PHOBIA
Canada, 1984, 94 minutes, Colour.
Paul Michael Glaser, John Colicos, Susan Hogan, Alexandra Stewart.
Directed by John Huston.
Phobia is a little-seen murder mystery thriller, made in Canada by director John Huston. It received very little release.
It shows work in a mental institution, Paul Michael Glaser as a doctor with experiments in therapy. His patients are all killed - Whodunnit?
The film has quite good pace, special effects for the therapy of the patients, a sense of suspense - though audiences will be suspicious about the doctor himself. The cast is mainly Canadian, although John Colicos appears as a disagreeable police inspector.
Enjoyable in itself, low key - and a surprise for film buffs to see it as a film by John Huston.
1. Interesting and enjoyable murder mystery? Mental institution? Therapy? Psychological points?
2. Canadian locations, the special effects for the therapy? The hospital, apartments? The musical score and atmosphere?
3. The title and its meaning: the opening credits and the illustration of the various phobias, the coping with phobias, the screening and challenge to the patients? Dr Ross himself and the explanation of his own phobia, his father blaming him for his sister's death by drowning and pushing him into the water? The consequences of the phobia on the doctor, on his patients?
4. The portrait of Dr Ross: his background in California, leaving his family, playing hockey? His relationship with Jenny, the broken relationship with Alice? His work with the patients and rapport with them? Kindly? The first death, his alibi? His encounter with the subsequent patients? The revelation that he was the killer? His motives, punishing his patients for not getting-well as his father punished bin? 7is interaction with the police inspector? The relationship with Jenny? His concession to her and killing himself? Plausible character, for the sake of the thriller?
5. The range of patients and their therapy: Barbara Gray and her fears, going into the crowd, on the subway, going to his home, the explosion? Jonny and his being in the room, his running away, suspicions, crushed by the lift? Owens and his fear of heights, the falling child, the smashing doll, on the ledge, his fall? Laura and her fear of the attacking men, sexuality, the bath, her drowning? Bubba and his fear of snakes? The snake killing him? The range of characters, some of the prison background, coping with their phobias, their deaths?
6. Alice and her relationship with Peter Ross? Therapy, looking for clues? Clashes with Jenny?
7. The inspector, his interrogations, suspicions? His assistant? Rough treating Owens? The car pursuit and Owens taking the hostage? His death? The search for Johnny? Suspicions about Bubba? The portrait of the police?
8. The atmosphere of the hospital, the need for therapy, board meetings9 Suspicions and the hospital withdrawing their approval?
9. A psychological thriller? The plausibility of the psychology? Audiences entering into it and identifying with the phobias?
