Terribly overrated at the time of its release, this box-office hit and a recipient of several Oscar nominations is really nothing more than an expansion of the Michael Redgrave episode of DEAD OF NIGHT (1945), and not a particularly well-done one at that. At the center of its predictable
plot is Hopkins, a ventriloquist who believes his ill-tempered, foul-mouthed dummy, Fats, is taking over both the act and his personality. The ventriloquist's schizophrenia and paranoia become so acute that he murders his manager, Meredith, but believes Fats to be the killer. After hiding the
body, Hopkins flees to the Catskills, where he visits a former lover, Ann-Margret. Problem...
Released:
1978
Rated:
R
Length:
106 mins