Note: This Blu-ray will be released on August 25th, 2015.
Here’s a real find for 80s era horror movie fans. The Sender is a psychological horror movie that definitely contains elements of popular telepathy/telekinesis movies of the time, like Carrie, Patrick, The Fury and Scanners. While this title isn’t as well known as some of the others listed, make no mistake… it is a very effective film. Perhaps this is because the UK production (with some exteriors shot on location in Atlanta) was picked up for distribution by Paramount Pictures, who only gave it a limited release in North America.
It certainly received good notices at the time and has slowly amassed a following over the years, but it has become a very tough title to find. The new Blu-ray from Olive Films marks the movie’s premiere on the format and will absolutely thrill viewers – it’s a simple chiller, impressively and efficiently told. And it’s a gorgeous-looking movie that greatly benefits from a high definition transfer.
This tale begins with a amnesia-ridden teenager (Zeljko Ivanek) clearly suffering from deep psychological trauma. Upon his admittance to a mental institution, he comes under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Gail Farmer (Kathryn Harrold). The patient is never referred to by his real name, only as John Doe #83. Farmer attempts subtle measures to help him retrieve hidden memories, but her boss pushes for electroshock therapy. Problems soon arrive when the doctor and others at the institute begin having nightmarish visions (sometimes with Doe in them). Could the young man be projecting his dreams onto others?
The movie really takes time with its characters and works to establish an eerie mood over graphic content. Thankfully, it’s very well acted, lending a sense of credibility to the unusual goings on. The characters are soft-spoken and the camera lingers. Every so often, odd things appear in frame and dream-like visions are transmitted. In a strange way, this approach actually helps to amplify the tension. On the odd occasion when something unexpectedly hallucinogenic appears and there is a soundtrack sting, it’s quite startling.
Personally, I was also taken by how impressive the cinematography is. While the disc shows some grain, the image is remarkably clean. There are gorgeous cool and hot colors on display and moody night photography that really stand out.
It also features a couple of great DePalma-esque shots that stunningly capture the standout effects and stunt-work (including a shock session that goes haywire). This was the first film of DP Roger Pratt, who would go on to shoot other gorgeous-looking movies like Brazil, Batman, The Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. His work in this film is extremely polished and it adds greatly to the already creepy atmosphere.
While it never made a big impact back in the day, The Sender is a small gem that’s better than many of the films that came out during this time period. Even filmmaker Quentin Tarantino has sung its praises on numerous occasions. In the end, horror aficionados and genre fans are sure to be impressed with both the film and the image quality on display.