Liberal district attorney decides to seek the death penalty for a man who slaughtered a family at Christmastime, then drank their blood. He escapes, though, and starts killing again.
Direction
Friedkin's cold, detached gaze refuses easy catharsis.
Acting
McArthur's Reece: terrifying because he seems almost reachable.
Editing
Cross-cutting that implicates the viewer in the spectacle.
Director
William Friedkin
Michael Biehn
Anthony Fraser
Alex McArthur
Charlie Reece
Nicholas Campbell
Albert Morse
Deborah Van Valkenburgh
Kate Fraser
John Harkins
Dr. Keddie
Art LaFleur
Mel Sanderson
Billy Green Bush
Judge McKinsey
Royce D. Applegate
Gene Tippetts
Grace Zabriskie
Naomi Reece
Carlos Palomino
Nestode
Donald Hotton
Dr. Leon Gables
Andy Romano
Spencer Whalen
Patrick Cronin
Harry Bellenger
Roy London
Dr. Paul Rudin
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Friedkin was obsessed with capital punishment after The Exorcist; this was his grim thesis statement.
The film sat shelved for three years due to studio bankruptcy, emerging after Friedkin's career had already cooled.
US
