Retribution

Though often scary, this patchy horror pic is handicapped by embarrassment about its tawdry terror tactics, its hyperventilated hysteria all too often tempered by an undue attention to redundant 'human interest' stuff. Tortured artist (Lipscomb) takes a dive from a high window, but his suicidal impulses are frustrated when his body is possessed at the moment of death by the vengeful spirit of a murdered gambler, and he is transformed into a telekinetic maniac hunting down the culprits (and subjecting them to grisly deaths). Tart-with-a-heart (Snyder) tries to console him with soppy romantic love, while psychatrist (Wing) wrestles with his schizophrenia. Hampered by some hideous dialogue, it's about 20 tedious minutes too long, though Magar's stylish handling of the telekinetic mayhem just manages to sustain one's wavering interest.