OUT OF THE DARK

US, 1989, 89 minutes, Colour.
Karen Black, Geoffrey Lewis, Bud Cort, Cameron Dye.
Directed by Michael Schroeder.

Out of the Dark is a serial killer thriller, tending to exploit what it explores. The setting is a phone fantasy company, presided over by Karen Black. We are treated to the women answering the men who want to fantasise sexually on the phone - while the women-poke fun at the men unseen, they are also pandering to the unhealthy needs of the callers.

Soon the women themselves are being killed and there are various suspects. There is a final twist when the seemingly least expected suspect is the actual mad killer. The setting is Los Angeles. The treatment is graphic and at times exploitive. The supporting cast includes cameos from Paul Bartel, Lanie Kazan, Tab Hunter and Divine.

1. Murder mystery? Serial killer thriller?

2. Los Angeles settings? The authenticity of the characters and the experiences? The City? The violence? The sexual fantasies - and the editing? Exploitive or not?

3. The title, focus on the unseen killer, the sexual fantasies?

4. The establishment, "Sweet Nothings"? Ruth in charge of the establishment, her own character, relationship with her ex-husband, with her daughter and her care of her? Concern about the girls? Employing them? Auditions? Her own abilities to act on the phone? The rooms themselves, the girls, their friendship, their performances - in detail? The close-ups with their suggestiveness? The medium with the girls and their indifference to their callers? The focus on the men calling? the atmosphere of sex fantasy, fulfilment, perversion? The importance of photography, Kevin and his photography sessions, sexually stimulating? The use of photos? drawer of magazines?

5. Kevin, friendship with the girls, relationship with Christie, the photography sessions, his friendliness? The session with Barbara? Under suspicion from the police? His innocent behaviour? Relationship with Christie, concern for, her? The motel, the night, escaping with Christie? The arrest, interrogation, the phone call? His being let go? His searching Stringer's office with Christie? Going up to the country house? the irony of the mask in his car, the revelation that he was the killer, his life story, the circus, his madness, seductive with Christie then turning on her, his violent death? Sexual perversity and madness?

6. Stringer? The girls: their personal lives, their work, the aspiring actress and her performance? Photography models? Going home, walking the dog, on bikes? The violence of their deaths? Camille and her offering to be the decoy, on the phone, her being murdered? The fear for the girls? Their decisions for this kind of work?

7. The police, their investigations, tough attitudes - and actually correct? Suspicions of Kevin, interrogations?

8. Stringer, the accountant, loner, shyness, with the girls? His room, seeing the light flicker, the two returns? Confrontation with Christie, the magazines, his attacking her, being hurt, his being run over?

9. The guest spots - the motel clerk, the two prostitutes, the police investigator-, the driver who hit Stringer - and the stars doing star turns?

10. The quality of the murder mystery, thriller? Atmosphere? Aspects of the ugly world?