Ep1135: Escape from Hammerland: Paranoiac (1963) - Movie Review
Our Escape from Hammerland continues with one of the twistiest (and most twisted) psychological thrillers you'll ever see!
Freddie Francis' 1963 film, Paranoiac, follows the wealthy and extremely dysfunctional Ashby siblings, Eleanor (Janette Scott) and Simon (Oliver Reed). They are weeks away from inheriting the family fortune, left to them after their parents' untimely death (and that of middle child, Antony, who took his own life out of grief). Eleanor begins seeing visions of Antony, back from the dead--which jeopardizes Simon's plans for claiming the all the Ashby money for himself. This premise is the springboard for a movie so packed with surprises that to summarize any further would risk bumbling through a minefield of spoilers.
Suffice it to say, Ian and AC had a lot of fun diving into Paranoiac, which also boasts the talents of Hammer powerhouse screenwriter Jimmy Sangster and producer Anthony Hinds.
In this spoiler-filled discussion, the guys examine all the goings-on of this short, tight masterwork--including a minor head-scratcher that keep it from being a note-perfect classic!
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Show Links
Watch the Paranoiac (1963) trailer.
Order AC's books on essential and obscure horror movies, Horror 101 and Hidden Horror!
Subscribe to AC's YouTube channel, Horror 101 with Dr. AC.
Grab only what you can carry as we "Escape from Hammerland"!
Hitch a ride with our entire 2024 series in the "Return to Hammerland" Playlist!
It’s not too late to catch up with our 2023 trip “Beyond Hammerland”!
Check out 2022's year-long journey, "Son of Hammerland"!
And watch the series that started it all: "Hammerland"
As mentioned in the show, Hammer made a lot of black-and-white thrillers. Here are more films to catch up on, courtesy of AC!
The Snorkel (1958)
Stop Me Before I Kill (1960)
Scream of Fear (1961)
Maniac (1963)
Paranoiac (1963)
Nightmare (1964)
The Nanny (1965)
Hysteria (1965)
Fanatic aka Die! Die! My Darling! (1965) (color)
Crescendo (1970) (color)
