Blu-ray Review: Double Exposure (1982) is a mystery-psychological thriller with slasher elements

Double Exposure (1982)—written and directed by William Byron Hillman—is a mystery-psychological thriller with slasher and giallo elements. Michael Callan stars as Adrian Wilde, a prolific photographer for men’s magazines, whose life begins to unravel when he experiences disturbing dreams in which he kills some of his models through various gruesome means. Meanwhile, a killer is stalking and murdering women on the street. Two LAPD sergeants are trying to track down the serial killer. When Adrian learns that some of his models have met with violent deaths, he begins to suspect that he may actually be the killer. Double Exposure features an interesting story, very good acting, and a haunting music score.

Right at the beginning of the film, the two LAPD sergeants are seen sitting in an unmarked car waiting for the serial killer to appear so that they can apprehend him or her. A policeman dressed up as a prostitute to attract the killer walks by on the sidewalk. When the police decoy reaches his car, he is stabbed from behind from the killer’s point-of-view. He calls for help over the radio, and the two sergeants rush to the scene, but it is too late. This opening scene grabs the audience’s attention and establishes that the killer targets hookers.

After the opening murder, the film cuts to Adrian Wilde jogging in the hills. He is the active, independent type, and he lives in a motor home. Inside the motor home, he opens the newspaper and sees the story about the police decoy posing as a prostitute who was murdered. This causes him to take pause for a minute. Then he jumps into his Porsche and drives to the city to visit his shrink. During the conversation with the shrink, Adrian mentions “bizarre, crazy dreams.” Are the dreams real? Does Adrian actually commit the murders? Or is there something more sinister involved? Throughout the story, Adrian’s life increasingly becomes a living nightmare.

Although this is an obscure film, the acting is very good. Michael Callan is a talented actor who had been involved in films since the 1950s. He gives a strong performance as the charismatic photographer suffering from emotional distress. He is especially riveting during the scenes when Adrian’s mind is slowly falling apart as a result of the ordeal he is living through. Joanna Pettet portrays Mindy, a stable, caring woman who falls in love with Adrian. She is concerned about Adrian’s health and happiness and seeks to understand what he is going through.

Similarly, Seymour Cassel is very convincing as Adrian’s shrink, Dr. Frank Curtis. He is mostly a listener, but when he speaks, he helps Adrian put the pieces together. When some of Adrian’s models end up dead, and Adrian is implicated, Dr. Curtis finds himself in a dilemma. Adrian’s brother, B.J. Wilde, is played by James Stacy. Like his brother, B.J. is a flawed character. He is a stunt man who had an accident that left him with one arm and one leg. After the accident, B.J.’s marriage failed. He has a bitter attitude and is prone to fits of anger. Pamela Hensley (Sgt. Fontain) and David Young (Sgt. Buckhold) are entertaining as the two law enforcement officers who follow Adrian in the hope of making an arrest.

The music score by Jack Goga heightens the drama of this film. When the murders are about to happen, the music is dark and ominous, which adds to the suspense. It is almost like the sound of a monster breathing as the audience sees the victims from the killer’s perspective. On the other hand, there is fun, rock n’ roll disco-style music playing when Adrian and friends visit the fictitious night club “Le Hot Club.”

As is to be expected from Vinegar Syndrome, this Blu-ray/DVD combo release is stunning. The film is newly scanned and restored in 2K from the original 35mm camera negative. The menu screen is beautiful and has a moving image from the beginning of the film in the background. The viewer can play the film from the beginning or opt to start from one of five “reels.” There are six items among the special features: (1) a commentary track with writer and director William Byron Hillman (2) an isolated score in which the film plays with only the music score—no dialogue or on-screen sound effects (3) a new interview with cinematographer R. Michael Stringer (4) a new interview with script supervisor Sally Stringer (5) theatrical trailer (6) promotional stills gallery.

The director’s commentary is worth listening to as William Byron Hillman tells many insightful stories about the making of this film. Double Exposure was intended as a prequel to William Byron Hillman’s film The Photographer (1974). It is interesting to hear R. Michael Stringer talk about the challenges of shooting Double Exposure as it was shot in anamorphic widescreen. The scope presentation gives the film a slick, atmospheric look. There are even some helicopter shots of the Los Angeles freeways, which lend a majestic quality to the film.

Double Exposure is a real treat for horror fans. Although the film takes a dark, violent approach, the focus is on character development and story. It is a mystery thriller that happens to have slasher elements. The Italian giallo genre, which was a precursor to the American slasher genre, often featured a mysterious killer whose identity was not revealed until the end. That is in fact the case with Double Exposure. It is scary, suspenseful, and the viewer does not know who the killer is until the end.