Slipping Into Darkness

Blood Shed/Crazed/slipping Into Darkness was the first movie I ever reviewed on IMDB. Initially I totally bashed the film. After A second viewing I take it back completly!!! The fact that the video art work makes it look like a violent-gore film lead to my negative review. I was expecting a gore fest and instead got a film with low body count and no gore. This film is actually very good. Their are a lot of interesting little things in this movie proving way ahead of the current events of our time. The lead character is constantly having flashbacks of his childhood. Most interesting is the priest flashbacks, the film seems to hint that he was molested by a priest especially of the quick shots of the boy on his knees possibly in a confessional booth. Ironically this issue is currently all over the news. It's almost as if the writer knew of a dirty little secret and was exposing it with this film. The character's army flashbacks are interesting too, especially since real life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer had a bad experience in the army as well. It seems to me at second look that this film is a realistic look of how a lonley individual with serious past issues can slowly become completly insane and end up murdering people. To top it off there is some funny dialogue by the old ladies in this film to soften the serious tone. A second look at this film reveals a seriously under rated study of insanity. The original title Slipping into Darkness fits the movie better than the Blood Shed tag which will steer you the wrong way!

Filmed on a meager budget sometime during the later 1970s, this is an intriguing forerunner to the glut of psycho/slasher fare which dominated the horror genre for a decade following the release of HALLOWEEN. Unfortunately more-less forgotten, CRAZED is a well handled and out-of-the-ordinary project with exceptional performances, and it deserves a broader fanbase.

Spare on the sensationalism common to films of this variety, emphasis is instead placed on the anguish of a dissociative young man in an emotionally fragile state. Tortured as a child(as seen in flashbacks), years of physical, mental, and sexual abuse have rendered him a socially disconnected and passive adult, trudging through his life with a horrible dead-end job and humble subservience to his hoary, demanding landlady. His awkward amatory anxieties are piqued by a young lady who takes residence in the room next to his, then a tragic card is suddenly dealt by the hand of fate. In this moment of unfortunate circumstance, a contrite and most pitiable killer is born.

Rarely frightening in conventional ways, CRAZED is nonetheless effective in its phlegmatic gravity...the story is thronging with an unrelenting pervasive sadness, straight through to its benumbing closing shot. Impatient viewers may find the methodical slow pacing a chore to endure, but to those with tastes leaning toward a more visceral brand of horror, CRAZED comes highly recommended.

7/10

I can't imagine what movie the other reviewers watched as only one person get's killed? Must have been another movie? Yes it takes about 45 minutes for the first victim to be slaughtered but we have some humor and some sleaze to grasp first. This movie had a great Hitchcock feel to it, and a must see for true horror fans. No it's not the best movie ever but it's quality early 80's slasher trash. Some drowning's in bathtubs, brutal knife murders, strangeling, etc. I have the cover as well as a female is lying nude and bloody!!!I have the Regal Video version of Bloodshed and it was 87 minutes. Slasher reviewer gives this twisted fiasco 3 thumbs up out of the full 5. That means check it out!!The incest overtones were a bit much but the religious brainwashing flashbacks made me laugh like a priest on his wedding day. Enjoy trash cinema and don't be so critical you other reviewers!!

I would wish to say a few words about this picture.

In late July, 1976 I was in Los Angeles enrolled in a summer film workshop at U.C.L.A.; while editing my documentary film "24 Hours at the Original Pantry" I responded to a bulletin board card posted at the school looking for technical help on an independent feature film. I responded to the ad and was introduced to Richard and Jean Cassidy. I was hired that day as the company grip in charge of construction.

Together they had written, conceived and filmed a 35MM presentation short film of their story. The beautiful B/W project was an obvious tribute to the suspense and magic of Alfred Hitchcock. Directed by Richard, it featured his wife, Jean as the murder victim. This well crafted short was photographed very skillfully by a bright and talented Director of Photography named Doug Hodge.

