A child-like puppeteer, for a public access children's show, goes over the deep end when he discovers kids he entertains at a hospital were victims of horrible abuse. This movie has some of the worst indescribably monstrous parents you could ever come across. Not an exploitation film as much as an afterschool special on the dangers of child abuse. Seemingly harmless, Mr. Rabby takes matters into his own hands when it seems the police are neutered by lack of evidence to convict loathsome parents of their terrible abuse towards their children. The children are emotionless and zombie-like(..due to the amount of abuse inflicted upon them), the parents loud, inconceivably harsh, contemptible, and belligerent. The mothers, in particular, are so obscene, you'll root for their execution. They are essentially miserable people taking out their frustrations on the kids. Our detectives are a tired lot, frustrated with the whole judicial process, how police procedure is often unable to prosecute those who beat their kids into submission. While the crimes themselves are heinous, the film doesn't explicitly elaborate the grisly activity on screen. I'd say the reason to see this is for Tom Basham's performance as the unbalanced man-child who slips into psychosis. There's quite a weird dinner table sequence between Basham's Mr. Rabbey and his guardian shortly after he murdered the parents responsible for the death of their child, regarding how he lives in a fantasy and how what he had just done has left an indelible mark(..notice the changes in behavior, pretty impressive work, going from innocent to creepy). Peter Renaday is Lt. Hayes, the detective in charge of the homicides cases, expressing on his face the strain that is taking it's toll on him. There's an early performance by John Ashton as detective Matthews, always raising the ire of Hayes because of his inability to follow directions, not to mention how opinionated he is regarding the parents abusing their kids. Awkward laid-back bluesy score that seems improper for a film such as this. Controversial conclusion establishing that even kids can only tolerate so much. A bit too slow moving for my tastes, but there's an effective use, I felt, of Basham's eyes before he takes care of business, waiting patiently as he prepares to strike.
10 Reviews
an eye for a special subject
trashgang25 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Weird movie, child abuse and revenge by a nerd. A television clown has knowledge of parents abusing their children. Himself not having a mother and being not accepted takes it out for the children. He starts killing the parents. The storyline is okay, but the subject is child abuse, but done in a special way, not done today. Like the child being shot in Assault on Precinct 13 this is an item that today wouldn't be done in a movie. The movie has a strange feeling. The main actor also has some queer feelings. Unfindable also this one, but you should see this movie, due the fact that there isn't any blood or gore in it. It will leave you with a strange feeling.
From beyond the normal
BandSAboutMovies6 October 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Alternatively titled An Eye for an Eye, this 1973 freakout is all about Mr. Rabbey, the host of a children's television show. He's so beloved by the children that they tell him all of their secrets, like when their parents don't treat them well. To get back at them, well, he shows up and kills them. Strangely enough, one of the weapons that he uses is a blanket. Yes, a deadly blanket.
Mr. Rabbey is played by Tom Basham, who was in The Pink Angels, and I have to say that this movie is a much better use of his abilities. That said, that may be the lowest of low bars to ever be tripped over. More to the point, director Larry G. Brown made that movie, too. He also made Silent but Deadly, in which "America's first black, Jewish and female president must save the nation from a smelly and lethal threat," so I think we call all just say that The Psychopath is an aberration of gold from guano.
No movie today would dare have so many children be throttled and beaten about, much less have one of their mothers get their head run over by a running lawnmower.
Speaking of kid shows, two of the cops in this movie all had something to do with programming for youngsters. Lt. Hayes is played by Peter Renaday, who in addition to being several voices in Disney parks like Abaham Lincoln and Captain Nemo, was also Mickey Mouse's voice for the cash-in album Mickey Mouse's Splashdance and Master Splinter in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. And Jackson Bostwick was Captain Marvel in the live action Shazam! Series.
Mr. Rabbey is played by Tom Basham, who was in The Pink Angels, and I have to say that this movie is a much better use of his abilities. That said, that may be the lowest of low bars to ever be tripped over. More to the point, director Larry G. Brown made that movie, too. He also made Silent but Deadly, in which "America's first black, Jewish and female president must save the nation from a smelly and lethal threat," so I think we call all just say that The Psychopath is an aberration of gold from guano.
No movie today would dare have so many children be throttled and beaten about, much less have one of their mothers get their head run over by a running lawnmower.
Speaking of kid shows, two of the cops in this movie all had something to do with programming for youngsters. Lt. Hayes is played by Peter Renaday, who in addition to being several voices in Disney parks like Abaham Lincoln and Captain Nemo, was also Mickey Mouse's voice for the cash-in album Mickey Mouse's Splashdance and Master Splinter in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon. And Jackson Bostwick was Captain Marvel in the live action Shazam! Series.
