THE FACE OF FEAR

US, 1990, 89 minutes, Colour.
Lee Horsley, Pam Dawber, Bob Balaban, William Sadler.
Directed by Farhad Mann.

The Face of Fear is a telemovie based on a story by Dean R. Koontz, the celebrated writer of horror fiction. Koontz has not been served particularly well in the film versions of his book (especially in comparison with Stephen King). Films include the Canadian-made Watchers and Whispers. There was also a more elaborate and high-budget version of Hideaway, directed by Brett Leonard (The Lawnmower Man) with Christine Lahti, Jeff Goldblum and Alicia Silverstone.

Dean Koontz acted as co-executive producer of this film and also co-wrote the screenplay. It is, at least, one way in which one can gauge how Koontz would want his stories portrayed on screen.

The film is brief, stars Lee Horsley as a psychic who has suffered a failure of nerve as well as a physical collapse after a skiing accident. Pam Dawber is his wife. The very effective villains are, especially, Kevin Conroy and, later in the film, William Sadler. Bob Balaban appears as an arrogant police psychiatrist.

The film treats of a number of themes popular with Koontz's fiction: the psychic hero who has transcendent powers as well as physical strength and personal integrity. He is always supported by an equally strong woman. Many of the villains in Koontz's fiction are strong men, who try to develop their physical strength, who see themselves as supermen (here quoting Nietzsche) who use their strength for dominating power, violence and cruelty.

1.Interesting and entertaining telemovie thriller?

2.The fiction of Dean R. Koontz? Adaptation for the screen? For the television audience? A portrait of violence - adapted for the home viewing audience?

3.The New York City locations, buildings and interiors, exteriors? The special effects for the scaling of the building? The light and darkness? The murder sequences and the visions and their style? The location for the killer and the ominous nature of his apartment? The locations and decor giving a sense of doom? Musical score?

4.The title - reference to the victims, to Harris himself, to the murderers?

5.How effective the thriller as a murder mystery? Harris and his visions? Almost seeing the killer? The revelation that the killer worked for the police? Seeing him in action? Later seeing that he had a partner and a control? The suggestion that the police psychiatrist was his control? The irritating journalist and people pushing past him? The irony that he was revealed to be the superman villain partner?

6.The murder situations, portraits of serial killers, the effect on the population of the city, the curiosity and sensationalism of the media? Police and their investigations, meticulous? The role of a psychic?

7.The character of Harris: his receiving an award for charitable work? Background of skiing, the accident, his loss of confidence? His psychic visions, experiencing the murders, the blackouts in the middle of the speech? His love for Connie and relationship with her? The clash with the police psychiatrist? The clash with the journalist? The chance encounters with the murderous policeman and the investigations? His trying to solve the mystery, collaboration with the police? Going to the scene of the crime, touch, trying to see the murderer? The vision of his being shot? The realisation of who the murderer might be, Connie and himself in the office? The chase, the pursuit, using ingenuity, the staircase, the locked doors, going to the roof, his decision to use the mountain-climbing techniques? Persuading Connie? On the building, the danger, the shooting, the final conquering of the villain? At home, the irony of the discussion with the psychiatrist? The arrival of the journalist and the revelation of the truth? The violent ending - and the hero surviving and the support of Connie?

8.Connie, her work, support of Harris? Sharing the investigation? The danger in the building, going out on the walls, the danger for her, support of Harris, the final confrontation?

9.The police psychiatrist, meticulous and matter of fact, his suspicions, under suspicion, his final theory - and his death?

10.The murderer, his background, reading of Nietzsche, the idea of the superman. The psychology of the serial killer and the violent right-wing superman - sense of inadequacy, coming from the south, university? Meeting the journalist and their becoming a team? His cruelty in the murders, the aftermath and his calmness as a policeman? The investigation? The control and his mission to kill Harris, his confidence, in the building, his wit, being outwitted, frustration? The shootings? Confrontation and his death?

11.The journalist, seeing him on TV, the interviews, intrusive? People dismissing him as a media pest? The irony of his arrival, his megalomania, the teaming with the killer, their two different styles of killing and mess and orderliness? The confrontation with Harris? His death?

12.The brief telemovie in comparison with the films about serial killers of the '90s? The sensationalism? Serious treatment of the psychology of the killer within the context of the action thriller?