Blu-ray Review: WHAT THE PEEPER SAW (1972)

WHAT THE PEEPER SAW
Directed by  James Kelley  and  Andrea Bianchi
Distributed by  VCI Entertainment

  I always love finding movies I have never heard of, and WHAT THE PEEPER SAW falls into that category.   I knew nothing about this film going into it, which really surprises me.  It is a very intriguing entry into the "killer kid" horror subgenre, so I was surprised I had never seen or heard of it before.  Here is the basic plot courtesy of the VCI Entertainment website:

  In this stylish and atmospheric psychological thriller, a wealthy author's wife's comfortable life turns into a terrifying nightmare when her young stepson starts exhibiting strange behavior. The fiendish child is out to destroy all the trust and love between his father and stepmother with his surreptitious pranks. Horror unfolds as the boy devilishly plots to drive a wedge deeper and deeper between them. But is the child really a fiend, or is he the victim of his neurotic stepmother’s paranoia?

  First off, this movie could never be made in today's day and age.  There are some very taboo subjects in this film, mainly having to do with the young boy Marcus (Mark Lester) and his step mom, played by the amazingly gorgeous Britt Ekland.  The main mystery in the film is whether or not Marcus killed his birth mother.  The stepmother decides to get to the bottom of it and find out the truth, even if that means enticing the boy to talk by stripping nude in front of him!

 The film is more of a thriller than a true horror film.  It's not bloody at all, but it does have some very creepy imagery.  One scene in particular shows Marcus staring into the pool as a dead woman floats by.  It's revealed he is seeing things because in reality it's a just a ball that floats by.  This shows the viewer the mindset of Marcus and sets a very moody and eerie tone for the film.  This kid obviously has some major issues. 

  The film is shot well and the acting is very good.  The newly restored HD transfer looks excellent. 
This is an interesting film for sure, one that I recommend checking out.

  WHAT THE PEEPER SAW is available now from VCI Entertainment and includes the following special features:

*  Original Theatrical Trailer
*  Original TV Teaser Spot


CLICK HERE to watch the trailer and purchase the Blu-ray