Bizarre and rare low-budgeter
Smokey-1314 February 1999
Tom Basham's over the top performance as a looney children's television show host is frighteningly realistic. When he discovers that some of his viewers are being abused by their parents he flips and takes matters into his own hands. Death by baseball bat, lawnmower, and strangulation are just a few of the things he has in store for the abusive parents. This seldom seen slasher is also highlighted by Basham's odd relationship with his puppets, as well as his blanket which he calls Mr.Rabbey. Psychopath also features weird music and endless close-ups of Basham's wild eyes. A must for fans of weird horror.
Dull, square handling of outrageous idea
ofumalow3 September 2023
Like the director's prior "The Pink Angels"--an incongruous, campy gay biker movie made at the height of the conventional biker-movie trend--this is a movie with a small cult following because of its outrageous concept, but hard to actually sit through because it's so poorly executed. A children's TV puppet show host who already seems rather creepily infantile (like Peewee Herman minus the humor) becomes aware that some children in his audience and neighborhood are the subject of abuse from their variably drunken, slovenly or just sadistic parents. So he begins stalking and murdering them, as police investigate the trail of crimes.
It's not at all a bad idea, but "Psychopath" aka "An Eye for an Eye" seems oblivious to how badly its elements match up. The actor who plays "Mr. Rabbey" (the kidshow host) gives one of those bug-eyed, over-the-top performances that at first makes you think "Where's he gonna go with this?!?" Then you realize he's not going anywhere with it--that weird, artificial, simultaneously effeminate and childish affect is all he's got in his bag of tricks. It makes his character silly, rather than frightening, and underlines the absurdity of other, normal-acting figures not discerning that Mr. Rabbey is a mental case from the get-go. The other performances range from shrill caricatures (the bad parents) to routine competence (everyone else).
But given its bad-taste conceit, you'd think "Psychopath" would have some fun with it. Nuh-uh. It's dully earnest, with no flair for suspense or even violence (the latter is generally kept to an on-screen minimum), the utterly middle-of-the-road aesthetic of an early 1970s TV movie, and seemingly no awareness at all that even Mr. Rabbey's TV show comes off as grotesque. (We're told the kids just love him, but that's laughable--Anthony Perkins in "Psycho" would have more juvenile appeal.) You'd think this story could only be played as black comedy, yet the film is as simplistically sincere about saying "child abuse is bad" as a PSA. And that social ill is presented in such crude terms, you can't even accept the sincerity of the message--it's on the level as a warning of "stranger danger" painting that peril as consisting of middle-aged men in trenchcoats skulking behind suburban shrubbery.
As a curio, this might be worth looking at for five minutes, in which span you'll get as much as you're going to get from the whole feature--nothing improves, or surprises, later on. But it's pretty abysmal, and even the elements that are relatively professional (in terms of technical polish and some performances) only serve to blandly take the edge off whatever tension or shock value was intended here.
It's not at all a bad idea, but "Psychopath" aka "An Eye for an Eye" seems oblivious to how badly its elements match up. The actor who plays "Mr. Rabbey" (the kidshow host) gives one of those bug-eyed, over-the-top performances that at first makes you think "Where's he gonna go with this?!?" Then you realize he's not going anywhere with it--that weird, artificial, simultaneously effeminate and childish affect is all he's got in his bag of tricks. It makes his character silly, rather than frightening, and underlines the absurdity of other, normal-acting figures not discerning that Mr. Rabbey is a mental case from the get-go. The other performances range from shrill caricatures (the bad parents) to routine competence (everyone else).
But given its bad-taste conceit, you'd think "Psychopath" would have some fun with it. Nuh-uh. It's dully earnest, with no flair for suspense or even violence (the latter is generally kept to an on-screen minimum), the utterly middle-of-the-road aesthetic of an early 1970s TV movie, and seemingly no awareness at all that even Mr. Rabbey's TV show comes off as grotesque. (We're told the kids just love him, but that's laughable--Anthony Perkins in "Psycho" would have more juvenile appeal.) You'd think this story could only be played as black comedy, yet the film is as simplistically sincere about saying "child abuse is bad" as a PSA. And that social ill is presented in such crude terms, you can't even accept the sincerity of the message--it's on the level as a warning of "stranger danger" painting that peril as consisting of middle-aged men in trenchcoats skulking behind suburban shrubbery.
