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The Sender

  • 1982
  • R
  • 1h 31m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
2.5K
YOUR RATING
The Sender (1982)
DramaHorrorSci-FiThriller

A disturbed telepathic man is unable to fully control his ability to transmit his dreams and visions into the minds of the people around him, or even influence reality. A female therapist tr... Read allA disturbed telepathic man is unable to fully control his ability to transmit his dreams and visions into the minds of the people around him, or even influence reality. A female therapist tries to help him, but his mother gets in the way.A disturbed telepathic man is unable to fully control his ability to transmit his dreams and visions into the minds of the people around him, or even influence reality. A female therapist tries to help him, but his mother gets in the way.

  • Director
    • Roger Christian
  • Writer
    • Thomas Baum
  • Stars
    • Kathryn Harrold
    • Zeljko Ivanek
    • Shirley Knight
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    2.5K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Roger Christian
    • Writer
      • Thomas Baum
    • Stars
      • Kathryn Harrold
      • Zeljko Ivanek
      • Shirley Knight
    • 34User reviews
    • 67Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination total

    Photos29

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    Top cast37

    Edit
    Kathryn Harrold
    Kathryn Harrold
    • Gail Farmer
    Zeljko Ivanek
    Zeljko Ivanek
    • The Sender
    Shirley Knight
    Shirley Knight
    • Jerolyn
    Paul Freeman
    Paul Freeman
    • Dr. Denman
    Sean Hewitt
    Sean Hewitt
    • The Messiah
    Harry Ditson
    Harry Ditson
    • Dr. Hirsch
    Olivier Pierre
    • Dr. Erskine
    Tracy Harper
    • Young Girl
    Al Matthews
    Al Matthews
    • Viet Nam Veteran
    Marsha Hunt
    Marsha Hunt
    • Nurse Jo
    Angus MacInnes
    Angus MacInnes
    • Sheriff Prouty
    Jana Shelden
    • Nurse Reimbold
    Manning Redwood
    Manning Redwood
    • Policeman
    John Stephen Hill
    • Policeman
    Monica Buford
    • Dr. Warren
    Janet Brandes
    • Patient
    Peter Carlisle
    • Patient
    Barbara Coles
    Barbara Coles
    • Patient
    • Director
      • Roger Christian
    • Writer
      • Thomas Baum
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews34

    6.02.4K
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    Featured reviews

    6jmbovan-47-160173

    Interesting concepts of the supernatural

    The Sender has some interesting concepts of the supernatural being housed in science and psychology. The picture unfortunately suffers from the rigors of making monsters out of science and doctors as they ignore and disbelieve the supernatural. The depiction of mental illness is poorly conveyed, but for a film made in 1982, this could have been progressive at the time. The film lacks the larger structure and bite that the Dead Zone was able to capture but a year later. (And no doubt due largely to Stephen King's superb story and Cronenberg's talent to maintain the story but transform it into film.) Acting is generally decent and rises to the occasion. This, and the unsuspected reveal at the start of the 3rd act brings this film to a 6 given the "movie of the week" nature of the story and plotting, as well as the lackluster ongoing tension that wasbnot sustained in this film. Tired of watching the Dead Zone? This one is worth a watch, but don't expect too much from it.
    Dethcharm

    Gimee, Gimee Shock Treatment...

    THE SENDER is about a man with the ability to induce nightmarish hallucinations in the minds of others. He's committed to a state mental hospital after attempting suicide. Known only as John Doe 83 (Zeljko Ivanek), all attempts to uncover his true identity are futile.

    As John Doe 83 is put under increasing stress, his powers seem to affect everyone who comes into contact with him. Soon, both patients and staff alike are caught up in a series of terrifying illusions.

    The climax comes when he's subjected to shock treatments. The slow-motion chaos that results from it is classic stuff indeed!

    Also, watch for JD83's mother, who just might be a ghost!

    Highly recommended for every paranormal-horror maniac...
    brandonsites1981

    * * *1/2 out of 4.

    A doctor (Kathryn Harroler) tries to find out why a telepathic young man (Zelijko Ivank) is unleashing his nightmares and visions into the minds of the staff and patients and causing them injury. She thinks his weird mother (Shirley Knight) my be part of the cause. Crisp, suspenseful thriller with a solid premise and good production values & performances. One of the best horror films from the 1980's.

    Rated R; Violence.
    7lee_eisenberg

    two George Lucas franchises meet MSNBC

    The 1980s are known as the golden age of slasher movies. It's worth noting that not all horror flicks from the era of the Rubik's Cube were slashers. A really good non-slasher is Roger Christian's psychological thriller "The Sender", about a man whose dreams manifest themselves. There are some VERY intense scenes. I liked the whole sequence in the operating room.

    As is often the case with horror flicks, "The Sender" features an eye-opening cast and crew. Roger Christian won an Oscar for Art Direction for "Star Wars" and received a second nod for "Alien", but later directed the infamous "Battlefield Earth". Kathryn Harrold used to be married to MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell. Željko Ivanek was born in Ljubljana but raised in the United States and has appeared in a number of movies and TV shows. Shirley Knight has been in movies for over fifty years. Paul Freeman played the villain in "Raiders of the Lost Ark". And then there's writer Tom Baum: he also wrote wrote the 1975 animated feature "Hugo the Hippo", one of the most WTF movies ever.

    Anyway, it's a neat movie. I recommend it.

    PS: "The Sender" opened the 1982 Avoriaz Film Festival.
    8HumanoidOfFlesh

    Truly underrated horror film.

    A suicidal mental patient(Zelijko Ivanek)turns his horrific nightmares into reality by choosing receivers for his demented thoughts from the local hospital.Psychiatrist(Kathryn Harrold)realizes the young man's power and tries to save him."The Sender" is a very creepy horror film that has slick production values.The acting is surprisingly good and the film perfectly mixes reality with unsettling hallucinations.There is only a little bit of blood,but the atmosphere of dread and fear is easy to feel.There are some wonderful moments of pure horror like the scene where an Etc machine is switched on and an entire operating room erupts in a slow-motion explosion.The film is relatively obscure,but if you get the chance watch it.8 out of 10.Highly recommended.

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    Related interests

    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi
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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film's director Roger Christian has said of this movie in an interview: ''This was the beginning of my career as a director, and it was a real battle with the producer and the studios who were dumping it. They were hiding it and I was fighting...It came off the back of, first, Black Angel (1980) in particular got me a Hollywood agent, and a very good one, different from most of them. I was more interested in pursuing [Andrei] Tarkovsky [Andrei Tarkovsky]'s kind of way of filmmaking where I was making the film for the subconscious rather the conscious. I thought I'd better do something else, so I made The Dollar Bottom (1981)...That won the Academy Award, so that got me The Sender, and it was with Fox, 20th Century Fox, and then right when we were well into it, almost into production, they turned around and cancelled, and Paramount Pictures picked it up in three days, and we went straight ahead. But it's one of these films, I found out, as I said, Paramount were completely not interested in it, they really did nothing with it at the time, which was a shame... it was a very, very good script, and I got a really good cast of actors to do it, and it was a baptism by fire for me, with the producer and the studios and everything...''.
    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Hidden Horror (1988)
    • Soundtracks
      Walk Through the Meadows
      (uncredited)

      Music by Johnny Pearson

      Bosworth Music Ltd

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    FAQ17

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 22, 1982 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Tajanstvena moc
    • Filming locations
      • Georgia, USA(Exterior)
    • Production companies
      • Kingsmere Productions Ltd.
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,054,328
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $434,884
      • Oct 24, 1982
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,054,328
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 31m(91 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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