The original working title of this film was "The Paranoiac"; it was completed and released as "Slipping into Darkness" by a company called Jupiter Pictures, sometime in late 1979.

Featured in the film is a very large house which still stands on Edgemont, south of Wilshire Blvd. and a few blocks east of Highland Avenue in Hollywood, Ca. Almost the entire film was set in this one location. This was the nature of "low budget/ no budget" independent film making during that era.

For anyone interested in the nuts and bolts. The camera, grip and set lighting equipment package (Additionaly, I suspect some financial assistance) was provided by The Sawyer Camera Co. Cliff Sawyer and Jack Birns were co-founders of the landmark Hollywood motion picture equipment rental company still known worldwide as Birns and Sawyer in Hollywood, California.

The 35MM camera package consisted of a Mitchell BNCR as the primary/ or "A" camera. The heavy Mitchell Camera was always operated on a Worrell geared camera head mounted upon an Italian Elemack "Spyder" dolly . An Arriflex 2C was used as the portable hand-held "B" camera. During the production, the BNCR was replaced by a camera known as the "Mitchell 205 Reflex". This was old Michell Model NC modified dramatically and updated by an Italian company in order to compete worldwide with the new and very innovative Panavision "X" camera.(only a small handful Mitchell 205 cameras still exist today) Even by present standards these cameras and lenses were great, but not very user friendly in terms of shooting sync sound in confined interior spaces.

At that time HMI (Daylight balanced)lighting technology was almost unheard of and carbon arc lights were far to expensive to operate within their limited budget. Therefore, tungsten lighting color corrected by filters for Daylight situations and extensive color gel correction and tenting of windows for all the interior scenes was relied upon . The project was shot on the relatively slow Eastman Kodak Color Negitave film stock of that era. The "tool box" we worked with was quite limited and very labor intensive for the crew size.

Despite the technical burdens and financial pitfalls which all small independent films faced and dealt with during the 1970's, I feel that this picture stands up very well compared with most low budget independent projects made during that time.

Thirty plus years later, I remain proud that this was my first feature film as a Key Grip. I still feel the same way about my efforts on a professional level and those who worked with me. Without the wonderful insights and information handed me by the talented and patient Director of Photography Doug Hodge, I might not have pursued and gained knowledge fundamental to the worlds of grip,set lighting and camera. In later years, I worked steadily as a key grip, lighting gaffer and cameraman on many film and television projects.

Additionally, the dogged determination of Richard and Jean Cassidy to see their project finished and out into the public arena was an inspiration to me. My professional life and career might never have gone beyond that 16MM editing room at U.C.L.A..

Motion pictures like this one were the training ground for many of today's "A"-list Producers, directors, actors, artists and technical craftspeople. My generation of film makers made our mistakes. We learned how and tried in all aspects of of our craft, to make a better mouse trap. Years ago, Key Grip and old friend Raymond Mario Perosi said to me: "Well hell, were all new once".

I have not seen this picture since 1979. Now that I discovered the new title, I will look froward to screening it with the latest changes and fresh eyes. If you have any comments about this film or film making in general, please submit them here or via my listing on this site.

Thank you for taking time to read my comments.--Dan Zarlengo

When I had bought this film for $6.00 at a used book store I didn't know what to expect. I thought this movie was interesting to watch. I do not know why the girl had to leave her apartment and still keep in touch with her boyfriend but my guess would be because of emotional problems in her life. She moves into a house that the people that live in it remind me of the tenants in the movie "The Sentinel". She ends up moving next door to some crazed wacko with alot of mental problems stemming from experiences in his past and the man begins to bother the girl after the old lady that is the landlady of the building tells him to do so and he thinks about it and gives it a try. She begins to push him away and gives him every excuse not to go out with him and he begins to get impatient. I will not give out anything that happens after this but as far as the overall movie goes I found it enjoyable to watch and the characters in the movie were perfect for their parts in this movie.