The Pyx *** (1973, Karen Black, Christopher Plummer, Donald Pilon) – Classic Movie Review 8100

Director Harvey Hart’s intriguing 1973 Canadian supernatural horror film The Pyx is based on John Buell’s 1959 novel and stars Christopher Plummer as a Canadian cop, Montréal Police Detective Sergeant Jim Henderson, who exposes a Satanist cult when he probes the death of a heroin-addicted junkie hooker with the working name of Elizabeth Lucy (Karen Black).

She was supposedly pushed from an unoccupied 20th floor penthouse balcony of a tenement building, and police find that she has a crucifix on a chain around her neck and a small metal pyx clutched in her hand.

This taut, tense and surprisingly well done thriller is made on location in Montréal, Québec, Canada.

With Plummer on his best form, the acting and handling are well above par for this kind of thing, and Robert Schlitt’s twisty screenplay, based on the novel by John Buell, rings new changes on the old themes. Donald Pilon co-stars as Henderson’s partner, Detective Sergeant Pierre Paquette. The songs are by Karen Black.

A pyx is a small round container used by Catholics to carry the consecrated host (Eucharist) to the sick or those unable to come to church to receive Holy Communion.

They tried to make a virtue of its obscure title in the advertising: ‘See It… Find Out What It Means!’ But The Pyx is also known as The Hooker Cult Murders and La Lanule [in Canada and France]. The lunula is the crescent-shaped whitish area of the bed of a fingernail or toenail.

Also in the cast are Lee Broker, Jean-Louis Roux, Yvette Brind’amour, Jacques Godin, Terry Haig, Robin Gammell, Louise Rinfret, and Jean Dubost.

The Pyx [The Hooker Cult Murders] [La Lanule] is directed by Harvey Hart, runs 112 minutes, is made by Host Productions Quebec, is released by Cinépix Film Properties (1973) (Canada) and Cinerama Releasing Corporation (1973) (US), is written by Robert Schlitt, based on the novel by John Buell, is shot in widescreen by René Verzier, is produced by Julian Roffman, and scored by Harry Freedman.

Karen Black (1939–2013) aka Karen Blanche Ziegler was nominated for a Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar for Five Easy Pieces (1970) and won the Golden Globe for it in a tied result. She has over 200 acting credits.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8100

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