''Phobia'' is a 1980 Canadian horror-

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

, directed by John Huston and starring

Paul Michael Glaser Paul Michael Glaser (born Paul Manfred Glaser March 25, 1943) is an American actor and director best known for his role as Detective Dave Starsky on the 1970s television series, ''Starsky & Hutch''. In between his work writing and directing, Gla ...

Gerald Pratley Gerald Arthur Pratley (September 3, 1923 – March 14, 2011) was a Canadian film critic and historian.Piers Handling"Gerald Arthur Pratley" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'', September 18, 2011. A longtime film critic for the Canadian Broadcasting Corp ...

, ''A Century of Canadian Cinema''. Lynx Images, 2003. . p. 169-170.

Plot summary

Dr. Peter Ross (

), a psychiatrist, introduces a radical new therapy which he tests on five of his patients to cure them of their various fears (heights, crowded places, enclosed spaces, men and snakes). However his patients start being murdered by an unknown assailant using methods relating to their respective fears.

Cast

as Dr. Peter Ross * Susan Hogan as Jenny St. Clair *

John Colicos John Colicos (December 10, 1928 – March 6, 2000) was a Canadian actor. He performed on stage and television in the United States and Canada. Career Colicos was born in Toronto, Ontario, to a Greek father and a Canadian mother. In 1957 he app ...

as Inspector Larry Barnes *David Bolt as Henry Owen * Patricia Collins as Dr. Alice Toland * David Eisner as Johnny Venuti *

Lisa Langlois Lisa Langlois (born March 15, 1959) is a Canadian actress, who has appeared in movies, television and theater. Life and career Langlois was born in North Bay, Ontario. spent her childhood years in Hamilton, Ontario, where she attended a French ...

as Laura Adams * Alexandra Stewart as Barbara Grey *Robert O'Ree as Bubba King *Neil Vipond as Dr. Clegg * Marian Waldman as Mrs. Casey *

Kenneth Welsh Kenneth Welsh, (March 30, 1942 – May 5, 2022) was a Canadian film and television actor. He was best known as the multi-faceted villain Windom Earle in ''Twin Peaks'', for his roles in the films '' The Day After Tomorrow'', ''Adoration'', '' S ...

as Sgt Joe Wheeler

Reception

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' film critic Kevin Thomas described ''Phobia'' as "the worst film ever directed by a winner of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award." Reginald H. Morris received a Genie Award nomination for Best Cinematography at the

2nd Genie Awards The 2nd Genie Awards were held March 12, 1981, honouring Canadian films released the previous year.Jay Scott, "Genie nominations released". ''The Globe and Mail'', February 10, 1981. The ceremony was held at the Royal Alexandra Theatre and was hos ...

in 1981.

Jay Scott Jeffrey Scott Beaven (October 4, 1949 – July 30, 1993), known professionally by his pen name Jay Scott, was a Canadian film critic."Critic Jay Scott, 43 among world's best". ''Toronto Star'', July 31, 1993. Early life Scott was born in Lincol ...

, "Genie nominations released". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...

'', February 10, 1981.

References

External links

* * * 1980 films Films directed by John Huston English-language Canadian films 1980 horror films 1980s horror thriller films Canadian horror thriller films Medical-themed films Paramount Pictures films Films with screenplays by Peter Bellwood Films about fear Films with screenplays by Jimmy Sangster Films with screenplays by Ronald Shusett Films with screenplays by Dan O'Bannon 1980s English-language films 1980s Canadian films {{1980s-Canada-film-stub