Customer Reviews

The Sender

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

 

 

It is criminal that many smaller films are so vastly overlooked in the genre, when they display so much creativity and individuality. THE SENDER is one of these films. Its extra-sensory plotting expands on the basic premise of PATRICK while juxtaposing dreams and reality in the same ways that A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET and BAD DREAMS would in the years to follow. A telekinetic teen is admitted to a psychiatric hospital after a failed suicide attempt, where his unbridled powers are unleashed upon the medical staff as they try to contain his violent psychic eruptions. John Doe transposes his nightmares on anyone within a close proximity, but director Roger Christian introduces this concept through slow and subtle shifts in the victims' perception of reality, making it impossible to tell when (or if) these nightmares have set in. The level of tension is increased by the fact that John's powers are never given any boundaries, making it uncertain whether his mind can cause the same external damage as his genre brethren Carrie White or Charlie McGee. This is best demonstrated on screen in the brilliantly filmed electro-shock therapy session, where the jolts of electricity cause explosions of psychic energy that are able to throw the doctors across the room, while also driving the other patients mad with visions of death and destruction. Zeljko Ivanek portrays The Sender as a sad and lost character, a boy trapped in a man's body whose oppressive mother has tortured his entire being. It is a very down film, with no lighter moments of comedy or romance to break up the depressing tone. THE SENDER continues to remain undiscovered by many Horror fans, but this undermentioned 80s gem is sure to find a much larger audience now that it is finally available on DVD.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

Released in 1982, this film features effective performances and does a good job with creating creepy imagery. The story centers around a young man (Zeljko Ivanek) who becomes commited to a state run mental institution in order to cure his amnesia. Kathryn Harrold is the doctor who attempts to aid him. The catch is he can project his dreams to the concious world. Reality and dream reality run amok for Harrold in her quest to cure the young man. If you like intelligent thrillers, this is a movie to be viewed. Horror fans take note: this film does feature some gore, a prerequisite beheading, and enough chills to deliver the goods.

One of my favorite movies!! I have the VHS version of this haunting movie. From time to time I would check to see if it would release on DVD, but all I pulled up was a similar named movie: "The Sender"...which is a science fiction action thriller with a vague plot idea..But now here it is,.. The origional and best - The Sender!...This is about a young man that at the very start, is attemting suicide...Is he psychotic or is somthing else going on in his tortured brain? You see, he has the psychic ablity to "Send" or transfer his Dreams or nightmares to others, and this always takes a toll on him physically and mentally...A scene, when he is in a Psychiatric ward, he is subjected to Shock Treatment in a scene that will shock you too,.. and not soon forgotten, and remember this was relesed before C.G.I. dominated our movie viewing. The stereo sound track is fantastic...in the VHS version it almost blots out some of the dialouge...But this release got a beautiful transfer in sound and image. This movie uses strong imagery, atmosphere and mood,..instead of " 1980's type of Gore"...but dont be fooled this one will stay with you long after you see it..I guarantee..youll press "The Reply Button" after your first view this wounderfull movie experience!

It's unusual that THE SENDER (1982) isn't more highly regarded by fans of paranormal films. It's a very well-done story with several memorable characters (a couple of the psych ward patients rival the quirkiest found in ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST, for example).

SYNOPSIS--
"John Doe #83" (Zeljko Ivanek) is brought to a psychiatric hospital in a state of catatonic amnesia after a suicide attempt (he tried drowning in a public lake by wearing a school "letter" jacket weighted down with rocks). Dr. Gail Farmer (Kathryn Harrold) is assigned the case. Soon after "making contact" with the powerfully telepathic Doe she begins to experience jarring hallucinations, such as a medical fridge that's alive with giant bugs.

Gail's superior, Dr. Denman (Paul Freeman) wants to give Doe shock treatments but she resists the idea. When more people are affected by "the Sender's" bizarre mental projections, Denman does send him to the shock therapy room. As voltage is applied to his temples however, Doe screams in agony and all in attendance fly through the air like so many leaves in a stiff breeze. Gail rushes in and ends the electro shock. Everything returns to normal (windows unshatter etc.), but those who were tossed around remember what's happened to them.

