Phobia 1980 (Paul Michael Glaser, John Colicos, Susan Hogan, Alexandra Stewart) – Classic Movie Review 12,286

The Canadian-made 1980 horror-thriller Phobia – one of great director John Huston’s few misfires – is about a psychiatrist (Paul Michael Glaser) whose phobia-struck test subjects are being systematically bumped off.

Dr Peter Ross (Glaser) tests his new therapy on five patients to cure them of their phobias – heights, crowded places, enclosed spaces, men and snakes – but they start being murdered by someone using their phobias, a bit like Theatre of Blood.

Phobia is horrid, mindless and nearly unwatchable. The story idea is arguably alright but the mystery is bafflingly simple to work out and Glaser isn’t much good in the star role.

The cast include Paul Michael Glaser, John Colicos, Susan Hogan, Alexandra Stewart, David Bolt, David Eisner, Lisa Langlois, and Kenneth Welsh.

It is written by Lew Lehman (screenplay), Jimmy Sangster (screenplay) and Peter Bellwood (screenplay), and based on a story by Gary Sherman and Ronald Shusett.

An American critic confidently and provocatively called it ‘the worst film ever directed by a winner of the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award’, but Reginald H Morris received a Genie Award nomination for Best Cinematography at the 2nd Genie Awards in 1981, so at least the cinematography is in its favour.

However they worked hard to try to make it good. Dan O’Bannon (uncredited) and Ronald Shusett worked to improve the original story by Gary Sherman, reshaping it entirely, Huston’s assistant Gladys Hill (uncredited) contributed greatly to the final shooting script, executive producer Larry Spiegel is another uncredited writer, and Professor Melvyn Hill (uncredited), a psychologist with knowledge about the criminally insane, was another major contributor to the development of the script.

The cast are Paul Michael Glaser as Dr Peter Ross, Susan Hogan as Jenny St Clair, John Colicos as Inspector Larry Barnes, David Bolt as Henry Owen, Patricia Collins as Dr Alice Toland, David Eisner as Johnny Venuti, Lisa Langlois as Laura Adams, Alexandra Stewart as Barbara Grey, Robert O’Ree as Bubba King, Neil Vipond as Dr Clegg, Marian Waldman as Mrs. Casey, and Kenneth Welsh as Sgt Joe Wheeler.

© Derek Winnert 2022 Classic Movie Review 12,286

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