As a curio, this might be worth looking at for five minutes, in which span you'll get as much as you're going to get from the whole feature--nothing improves, or surprises, later on. But it's pretty abysmal, and even the elements that are relatively professional (in terms of technical polish and some performances) only serve to blandly take the edge off whatever tension or shock value was intended here.
Mr. Rabbey's revenge.
HumanoidOfFlesh17 July 2010
His name is Mr.Rabbey and he is the host of puppet show.He loves children and murders their parents.But he kills only parents,who are abusing their children.Mr.Rabbey rides a bike and even talks in a childish falsetto."The Psychopath" is a bizarre horror film that inspired Buddy Giovinazzo's "Maniac 2".The main performance of Tom Basham is gloriously creepy and convincing.The film lacks gore,but the killings are pretty vicious and mean-spirited.The abusive parents are loathsome and the final twist is supremely bizarre.If you are into 70's horror you can't miss "The Psychopath".A different kind of serial killer cinema.7 abusive parents out of 10.
Childhood film No. 2, Mr. Rabbey, the Psychopath.
Captain_Couth3 December 2003
The Psychopath (1973) A trip down memory lane. I saw this film many years ago on a old black and white t.v. A children's' show host Mr. Rabbey avenges the brutal abuse that parents inflict upon his kiddie fans. Mr. Rabbey (who looks like he's always on the verge of losing it) finally cracks and decides to go on a hunting trip. Watch out bad parents cause Mr. Rabbey is on the prowl! What happens next is priceless. However, trying to find this movie will be quite a chore.
What makes this film notable was the fact that Joe "Maniac" Spinell made a short promo reel for a film based upon this one. In his unfinished film, he plays Mr. Robbie, a t.v. clown(who looks like a pudgy out of shape Edward James Olmos) who avenges his young fans child abuse by going after their parents. Sadly, Mr. Spinell could never find the funds to complete the project. The film was going to be titled Maniac II: "Mister Robbie". Rabbey or Robbie the similarities are all too close for comfort. Pretty violent for a P.G. movie.
Recommended.
What makes this film notable was the fact that Joe "Maniac" Spinell made a short promo reel for a film based upon this one. In his unfinished film, he plays Mr. Robbie, a t.v. clown(who looks like a pudgy out of shape Edward James Olmos) who avenges his young fans child abuse by going after their parents. Sadly, Mr. Spinell could never find the funds to complete the project. The film was going to be titled Maniac II: "Mister Robbie". Rabbey or Robbie the similarities are all too close for comfort. Pretty violent for a P.G. movie.
Recommended.
Krusty the Clown Out for Revenge
Brother George23 May 2000
Pretty amazing movie directed by a guy who primarily directed gay porn (and produced by Jackson Bostwick...TV's Shazam (?!?))
It was released in the South under the title "An Eye for An Eye" with the gimmick that you voted whether the little girl at the end was guilty or innocent (by dropping a ballot in a box on the way out of the theater, so obviously it was a pretty lame gimmick).
My father called it "utter trash" (I begged him to take me to see it) and I credit it for nurturing (creating?) my love of exploitation movies. Someone should do a nice DVD release on this film.
It was released in the South under the title "An Eye for An Eye" with the gimmick that you voted whether the little girl at the end was guilty or innocent (by dropping a ballot in a box on the way out of the theater, so obviously it was a pretty lame gimmick).
My father called it "utter trash" (I begged him to take me to see it) and I credit it for nurturing (creating?) my love of exploitation movies. Someone should do a nice DVD release on this film.
low-budget oddity from the 70's
lazarillo14 March 2004
This is a gritty, low-budget oddity from the early 1970's that actually tried half-heartedly to tackle a serious social issue, child abuse, with less-than-sucessful results. While the abusive parents who are offed by the titular protagonist (the deranged host of a kiddie show) are definitely deserving, their gory deaths are so ridiculously over-the-top that it's hard to take the whole thing very seriously. There's nothing wrong with a horror movie having a serious social message,on one hand, or entertaining the audience with absurd, cartoon-style violence,on the other, but it just doesn't work to do both things in the same movie. Still this movie is worth seeing if you can find it. One of the only existing video prints has burned-in Spanish subtitles that will have you in stiches if you're at all bilingual--they're often NOT EVEN CLOSE to the actual English dialogue.
weird
mattkratz23 April 2002
This was a weird movie on obviously a low budget. It features a children's show host who takes matters into his own hands when he realizes some kids are being abused by their parents-by killing the parents. It was kind of lame, and the only "great" parts were the close-ups of the title character's wild eyes. All in all, just another slasher movie.
** out of ****
** out of ****
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