''Psychic Killer'' is a 1975 American horror film directed by Ray Danton and written by

Greydon Clark Greydon Clark (born February 7, 1943) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and actor. His career spans several decades and genres, although the majority of his work has been low-budget productions in the action/horror genres. His m ...

, Mikel Angel and Ray Danton. The film stars Paul Burke,

Jim Hutton Dana James Hutton (May 31, 1934 – June 2, 1979) was an American actor in film and television best remembered for his role as Ellery Queen in the 1970s TV series of the same name, and his screen partnership with Paula Prentiss in four films, ...

Julie Adams Julie Adams (born Betty May Adams; October 17, 1926 – February 3, 2019) was an American actress, billed as Julia Adams toward the beginning of her career, primarily known for her numerous television guest roles. She starred in a number of ...

Nehemiah Persoff Nehemiah Persoff (August 2, 1919 – April 5, 2022) was an American character actor and painter. He appeared in more than 200 television series, films, and theatre productions and also performed as a voice artist in a career spanning 55 years, be ...

Neville Brand Lawrence Neville Brand (August 13, 1920 – April 16, 1992) was an American soldier and actor. He was known for playing villainous or antagonistic character roles in Westerns, crime dramas, and ''films noir'', and was nominated for a BAFTA Awa ...

and Aldo Ray. The film was released in December 1975, by

AVCO Embassy Pictures Embassy Pictures Corporation (also and later known as Avco Embassy Pictures as well as Embassy Films Associates) was an American independent film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution studio responsible for such fil ...

. Originally released under the alternate title ''The Kirlian Force'', it was changed to ''Psychic Killer'' to emphasize the more sensational horror scenes of the film. This was the final theatrical film for both Jim Hutton and Paul Burke.

Plot

Arnold Masters (

) is a young man serving time in an institution for the criminally insane for a crime he did not commit. Arnold reveals his situation to a fellow inmate: His mother was very sick, and needed an operation to remove a tumor. But due to Arnold's mother having no insurance, the doctor did not perform the operation. When Arnold returned to the doctor's office, the doctor was found dead, and Arnold was framed for the crime. A speedy trial resulted in Arnold's testimony being used against him, and as a result, he was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. And during his time in the institution, his mother had died, which Arnold did not know about until six months later. An inmate gives Arnold an amulet, in which Arnold learns astral projection - the art of leaving one's physical body and transporting the soul elsewhere. Arnold is soon freed from the institution after the doctor's real killer was caught and confessed to the crime. Soon after, Arnold begins using his newfound power of astral projection to kill those he feel were responsible for his incarceration and his mother's death. Among Arnold's victims are a court appointed psychiatrist whose testimony at Arnold's trial sealed his fate, the nurse who was supposed to care for Arnold's mother, but neglected to do so; the police officer who arrested Arnold, and the lawyer who sold out Arnold at the trial. All their deaths are made to look like accidents, which baffles the police - most notably, Lt. Jeff Morgan ( Paul Burke). Lt. Morgan pieces together the connection of the victims to Arnold, and visits Arnold's house one night. Morgan is determined to get to the bottom of all these deaths, even though he has no evidence linking Arnold to the murders. Morgan is soon joined by Arnold's doctor, Laura Scott (

), who tried to help Arnold during his time in the institution, and a colleague of hers, Dr. Gubner (

). Before long, Morgan decides to put an end to Arnold's murderous spree. Morgan recalls a conversation where Arnold can be medically dead while in his trance. While Arnold is having another out-of-body experience, Morgan goes over to his house and has the medical examiner take Arnold's physical body to the

Chapel of the Pines Crematory Chapel of the Pines Crematory is a crematory and columbarium located at 1605 South Catalina Street, Los Angeles, in the U.S. state of California, in the historic West Adams District a short distance southwest of Downtown. It is beside Angelus- ...

, but not before he has the medical examiner declare him dead. While Morgan is having Arnold's body loaded into an oven at the crematorium, Arnold's astral form sees Laura in his house. Just as Arnold is talking to Laura, he suddenly lets out a horrible scream. Arnold's astral form realizes that his physical body is being burned alive in the crematorium oven. Arnold wakes up in the oven, screaming in agony until he is burned to death.

Cast

* Paul Burke as Police Lt. Jeff Morgan *

as Arnold James Masters *

as Dr. Laura Scott *

as Dr. Gubner *

as Lemonowski * Aldo Ray as Lt. Dave Anderson *

Whit Bissell Whitner Nutting Bissell (October 25, 1909 – March 5, 1996) was an American character actor. Early life Born in New York City, Bissell was the son of surgeon Dr. J. Dougal Bissell and Helen Nutting Bissell. He was educated at the Allen-S ...

as Dr. Paul Taylor * Rod Cameron as Dr. Commanger *

Della Reese Delloreese Patricia Early (July 6, 1931 – November 19, 2017), known professionally as Della Reese, was an American jazz and gospel singer, actress, and ordained minister whose career spanned seven decades. She began her long career as a s ...

as Mrs. Gibson * Mary Charlotte Wilcox as Nurse Burnson *Judith Brown as Anne Turner *Joseph Della Sorte as Harvey B. Sanders *

as Police Sgt. Marv Sowash *Harry Holcombe as Judge *

Robin Raymond Robin Raymond (born Rayemon Robin, October 4, 1916 – June 20, 1994) was an American film actress. Early life Raymond graduated from Northwestern University with a BA degree and worked as a press agent in Chicago. Personal life Ray ...

as Jury Foreman *Jerry James as Dr. Cummings *Diane Deininger as Arnold's Mother *John Dennis as Frank * Bill Quinn as Hospital Coroner *Marland Proctor as Motorcycle Cop *Walter O. Miles as Coroner * Stack Pierce as Emilio *Mello Alexandria as Cop *Sandra Rustam as Young Girl

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 0073586, Psychic Killer 1975 films Astral projection in popular culture American supernatural horror films 1975 horror films Embassy Pictures films 1970s slasher films American slasher films 1970s English-language films 1970s American films