In the wealthy and isolated desert community of Tucson, a sound expert (David Keith) is targeted as the prime suspect of a series of brutal murders of local suburban housewives who were attacked and mutilated in their homes. Tucson is the perfect home for this killer, as it provides a mix of the "civilized" and the wild.
This is one of those titles that has faded more or less into obscurity. As I understand it, the movie was released in 1987 to critical acclaim but low box office returns, causing it never to get a proper release. At least not until Scream Factory came along and put the film on Blu-ray, along with some special features. (Unfortunately, the director had long since passed.)
The film is beautifully shot, using extensive time to show the landscape and surroundings. This does slow the picture down, which will scare some viewers off, but at least for the first half of the movie, it is more of a work of art than a thriller or horror picture. The artsy shots during the murders (not focused on the murder itself), the classical music... it is quite a feast.
Things go from subdued to bizarre in the second half. Not wanting to give anything away, I cannot even mention the strangest moments. But after the first half, you could never even guess the sort of things you will see. It is like the first half is more or less an attempt to emulate the Italian giallo (we even see nothing of the killer beyond an eye and some gloves). Then it becomes more like what we expect from Cannon Films.
Someone ought to explain what is wrong with the daughter. Is she mentally disabled or just socially awkward? But maybe that is just to contribute more to the strange vibe the film gives off. That unusual casting is contrasted with the return of Cathy Moriarty ("Raging Bull"), who had come back from a five-year acting hiatus following a serious car accident. Audiences today may know her best as the villain in "Casper", but it is great to see her in this more challenging role.
The Scream Factory audio commentary comes from Cammell biographer Sam Umland, who is surprisingly knowledgeable not just on Cammell, but on the various shots of this film and how they may be references to obscure French and Italian films. He finds many subtle hints that may or may not have been intentional, such as the parallels between the plot of the film and the plot of the opera that Paul White sings. We can also learn of the multiple homages to "Peeping Tom", most notably the use of a mirror during murder. Very, very wise decision, Scream.
The disc also comes with two deleted scenes and an interview with the Steadicam operator, Larry McConkey. (Actually, there are other interviews on the disc not listed on the case, which are very much worth your time.) For a film that has been widely forgotten, Scream pulled all the stops and gave this just about as good of a release as anyone could hope for.
