The Psychic (1977)
aka Murder to the Tune of the Seven Black Notes
aka Seven Notes in Black
Director: Lucio Fulci
Cast: Jennifer O’Neil, Gabriele Ferzetti, Marc Porel, Gianni Garko
Severin Films / Colour / 1.85:1 / 16×9 / 97 mins / Not Rated / Reg 0 (ALL) (NTSC) / English Dolby Digital Mono / Purchase: Severin Films
One day after dropping her new husband Francesco off at the airport, Virginia is overcome by visions of a murder while driving. The vision is of an old woman being buried in a wall of a home after she is killed. She doesn’t think much of it until the arrives at her husband’s villa which she plans to redecorate as a surprise while he is gone. When she arrives and looks around she begins to see objects in one of the rooms that was in her vision.
She quickly begins digging in the wall where her vision showed the body was buried and discovers the skeletal remains of a body. But according to the police, it is not of an old woman, but a young model that disappeared some years ago. With nothing really to go on, detectives arrest Francesco because it is his house and he has no alibi for the time period of the murder. With the help of her psychiatrist friend she tries to unravel the mystery and clear the name of her husband. Are her abilities nothing but a huge coincidence or is she even more powerful than she knows?
Before unleashing his gore soaked horror of the early 1980s (Zombi 2 aka Zombie, City of the Living Dead, House By the Cemetery, The Beyond, New York Ripper) writer/director/Euro-Italian film icon, Lucio Fulci gave us this murder mystery/giallo now released for the first time uncut in the U.S. by Severin Films. It’s stocked with Fulci’s trademark camera work and atmosphere. The lighting and soft focus he is known for gives this “whodunit” the style and look that makes most Euro-horror fans cream their panties. The twists and turns will keep you guessing and the surprise ending will keep giallo fans w00ting with glee.
If you are expecting loads of blood and gore, The Psychic will disappoint. The opening shots of Virginia’s mother falling down a cliff and hitting the jagged rocks is really the only graphic scene in the whole run time. There is a little blood in the aftermath of the murders, but that’s it. There is also a lack of nudity or sex. Not one boob makes an appearance. That’s disappointing because Jennifer O’Neil is quite fetching. If you have a short attention span or are easily bored by an actual story and plot, skip this one.
If you’re looking for a good Agatha Christie-style suspenseful mystery that could easily be a made-for-TV movie, give this a try. One thing I don’t understand about the previous release of this is that it was cut for American consumption. What was cut? Like I said, there is very little (if anything nowadays) that would even need to be edited for television. Anyway, mystery fans, giallo hounds and Fulci completists be sure to add this one to your collection.
Another one I need to check out.
Great review.
Greg
This has been hovering around the top of my shopping list for ages now. John Morghen told me it was the only Fucli film that he’d seen I actually get hold of a copy.
Instead I bought the sister release (The Eroticist-severin) and that is one delightful comedy. It is full of fun and anger at the same time.
I won’t comment on the psychic itself until I get hold of a copy. Thanks for a great write up.
Those incidentally who are seeking out Fulci gore would miss out on the delightful Perversion Story and so much else besides. Though cat in the brain as a gore showcase remains one of my favourite films, though I cannot put my finger on the reason why