Kill an hour by doing something else!

Since this film is a thriller directed by someone with an Italian sounding name, I was expecting something like an American version of Italy's finest export - the Giallo. The film certainly has elements that resemble the Giallo, but it constantly falls down as everything in the film is just so DULL. The plot opens with the discovery of a dead body making its way down the Hudson River. We than follow the investigation into the crimes, which is a joint venture between a police detective and a TV talk show host. The story also gets an extra element of mystery through Virna Nightbourne; a clairvoyant who draws the crimes before they happen. Obviously the idea of someone being able to draw crimes before they happen is more than a little bit preposterous, but to be honest I could live with that if the resulting film was entertaining. However, the film is not entertaining; we've got a couple of decent murder scenes, and that really is the only point of interest. The way that the film plays out is far too serious given the silliness of it, and by the time it ended I was thoroughly bored! Not recommended.