Customer Reviews

The Sadist

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Sadist" is a pretty interesting film for a couple of reasons. 1.) For the time in which this film was made(1963) it must have been considered shocking or controversial. The subject matter is basically a group of 3 school teachers running into a psychopathic killer and his girlfriend. The movie is basically the killer terrorizing the 3, more mentally and emotionally than physically.
2.) Arch Hall Jr. really gives a convincing performance as Charles Tibbs, the killer. Many reviews I have read state that the acting is what kills this movie. I disagree. I think that Hall is just creepy, annoying and scary enough to make the viewer belive he is a Sadist.
3.) The ending. There is nothing pretty about it.

This movie is well worth the purchase, since it is available on Amazon at such a cheap price. Lots of tension and anxiety build-up and form an all-around decent picture. The direction of the film is also very well done.

ENJOY!
One more thing. The school teachers are on their way to a baseball game. I found it interesting that the two men are wearing short-sleeve dress shirts, complete with ties and the lady is wearing a church dress. Nowadays people don't even dress like that at many weddings.

The Sadist has been well reviewed by other people, and to add my two cents, I'd consider this Archie Hall's finest performance by far. He should of played a deranged psycho more often. I just want to add that the "Alpha" version of this flick was surprisingly good. There's really nothing wrong with it. It may not be pristine like some other overpriced releases, but this is one the best bargains you'll find. Totally watchable, and affordable.

You may have seen Arch Hall Jr. in the cult classic EEGAH! (1962). This is another cult classic film, The Sadist (1963) also stars Arch Hall Jr. and Marilyn Manning plays the part of "Judy". Richard Alden, Don Russel and Helen Hovey (her first film) have traveled from Lancaster, California and are now stuck in a desert town off the highway (This was before they built the Antelope Valley Freeway in 1977). They need to be at Dodger's Stadium for the baseball game, but the car needs a new fuel pump. They have 40 more miles to go. No one seems to be around at this garage. So they abide their time with a Coca-Cola. They decide to fix the car themselves and the older gentleman discovers in the house the food on the table is still warm. Nobody else is around, until suddenly The Sadist (Arch Hall Jr) makes his appearance known, and with a gun. He continues to terrorize them.
Really excellent black & white mood film. Disturbing to watch. If this film isn't your cup of tea, Arch Hall Jr and Marilyn Manning are a gentleman and a lady in Eegah(1962) (Arch even sings beach music in EEGAH!) Once you have seen Arch Hall Jr and Marilyn Manning in EEGAH! and then you see The Sadist (1963), you will really see how versitile these actors are.Wild Guitar (1962), The Nasty Rabbit (1964) and Deadwood '76 (1965) are also available on DVD.

These are the words of a sadist. This Story is actually based on the true crime spree of Charlie Starkweather. If ever a film has shocked me this is the one. Just when you thought is he really going to do that? He does! There is no other film quite like "The SADIST"! I highly recommend this very violent cult classic! I also recommend The Thrill Killers & The Hitch-Hiker.

"The Sadist" is a relentlessly disturbing film. Released in 1963, it had to be absolutely shocking then. Arch Hall jr. plays serial killer Charlie Tibbs. He and his mostly silent, equally psychotic girlfriend Judy have been traveling the countryside, murdering whoever is unlucky enough to cross their path. Three teachers (on their way to a baseball game) are stranded in a salvage yard when their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. Everything's fine until Tibbs and company enter the scene. From that point on the story spirals out of control! There are many violent parts, many unexpected twists. Very realistic, considering the year it came out and who made it. The director (James Landis) specialized in dorky, teenybopper movies. He definitely left that genre behind with this flick! Arch Hall jr. is a sadistic super-creep. I found myself wanting to knock him in the head! He is unpredictable, crazy, and therefore terrifying. You never know who's going to be executed next. There is a growing sense of dread, desperation, and terror. This is a horror movie. Charlie Tibbs is like so many gruesome headlines today. "The Sadist" holds up well. I was amazed by it's frankness and unflinching portrayal of evil on the loose. Yes, there is a hero, but you're not sure who it will be. I highly recommend this movie...

The first time I saw Arch Hall Jr. was in the infamous EEGAH which my wife and I enjoyed as a B movie flick with a lot of chuckles. As soon as the movie was over I immediately began to search for more movies that featured Arch with the hopes of the same type of entertainment. We found The Sadist on the rental shelves and watched in total shock as Arch Hall delivered a brilliant and totally convincing performance as an evil and heartless bully terrorizing your everyday normal people. Arch did a great job acting in this flick and should be given his dues. It's a shame that someone didn't notice his talent in this type role and cast him in something similar later in his career.

The sadist realy surpriced me when I saw itm, kinda like how Night of the living dead surpriced me when I first saw it. Both films are well made even if the have a realy low budget and both don't stick to movie formulas and cliches. Only thing wrong with it is the crappy tag line: Before there was Jason, before there was Freddy there was the Sadist, pretty lame and the other thing is a very B-movie prologue. Other than that I give this flick a full house.

This movie caught me by surprise and is an unsung classic. The direction and camera work are first class and Arch Hall JR is a unique talent. This awesome DVD is available directly from the distributor at www.alldayentertainment.com for $19.99. Don't settle for the public domain version! Run, do not walk, to your nearest computer and order it!

...to call this a cult film. That label suggests we ought to lower the bar a little bit when we're reviewing it, or that only certain eccentric personality types might find it impressive. Far from it. Although Hall's first appearance might prompt some smirks, once you get into the rhythm of his performance it's extremely effective. This may be the most feral screen villain since Nosferatu. But despite that initial impression, he's not a complete idiot. One of the coolest things about this intelligent script is how Hall's psychopath is able to see through some of the schemes that these school teachers think they can pull on him. This is an adventurous, innovative film. The basic formula of modern slasher films can be seen here, years before movies like TCM and Halloween. It is as effective as modern horror films like Funny Games in holding out a little bit of hope...tantalizing the viewer with it...and then snatching it away. In terms of execution -- the cinematography is outstanding, the pacing very good, and the performances uniformly convincing. Low budget films ought to betray their roots somewhere, but I have a hard time seeing the seams and glue in this one. Good movie!

This obscure 1963 production will come as a surprise to even the most informed film scholar. The plot is simple: After they stop to have their car repaired at a roadside gas station, three teachers are terrorized and tortured by an escaped homicidal maniac (Arch Hall, Jr.). Even after all these years of films with similar themes, THE SADIST remains a powerful viewing experience, thanks to strong performances by a cast of relative unknowns, taut direction by James Landis, and sharp cinematography by Vilmos "William" Zsigmond (THE DEER HUNTER). The fact that the film drags a little toward the end doesn't diminish the overall impact of this riveting thriller.