TORMENTED is Director Bert I. Gordon's shot at a low-low-budget version of a Hitchcock-like suspense thriller / ghost story. It starts off great, with jealousy, blackmail, and murder. This all takes place in a wonderful, ocean lighthouse setting, overlooking jagged rocks!
Tom Stewart (Richard Carlson) has done the deed, leaving his scorned girlfriend, Vi Mason (Juli Reding) at the bottom of the briny deep. Of course, this is a B.I.G. production, so, subtlety is nowhere to be found. Tom is haunted almost immediately, by everything from supernatural seaweed to accusatory seagulls! Ghostly footprints appear on the beach, while Tom's new flame, Meg Hubbard (Lugene Sanders), wonders what's wrong with him.
The spook-o-thon has just begun, as Tom is TORMENTED at every turn, reminded of Vi through -very- noisy nightmares and apparitions. Gordon throws in the paranormal kitchen sink with this movie, using every possible gimmick to show... just! how! scary! it all is. Actually, as B.I.G. movies go, this one isn't godawful, it's simply overblown.
Another director might have stuck to the basic tale, only implying the more otherworldly goings-on. Gordon can't help himself, and must "terrify" with disembodied hands, a head, etc. Still, it is fun to watch, and Carlson is quite good in his bedeviled role. Also good is Lillian Adams as Mrs. Ellis. Schlock god, Gene Roth, makes a nice cameo as Mr. Nelson, the lunch counter man!...
Tom Stewart (Richard Carlson) has done the deed, leaving his scorned girlfriend, Vi Mason (Juli Reding) at the bottom of the briny deep. Of course, this is a B.I.G. production, so, subtlety is nowhere to be found. Tom is haunted almost immediately, by everything from supernatural seaweed to accusatory seagulls! Ghostly footprints appear on the beach, while Tom's new flame, Meg Hubbard (Lugene Sanders), wonders what's wrong with him.
The spook-o-thon has just begun, as Tom is TORMENTED at every turn, reminded of Vi through -very- noisy nightmares and apparitions. Gordon throws in the paranormal kitchen sink with this movie, using every possible gimmick to show... just! how! scary! it all is. Actually, as B.I.G. movies go, this one isn't godawful, it's simply overblown.
Another director might have stuck to the basic tale, only implying the more otherworldly goings-on. Gordon can't help himself, and must "terrify" with disembodied hands, a head, etc. Still, it is fun to watch, and Carlson is quite good in his bedeviled role. Also good is Lillian Adams as Mrs. Ellis. Schlock god, Gene Roth, makes a nice cameo as Mr. Nelson, the lunch counter man!...