3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Whole new level of BORING!!!!!!!!!!!, July 29, 2004
This review is from: Psychic [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I've seen some bad flicks in my day, The Embalmer, Children of the Living Dead and the Haunting of Morella abruptly come to mind, but the Psychic may just take the cake. This is one of those movies that tries to please fans of many different genres: horror, drama, romance, mystery. Unfortunatly it fails miserably at even being the least bit entertaining in any of the catagorys. I find nothing scary about some idiot who runs around in gay looking sunglasses and kills strippers. It's also really no secret that the idiot in sunglasses is the killer. The romance part just seems like filler they put in cause the movie wasn't long enough. Worst of all though is the drama part just because it makes the movie take itself very seriously making it that much more boring. The whole movie is based on the principle that maybe if we suck at a bunch of things people won't notice we suck at all. Unfortunatly that is the dumbest principle in the world and anyone with an IQ of 70 or higher will notice right away. This is good for one thing though, you'll save hundreds of dollars on sleep pills if you buy this. Not even worth the 50 cent rental fee.
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Death lives in the shadows of your mind, October 9, 2001
This review is from: Psychic [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Director George Mihalkas supernatural thriller never lives up to the expectation of his cover art. Instead sluggish pacing, B-movie acting, and a preposterous plot sinks it.
Zach Galligan is a college student who has Eyes of Laura Mars visions of Michael Nouri in sunglasses as a serial killer, who strangles with an animal-imprinted belt. Galligan is also romantically interested in his Psychology lecturer Catherine Mary Stewart, who he learns is dating Nouri, a fellow Psychology Professor and "authority on abnormal" behavior and who has written a book called Rage and Redemption.
The screenplay by Miguel Tejada-Flores and Paul Koval, based on an original story by Mark McQuade Crawford and William Crawford, doesnt use Galligans psychic ability. Even when he goes to the police he cant even tell them the location of the crime which is obvious from the way Mihalka presents the vision. Instead we get sidetracked in the tiresome romance, with the only tension created in the last 10 minutes, with Stewart isolated with Nouri. The only original touch is Galligans vision of Stewart reading Crime and Punishment, as a ruse to give them common interests. Otherwise the implausibilities include Galligan dismissing a tattooist as a medium who "transfers", the police calling in Nouri to give Galligan a psychological evaluation after Galligan is arrested for breaking into Nouris apartment!, a snow plough that refuses to stop to avoid hitting a parked car, and the cliched representation of slacker college students who have more interest in "bagging a babe" than studying. One doubts the morals of Stewarts character, since she so easily has sex with Galligan, when she is also dating Nouri - she uses this defence in her initial rebuff of Galligan.
Mihalkas presentation of Galligans visions include a subjective stalking camera with slow motion action, strobe lighting, and the victim reflected in Nouris sunglasses, but another victim looks inexplicably into the camera at presumably Galligan and us. Things arent helped by the blustering music score by Milan Kymlicka, the interior of Nouris apartment featuring animal heads on the wall, and a stalled car at the climax. The contribution of the snow plough in the climax is also highly questionable.
That an actor like Nouri can steal the acting honours from Galligan and Stewart is no complement to them, though Nouris comparative small amount of dialogue helps. Galligan seems too old and Stewart too young for their college positions, and both have limited B-movie mannerisms, with Galligan all throaty voice for boyish sensuality, and Stewart big eyes a la deer caught in the headlights. One even comes to resent the denouement, where the killer is disposed of and the evidence against him is flimsy.
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1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Zach Galligan in Psychic, February 2, 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Psychic [VHS] (VHS Tape)
PSYCHIC it's an excellent movie. I like it very much. Gremlins star Zach Galligan it's a psychic in this movie... and it's the only one that can save his girlfriend from a serial killer. Galligan's acting it's excellent!! And the movie it's a blast!!
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