Seizure (1974)

Director:

Oliver Stone

Writers:

Edward Mann (writer)
Oliver Stone (written by)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

She deals in death

Plot:

Jonathan Frid portrays a horror novelist who has a recurring nightmare about three figures out of his...

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Nightmare | Writer | Country | Reference To John D. Rockefeller

Cast

Jonathan Frid	...	Edmund Blackstone
Martine Beswick	...	Queen of Evil
Joseph Sirola	...	Charlie Hughes
Christina Pickles	...	Nicole Blackstone
Hervé Villechaize	...	Spider, the dwarf
Anne Meacham	...	Eunice Kahn
Roger De Koven	...	Serge Kahn
Troy Donahue	...	Mark Frost
Mary Woronov	...	Mikki Hughes
Richard Cox	...	Gerald
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry Judd Baker	...	Jackal, the giant (as Henry Baker)
Lucy Bingham	...	Betsy, the maid
Alexis Kirk	...	Arris
Mike Meola	...	Gas Station Attendant
Timothy Ousey	...	Jason Blackstone
Timothy Rowse	...	Milkman

Also Known As:

Queen of Evil
Tango macabre (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

UK:98 min | USA:94 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | Norway:16 | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Laurentides, Québec, Canada

Company:

Astral Bellevue Pathé

Quotes:

Gas Station Attendant: I can't take credit cards.
Charlie Hughes: Why?
Gas Station Attendant: They had it counted for the investigation.
Charlie Hughes: Listen idiot, this is a VIP card.
Gas Station Attendant: Look Jack,
Charlie Hughes: No Charles Hughes, not Jack, did I say my name was Jack?
Gas Station Attendant: Jack, I don't think you would like being called an idiot.
Charlie Hughes: Wait a minute, wait a minute, my name is not Jack. It's Charles Hughes!
Gas Station Attendant: I don't care if your named was Rockefeller, nine dollars and twenty three cents.
Charlie Hughes: No not Rockefeller, Hughes, Charles Hughes, do you know what that means? You see that sign up there? I own two percent of that sign. That sign licenses you to sell gasoline. On Monday morning, that sign no longer licenses you to sell gasoline, because I own two percent of that sign...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Nightmare in Canada: Canadian Horror on Film (2004) (TV)

Decent first feature from Oliver Stone

Seizure will be a point of interest to many simply for the fact that it is the feature film debut of Oliver Stone; made some years before he went on to make critically acclaimed films such as Platoon and JFK. Despite not being a big fan of the director; that was actually the thing that attracted me to this film also, and while I didn't go in expecting much; I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised as this is a surprisingly good low budget seventies horror movie. The film is halfway between a psychological horror and a slasher film and we focus on a troubled horror writer named Edmund Blackstone. He is plagued by a recurring nightmare which involves creations from his own literature terrorising him. He decides to invite some friends round to his isolated country home, but gets some uninvited guests in the form of those pesky evil characters he created; who proceed to break up the party by killing his guests.

Seizure features an obvious low budget and as such there is a very cheap feel to it. However, Oliver Stone gets over this problem well thanks to some very capable handling and an entertaining cast. The simple plot means that the director has plenty of time to build up his characters, and he does this well. The central location is isolated and that helps to build the tension as the innocent characters are trapped in the house at the centre of the film. The set of bad guys is undoubtedly the most interesting thing about the film; Martine Beswick leads the way as sultry 'Queen of Evil' and gets good back up from an exotic looking strongman as well as a menacing dwarf named 'Spider'. Things are kept interesting thanks to the immediate action and the dialogue between the central characters, as well as a few revelations. It all builds down to a satisfying conclusion that gives credence to the plot and main character. It's a shame this film is so obscure really because I'm sure it could find an audience and it's certainly not the worst film Oliver Stone ever made! Recommended, if you can find it.