At the start of the ’60s, Hammer films had gone from a minor English studio that produced low budget war films, dramas and thrillers to the biggest name in horror since Universal’s Monsters arrived. Hammer’s Blood of Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Mummy and The Abominable Snowman brought in an audience eager to scream in the cinema. Most of their films were in color so the blood dripped red. Hammer wanted to do more than the usual undead creature. The studio turned Josephine Tey’s novel Brat Farrar into Paranoiac. Oliver Reed (Curse of the Werewolf) was given the leading role of the drunk Simon Ashby who isn’t happy to see his brother once more. Paranoiac was a new twist of Horror for Hammer and Paranoiac: Collector’s Edition revitalizes an obscure part of the studio’s output.
The Ashby family appears to be cursed. The mother and father perish in a plane crash leaving their three children their wealth. A few years later, the eldest son Tony takes his own life when he jumps off his boat and drowns at sea. All he left is a suicide note. The daughter Eleanor (The Day of the Triffids‘ Janette Scott) is having a mental health crisis. Simon (Gladiator‘s Oliver Reed) is a drunk who is counting down the days until he can fully inherit his share of the family fortune. Simon wants more than his share as he works to get Eleanor committed into an asylum. Things get really weird when Tony (Plague of the Zombies‘ Alexander Davion) appears on the scene. He claims that he just ran away as a kid because it got to be too much. Quite a few people debate whether he is legit or an actor sent in by the lawyers controlling the family trust and eager to keep siphoning off money? Things do get weird including Tony getting attacked by masked person wielding a hook in the decaying mansion’s organ room. Is Tony going to die again?
While Paranoiac isn’t a proper horror film, it does feature a character that rises from the grave. Director Freddie Francis and writer Jimmy Sangster do quite a bit with the Ashby siblings. Oliver Reed does dominate the screen as his drunken Simon is out of control. Reed relishes getting to spend so much time with a drink in his hand and being slightly tipsy. Yet he doesn’t push the other actors off the screen. Janette Scott gets deep into the sister that’s questioning reality especially when she’s unsure if the adult Tony is real or just her imagination. The bonus features elevate the film that often gets scoffed off since it doesn’t feature Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee or a monster. Deep down it is a Hammer horror. It’s directed by Freddie Francis (The Evil of Frankenstein & Dracula Has Risen From The Grave) with a screenplay by Jimmy Sangster (The Curse of Frankenstein). There are frights on the screen. Paranoiac is a little more sophisticated in creating a nightmare. Hammer could find other creatures that go bump in the night.
The video is 2.35:1 anamorpic. The black and white transfer is looks sharp. The audio is DTS-HD MA mono. Things sound crisp enough to hear Oliver Reed’s drinks being poured. The movie is subtitled.
Audio Commentary with Bruce Hallenbeck gives a bit of background of Hammer’s thriller work.
Drink to Deception (14:48) has author and critic Kim Newman discussing elements of the film. It’s fun to be back in Newman’s living room with the quilt covered sofa. He talks about how Hammer wanted to make a bigger film when they originally optioned Tey’s novel.
A Toast to Terror (25:23) features historian Jonathan Rigby talking about Jimmy Sangster’s script offering meaty parts to the cast.
The Making of Paranoiac (27:57) lets host Wayne Kinsey take us back to the remains of Bray Studios. The interviews include writer Jimmy Sangster, assistant director Hugh Harlow and script supervisor Pauline Harlow. There’s an audio interview with the late Oliver Reed about his role. There’s a discussion of how Hammer operated at Bray since the small studio was a mansion on the river. They also shot off exterior locations that were used in the film. There’s a bit on producer Hinds dealing with the British censors. They point out the film was released as a double feature with Kiss of the Vampire.
Theatrical Trailer (2:35) opens with the dictionary definition to not confuse the audience. Oliver Reed is full throttle in his clips. We’re promised “a wave of terror.”
Still Gallery (5:56) has promotional photos, posters and lobby cards.
Scream Factory presents Paranoiac: Collector’s Edition. Directed by Freddie Francis. Screenplay by Jimmy Sangster. Starring Janette Scott, Oliver Reed, Sheila Burrell, Maurice Denham, Alexander Davion and Liliane Brousse. Running Time: 80 minutes. Rated: Unrated. Release Date: February 8, 2022.
