The Spiral Staircase (1975)

***SPOILERS*** Listless and dull remake of the 1945 spine tingling psychological thriller of the same name "The Spiral Staircase" with the gorgeous, no matter how much she tries to look Plain Jane, Jackie Bissett as Helen Mallory in her first and only non speaking role despite getting top billing in the movie.When she experienced both her 10 year old daughter and husband killed in a fire five years ago Helen went into shock and ended up losing her voice. With Dr.Rawley, John Ronane, trying to restore Helen's voice he sends her to the prestigious Sherman's Institute for more advanced treatment. As things turn out there's this psycho running around town who's obsessed with culling out those of us in society not worthy or perfect enough to live! This in order for him to create the perfect human, which he feels he is, race by eliminating all its imperfections! This mentally deranged lunatic has had his eye out for Helen in feeling that she's a threat, by being mute, to the advanced evolutionary process of the human race! This nut-case has already murdered five other "inperfect" young women and is now targeting Helen to be his next victim!As you would imagine the psycho finds his way into the Sherman's Institute in his attempt to murder Helen but, luckily for her, a number of complications arise that makes his job a bit more difficult. One of them is the head of the institute Dr. Joe Sherman, Christopher Plummer, being involved in a three way love affair with his brother Steven, john Philip Law, over the sexy Blanche, Gayle Hunnicutt. This psycho for some weird and insane reason, despite Blanche being about as perfect as any women can be, also feels that Blancheis a drag and burden on he human race, in the air she breaths and food and water that she consumes, in her not being quite perfect enough to be kept alive! There's also Dr. Sherman's diabetic and dying mother Mrs. Sherman, Mildred Dunnock, who this murderous psycho, as a sidelight, also plans to murder. Not that Mrs. Sherman is in his way but because she's, like both Helen & Blanche, not worth living!***SPOILERS*** Wherever suspense there is in the film is left for last with the killer psycho finally revealing himself, to the total non surprise of those of us watching, and going after a trapped and terrified Helen. The psycho killer who had so many opportunities to murder Helen all throughout the film yet, in him being the "Perfect Human" that he thinks that he is, ended up blowing every one of them. Not much of a surprise ending like the 1945 version of the movie was it still had enough terror and suspense in it to lift "Spiral Staircase II" a notch or two above the dull as dishwater like script that proceeded it.

Being of a nervous disposition I am not a fan of horror movies, but this was not what I would call a horror movie, although it was advertised as one. It is a slow moving thriller, with an obvious ending, and not very good acting, the only reason to watch the film is if you are enamoured with Jacqueline Bisset, (and it is not one of her better films).

As a child, the 1946 version of this movie was one of the most terrifying I had ever seen...and I loved scary movies. Years later, it still scared the hell out of me. This re-make is a travesty. I don't know what the director and cinematographer were trying to achieve, but it wasn't The Spiral Staircase. Apologies to Christopher Plummer, Mildred Dunnock and Elaine Stritch for having to endure this drivel. Times must have been bad then and paychecks much needed. If you want to see a brilliant horror film, see the original.

Searching the video store, I saw the cover for this and remembered reading about it. I decided to give it a whirl, because there was nothing else catching my eye at the moment. Jaqueline Bissett plays Helen, a young mute, who is currently staying at the Sherman Institute. The rest of the people in the house are wary of the fact that women with disabilities are being murdered, and a blind woman was killed that day. That night, though, the killer has spotted Helen as his next victim. And with a thunderstorm threatening to kill the power, this killer starts eliminating those at the house, closing in closer and closer to Helen.Does that sound like a good movie? I don't know, I thought so. Well, I was wrong. It's very dull for the first three quarters, with characterization up the wazoo, and a couple of suspicious moments. And, supposedly, it's a mystery of who the killer is--but it's not!! The killer is way too obvious! I don't know if it was just because I knew the motive from reading about the original movie, or if movie was just really bad at concealing the killer's identity. And, this isn't a spoiler, because even the plot summary said it, the killer is Dr. Sherman. But, there are a few holes. First of all, why does the killer kill off people who aren't disabled at the house? Well, the killer's achievements at the house only rank up to two or three, but still, they're all perfectly "normal" people. And why does Steven drag Oates's body outside after he finds it in the foyer? Doesn't that mean that he's an accomplice in something? I don't know, that left me hanging for a while. Still, there are some good things. The last quarter of the movie is quite exciting, with Dr. Sherman chasing Helen around the house. And the movie utilizes her disability well, especially when trying to contact help over the phone. There was a lot of suspense in those scenes. Also, the characters are all quite likable. Mrs. Sherman was very entertaining as the witty mother of the doctor and Steven. And Mrs. Oates was just a very likable character, as the cook. And of course, Helen, played with all innocence and huge doe-eyes by Bissett. Overall, not a great movie, but the final quarter is quite interesting. I have yet to see the original version, though, and I have a feeling that might be better.