Reality shaped through the looking glass. Ahead of it's time - Shocking and Derranged. Fear feeds the Obssession and Craving for Fear. Only the inocent pure can offer a glimpse of inner peace. There is no turning back for that which is meant to be. Faces and Incarnations of a time so distant. There is no greater acting, than the reality of a fading life itself.
An excellent British film examining voyeurism and obsession. An unsettling character study into the mind of an troubled maniac. The movie follows a psychotic serial killer cameraman who likes to film his victims while carrying out the crime. He tries to evade being caught by the police while at same time striking a relationship with a young woman who lives in his building. The movie presents his childhood background and delves into why he turned out this way. Creepy and disturbing.
Unsettling classic horror film is disturbing study of a serial killer who is compelled to film his victims. So reviled upon its release in 1960, it essentially ended director Michael Powell's career. Even today, the movie's attempt to understand, even sympathize, with a sociopath still resonates shock. Creepy.
Here is another film that I firmly believe people regard as a classic simply because... people regard it as a classic. I've seen it three times over the course of the last nine years, and I've never quite "gotten" it. Sure, the idea is a compelling one, and Karlheinz Boehm gives a fine, sympathetic performance. But the whole thing has a kind of cheesy, melodramatic tone that (for me) robs it of any effectiveness it might have had.
Maybe I'm just missing something, who knows? But in the meantime I'll stick to "lesser" serial killer films like MANIAC and HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER. Thanks.
Great quality movie about a man named Mark Lewis who kills women to film the look of fear on their faces. May seem outdated but since Karlheinz Bohm was hot, it's worth watching and re-watching.
A film cameraman, Mark Lewis (Karl Boehm), displays psychotic tendencies as he murders women with a spiked tripod attached to the bottom of his camera, capturing on celluloid their final screams of agony. It is revealed that when he was a child, Mark was used as a guinea pig by his father (Michael Powell) in a series of psychoanalytical experiments about the symptoms of fear. Among other things, Mark's delightful dad would wake him throughout the night and shine lights in his eyes, drop lizards into his bed, and on one occasion even forced him to pose for photographs next to the dead body of his mother. As a result, Mark has an unhealthy obsession with fear and, in particular, the expression that people have on their face during moments of fear.
Peeping Tom is one of the few films that still has the power to shock all these years on. Psycho, released roughly at the same time, is still a great film but its shock value has been diminished by years of repeat viewings and increasing permissiveness in the cinema. But Peeping Tom is an altogether more disturbing piece of work. Boehm is excellent as the killer whose entire outlook has been skewed by his father's experiments. Also impressive is Anna Massey as the killer's fragile and unsuspecting fiancée. Powell directs the film brilliantly, using bold and dazzling colors to disguise the horrific atrocities that punctuate his film. It is understandable that the film was met with revulsion and rejection at that time, but in retrospect it is a film of real importance and power. In a 21st century world bombarded and desensitised by harrowing images on the news and in the movies, the theme of losing one's grasp on what is and isn't morally acceptable is more pertinent than ever. This is not easy viewing, but it IS essential viewing.
Notorious for ruining the career of director Michael Powell, Peeping Tom is incredible. What in the world were they thinking. This film is magnificent. The script is tighter than a mosquitos asshole, the sets and lighting are awe inspiring and the acting is top notch! Its disturbing yet beautiful. 1960 was a damn good year for film, this and Psycho.
Amazing film from Michael Powell that, unfortunately, ruined his career. Though dated, this masterpiece of atmosphere still captures your attention from the very first frame and doesn't let go. A perfect blend of satire, thriller and tragedy.
A shy but demented cameraman is obsessed with the idea of documenting fear, and takes it upon himself to gather the footage he needs. This pic is as much an intense character study as a stylish thriller; it was Powell's audacity in forcing the audience to understand and even sympathize with the killer, rather than the perverse depiction of voyeurism, that destroyed the director's career.
Although very overrated, Peeping Tom is still a pretty good horror/thriller. The plot is very good, but I think that it could have gone a little further to make it more interesting.
This was really creepy. a '60's movie that probably made some heads turn when it came out. I keep seein it as a british psycho but it stands out all on its own. The lead performance was so convincing that if it wasn't a movie I would seriously walk the other direction from him. Just unsettling.
Michael Powell's much-maligned masterpiece only received the recognition it truly deserved in more recent years. An extremely fascinating and often shocking piece of cinema.
This film made me wish I was still a at university - writing essays on film and psychoanalysis - as there's plenty here for a film student to sink their teeth into. I wouldn't say I enjoyed this movie - but it certainly made for interesting viewing. Peeping Tom is expertly made and, unlike many of the pretentious art-house movies of the sixties, it feels chillingly real - the dialogue and characters are all considered and well-written. Karlheinz Bohm's portrayal of Mark is fantastic - he draws out your sympathy even as he tortures and kills his victims.
A classic in every respect and so far ahead of it's time it's scary. This and Freaks I tend to put in the same category (great films that ruined the director's careers). The voyeurism /murder theme and the storytelling itself are just excellent. This is one of those films you didn't have to worry if you saw it a while ago, it was inevitable that it would eventually get the respect it deserves. Awesome, Awesome film.
Mark Lewis: Do you know what the most frightening thing in the world is? It's fear.
A unique horror experience for its time. It was released a few months prior to Psycho, but is easily comparable.
The story involves a young man who is obsessed with using his camera to capture the reactions of people, particularly when he is murdering them...dun dun duhhhnnn.
But really, this has an interesting idea, because it allows us, the audience, to be voyeurs of a man who is a voyeur, creating even more of an unsettling atmosphere.
The score of this film is quite good as well. It works by combining some of the dry British humor with the building suspense created by simple thrills, like turning on the lights and certain reveals.
All the actors do a good enough job with the story with one exception, the lead. Karlheinz Bohm as Mark Lewis is almost too socially awkward for this movie at points, where it has negative effects. However, at one point he is suddenly so full of life that it seems somewhat inconsistent. Anthony Perkins had a similar role, with a comparable personality as Norman Bates, but he handled his character much better.
Still, this is an interesting film, that amuses me to know that it was very controversial at the time of its release.
Vivian: What would frighten me to death? Set the mood for me, Mark. Mark Lewis: Imagine... someone coming towards you... who wants to kill you... regardless of the consequences. Vivian: A madman? Mark Lewis: Yes. But he knows it - and you don't.
the acting of Karlheinz Böhm really made this film hard to enjoy. his acting was excruciatingly bad that it took me out of every scene he was in, which is almost every scene in the film. i wonder what someone like Anthony Perkins could have done with the role and how much more i would have enjoyed it. the film itself looks fantastic with some great camera angles and cinematography, especially the opening scene. reminded me of the opening from "Halloween". i don't really understand the controversy during its release as "Psycho" was realeased literally a month after and Fritz Lang had already made "M" thirty years before it, and i really don't think this was much worse than either of those. not as controversial as its reputation but highly influential, could have been great had it not been for Karlheinz Böhm.
MCT:October 10, 2008
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