Gail first hears from and then is visited by Jerolyn (Shirley Knight), the Sender's mother, who warns the psychiatrist that as long as she interacts with Doe she's in grave danger. Gail dismisses these admonitions as jealousy, even as Dr. Denman is convinced that his assistant feels herself to be John Doe's surrogate mom.

TV newscasts ask for viewer help in identifying Doe, or his mother or where they live (an interesting paranormal event here with the ward's TV set). Eventually, a small cabin is located and inside it is Jerolyn's corpse. She died from gas stove asphyxiation five day earlier-- BEFORE this strange patient arrived at Gail's hospital. Gail must somehow prove to Doe that he can't possibly be seeing his dead mother....


This well-told story will hold your interest to its very end, which seems more an eerie continuation than a resolution. Recommended.

Throw away that old VHS Version of this Now "CULT MOVIE"..it is now available on DVD..This long forgotten movie relies deeply on mood and great visuals, and wounderful new stereo sound...It is about a young man that can project his dreams (Nightmares) on others. What a wounderful revenge movie! You will like this one,..from the 80's.

This film is original, very creative, and absorbing. It has a very well done surreal creepy atmosphere. It's one of those movies that pulls you in and keeps you there, and the ending has a nice twist too.
What a treat to see this finally out on dvd!
If you like the best of the eighties films, don't miss this one.

Director Roger Christian's film is more supernatural than horror, with Zeljko Ivanek as an amnesiac attempted suicide who is brought to a Georgian state mental asylm and assigned Kathyn Harrold as his doctor. That Harrold's name is Farmer and resists the standard procedure of giving shock treatment to suicidal patients so as to destroy memory, may be writer Thomas Baum's tribute to Frances Farmer. Baum's screenplay features witticisms. A nurse calls Ivanek "fish" referring to his drowning attempt, Harrold tells Ivanel him thinking he is the messiah will be a problem because they already have one in the "elopement ward", and when Ivanek meets him the messiah spits on the ground in front of Ivanek and says "Walk on that". Soon however Harrold begins having visions of Ivanek, which allows for the contextually funny remark "He's driving you crazy", and we learn that he is a "sender" ie one who communcates via telepathy, using the skill it is said infants under 7 months have to mentally communicate with their mother. Ivanek experiences his telepathy as nightmares and these are seen as reality by whoever he sends to. At first it is only Harrold but soon others at the asylum get it too. The nadir of this is when Ivanek is given shock treatment where the attending professionals are shocked as well, and when Harrold rings to report that Ivanek is having a "nightmare", the answering nurse scores a laugh with "Tell me about it" and we see the staff trying to cope with anguished patients. Christian's skill with pace and atmosphere redeems the excesses of the nightmare visions - rats, blood, broken glass, cockroaches, fire - though occasionally the division between what is real and what is only imagined is unclear, and sometimes the music score by Trevor Jones is too much. However it's great to see Harrold in a rare leading role, I liked the staging of Ivanek's opening suicide attempt, the way a policeman places a necklace in her hand after her claim that it was taken from her is proven to be false, Shirley Knight as Ivanek's mother makes several enigmatic appearances, and Christian supplies a suitably spooky and unresolved ending.

Why on earth would a clean cut young man in a letterman jacket want to try and drown himself? Maybe he'd tell you if he could remember, but for now that question in addition to others remain unanswered after his admittance into a state mental hospital. Our tortured soul, momentarily named "John Doe #83", blends in well with the other resident kooks (including a self-proclaimed messiah and a Vietnam vet thinking the war isn't over) at first, until his doctor starts seeing strange visuals that lead back to her new amnestic patient. Is John telepathically sending his dreams to Dr. Farmer, thus creating nightmares in her reality? One thing's for certain: electric shock therapy is not the route to take in his recovery... Said visuals intensify brilliantly as the film progresses. The maintaining of a serious tone, a well thought out subplot and a brisk pace sends this often unknown and unseen horror thriller to above average results. And for the record, I'm going to be leery of vehicles with license plates reading "LUKE-131" from now on. 7.75/10